Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 23/02) - As a businessman, 29-year-old Ryan Doherty is on fire. His fire prevention company is successful and he's been named Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Ryan Doherty is a partner in a Yellowknife fire prevention company. - photo courtesy of Business Development Bank of Canada

Doherty started working for the safety service company in 1992, right after high school. He liked the company so much, he decided to buy it in 2000.

"Me and my father as a partner decided to go for it," he said. Since then the business tripled its sales and added three employees.

The staff includes a manager, two service technicians and an accounts-person. Fire Prevention Services looks after fire extinguishers, alarms and fire suppression systems in Yellowknife and beyond. A lot of the business comes from the diamond mines as well as the government.

"We went from a 700-square-foot shop space to 1,800-square-feet - we purchased the building," said Doherty.

Every year the Business Development Bank of Canada chooses an outstanding entrepreneur between 19 and 30 years old from each province and territory.

It's part of the nationwide Small Business Week.

Doherty is in Vancouver this week to receive his award, attend special training and meet other business managers, academics, and entrepreneurs.

He's already made one business contact in Vancouver. An oilman from Alberta is looking for fire prevention services.

"I love the challenge," said Doherty. Explaining about the fire systems is his favourite part of the job.

But he loves the thrill of owning his own business. "I definitely want to expand.

"I want to get into everything to do with fire safety."

Right now he sub-contracts his alarm technicians but he hopes to add that dimension to his own staff soon.

Some aspects of the business require special training and certification.

Most of the money in the fire prevention trade is made through service contracts as opposed to sales of equipment, he said.