Stephan Burnett (Oct 25/04) - Ironically, overnight success stories are often years in the making.

That's the truth behind Sean Ivens and Medic North Emergency Services Limited. Ivens' company was recently selected as the winner of the Business Development Bank of Canada's young entrepreneur award for the Northwest Territories.

Sean Ivens, owner of Medic North Emergency Services Ltd., won the Business Development Bank of Canada's Young Entrepreneur Award for the Northwest Territories. - photo courtesy of Medic North

Ivens' company was formed in the spring of 1995 while he was attempting to contract himself out as a medic on several different industrial sites throughout the Northwest Territories.

What started as a means of creating self-employment has turned into a thriving business employing between 18 and 40 people, depending on the season.

Now, the company serves clients in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

Medic North supplies medical services to industrial locations in the oil and gas and mining and exploration sectors.

"Imagine a remote mine site 200 kilometres north of Yellowknife. With a population of 900 people, some mine sites are larger than the communities," said Ivens, who turned 34 over the weekend.

The high-hazard workforce lives under one roof and shares a washroom and eating and sleeping facilities. In this situation, the potential for communicable diseases is high, said Ivens.

When Ivens first started out he had no idea to what degree his business would grow over the next nine years.

Growth in the company has meant Ivens has had to assume responsibility for much more than simply his own activities.

"One of the real keys is to maintain a high level of involvement in the company. I get involved with our field staff and the sites and I really try to keep a good working relationship between our staff and our office.

Other interests

Ivens also has an interest in two other companies. He is part owner of Med.EX Inc., a wholesale supply company for hospitals, health centres and medical clinics.

Another of his businesses is Utsingi Developments, which he refers to as a development company.

"We've purchased a property and are in the process of erecting a new warehouse to house Med.Ex and Medic North. We'll also have storage facilities and two other bays we're going to rent out," he said.