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Gerrie Electric makes the list of female-run firmsBy Steve Arnoldtheir supplier base can draw.of all domestic and international suppliers toMetroland West Media GroupBeing in the database doesnt assure a busi-corporations and governments.ness will get the order, but it gets them in theThe result of that gap, the agency says, ishen youre a woman playing in a often-closed loops where such decisions arewomens businesses dont grow, big businessleague traditionally dominated by made. Certified business owners also havemisses out on value and innovation, andWmen, every little advantage helps.access to networking events and webinarsnational productivity and GDP suffer. Thats allThats what sisters Elaine and Heather where they get the chance to make the per-despite the fact 97 per cent of Fortune 500Gerrie are looking for from their registration sonal connections that can lead to futurecompanies have a formal program requiringwith WEConnect, the two-year-old agency that orders.them to find supplier companies headed bygives businesses owned by women a chance to Being part of this is going to strengthenwomen, visible minorities and others.get into the supply chains of major corpora-our connection with customers, Elaine said.Since opening in March 2009, WEConnecttions like General Motors.It will be a good connection for us.Canada has certified 110 companies as wom-We think this will be a real competitive Gerrie Electric was certified by WEConnectan-owned. The Canadian agency is an affiliateadvantage for us, Elaine Gerrie said. It gives in May 2010.of WEConnect International, which has simi-us a differentiator and were always looking for Mary Anderson, executive director of lar agencies in the U.S. and UK. that edge.WEConnect Canada, said the agency came toTo give its certification meaning, AndersonElaine and Heather are co-presidents and Canada to let Canadian firms cash in an oppor-said examiners will go to the plants and officesCEOs of Gerrie Electric Wholesale Ltd., and tunity already available in the United States.of applicants, examining corporate documents,Oakville-based Gerrie Lighting Studio, the The American authority couldnt certifyminute books and other materials to ensurecompany founded 53 years ago by their father companies here, so Canadian firms were miss-the woman on the letterhead is the actuallyKen. The company is one of the countrys larg-ing out on an opportunity, she said. day-to-day leader of the company and not justest suppliers of electrical products to the WEConnects statistics hint theres a gapa financial backer or proxy for her husband.industrial, institutional and contractor mar-between the number of women controllingIts a pretty transparent and rigorous pro-kets.their own businesses today and their successcess, Anderson said. We want to make sureAfter half a century in business, the com-in getting orders from the continents largestthe decisions in the company are being madeJOHN RENNISON / METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUPpany is well established with 8,000 customers, industrial producers.by a woman.ALL IN THE FAMILY:Elaine and Heather including General Motors and other automak-According to the agency, the top 13 multi-This recognizes there are those who haveGerrie, right, are co-presidents and CEO of Gerrie ers, as well as 20 branch offices. Staying estab-national corporations that purchase morebeen traditionally under-represented in sup-Electric.lished, however, is the challenge the sisters than $1 billion US each per year spend only 2.2plier contracts, she added. No company isgrapple with every day, and thats where they nies to certify that they are at least 51 per cent per cent with women-owned businesses. Theregoing to get business without being able tohope their WEConnect connection will help.owned by a woman. Once that has been estab-are 821,000 female entrepreneurs in Canada,meet the customers requirements, but thisThe idea behind WEConnect is simple. The lished, the company is entered in a database but WEConnect estimates Canadian women-allows woman-owned businesses to at least getagency conducts an audit of applying compa-from which corporations hoping to diversify owned businesses make up less than 5 per centtheir foot in the door.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 4, 2011 16