Platinum Status
Deloitte & Touche has named the company one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, and this year, it received Platinum Status because it has qualified as the Best Managed Company for six years. In 2006, 44 Canadian companies made this ranking.

Companies that are a part of the Platinum Club are able to anticipate their customers’ future needs, develop needed services and products, successfully manage growth, expand nationally and internationally, and attract and retain talented employees.

“Passion for change, innovation in applying leading business practices, and an ability to motivate employees were among the many characteristics that distinguishes Graham,” said John Hughes, partner, Private Company Services group with Deloitte, in a statement.

The award, established in 1993, is one of Canada’s distinguished business awards program, and recognizes Canadian owned and managed companies who achieve yearly revenues more than $10 million. “What an achievement,” said President and CEO Tom Baxter in a statement. “We’re very proud of our new Platinum designation.

“It’s something that is only possible with the hard work and dedication of our employees.” Along with Deloitte, this program is also sponsored by CIBC Commercial Banking, National Post and Queen’s School of Business.

“To reach the elite ranks of Platinum Club, a business needs to demonstrate repeated and consistent enterprise-wide excellence,” said James McSherry, executive vice president and managing director of CIBC Commercial Banking in a statement. “It’s a distinction that honors the entire company, not just the senior ranks.”

In 2006, Graham received the Award of Excellence from the Canadian Information Productivity Awards (CIPA). The recognition honors organizations that apply IT innovation to improve productivity and innovation.

The company received the award for its development and use of Toolbox, a suite of integrated software applications for the construction industry. It is used by all Graham employees. “To be recognized by CIPA as a 2006 winner for our work on Toolbox is an honor, considering CIPA is the premier information-technology and innovation awards program in Canada,” Baxter said in a statement.

“It is rewarding to have our efforts to improve our enterprise through innovative technology acknowledged on a national scale.”