Toronto, January 16, 2006 — Released today, Building the Best: Lessons from Inside Canada’s Best Managed Companies is a book for and about Canadian business. A behind-the-scenes tour of Canadian success stories, the book examines the challenges overcome by 10 of Canada’s most successful businesses and provides a roadmap to success for other organizations to follow. 

Deloitte partners Anthony Grnak and John Hughes, and award-winning writer Douglas Hunter, chose 10 exceptional businesses that exemplify success from among the more than 500 winners of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies program, one of this country’s most prestigious business awards. With perspective provided by Deloitte, and commentary from top-ranked Queen’s School of Business, Building the Best provides practical insight into achieving business excellence through anecdote and industry-specific analysis, as well as candid and revealing interviews with founders, owners and senior executives.

“Management theory is only theory until you see it in practice,” says Deloitte author and national leader of the Best Managed program, John Hughes. “By taking readers inside the executive suites and boardrooms of exceptional companies nationwide, we’ve been able to demonstrate how results are achieved in the real world.”

Each company’s story illustrates a key component of the three vital building blocks to sustainable growth: strategy, capability and commitment. The companies featured provide a fascinating window into the industries in which they operate. Readers learn what it takes to craft a prize-winning cabernet sauvignon, build a major museum, create a dazzling circus performance, carve out a dominant niche in the Internet market, and be first to market with children’s products.

“Business history is filled with stories of overnight successes and ‘one-hit’ wonders, but real success is built on sustainable growth,” explains Anthony Grnak, author and Deloitte partner. “These companies are some of the best we’ve seen at creating sustainable growth and through their stories, readers learn how these strategies for success can be applied to any business.”

“Learning by example is one of the most powerful tools to help companies get ahead in business. Building the Best delivers real-life lessons in how enterprises can break away from the pack,” says Ron Joyce, co-founder and CEO of Tim Hortons, one of Canada’s greatest business successes.

Whether the reader is a business student, corporate manager, senior corporate executive, or entrepreneur at any stage of the growth curve, Building the Best informs, inspires, and instructs. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in long-term business success.

Building the Best is published by Penguin Group (Canada) and is available from bookstores nationwide.  

Hardback | 240 pages | ISBN 0670063835 | Viking Canada $36.00

About Canada’s Best Managed Companies
Established in 1993, Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies (Best Managed) is the country’s leading business awards program, recognizing excellence in Canadian-owned and managed companies with revenues over $10 million. Every year, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates the caliber of their management abilities and practices. The awards are granted on three levels: 1) Best Managed winner (one of the 50 new winners selected each year),  2) Requalified  member  (repeat winners retain the Best Managed designation for two additional years, subject to annual operational and financial review),  3) Platinum Club member (winners that maintain Best Managed status for a minimum of six consecutive years.) Program sponsors are Deloitte, CIBC Commercial Banking, National Post, and Queen's School of Business. For further information, visit www.canadas50best.com. 

Chapter themes and companies featured:

1. Developing an executable strategy to achieve sustainable growth: Magnotta Winery
2. Pursuing and managing alliances, acquisitions, and other strategic relationships: Spin Master
3. Managing the risks associated with growth: Boston Pizza
4. Capitalizing on technology solutions: EllisDon
5. Building and sustaining a customer-focused approach to sales and marketing: Harry Rosen
6. Developing and leveraging core competencies: Armour Transportation Systems
7. Attracting capital and managing finances: MediaGrif Interactive Technologies
8. Designing the right organization and processes to support growth: PCL Construction Group of Companies
9. Creating the right leadership and communicating the vision: Cirque du Soleil
10. Attracting and retaining talent to build an exceptional culture: National Leasing