Three businessmen with a passion for skateboarding have taken top honours for Quebec * in the Business Development Bank of Canada *'s Young Entrepreneur Awards.

The awards, which kick off Small Business Week, recognize the achievements of business people between the ages of 19 and 30. They were presented in Vancouver * yesterday.

Max Dufour *, vice-president of Longueuil-based Woodchuck Inc., said in a phone interview that he and his partners "were really surprised" to hear they'd won.

Dufour, Marc Mohammed and Marc Pelland -- all 29 -- have parlayed their love of skateboards into an enterprise that manufactures and sells maple * skateboard decks in Canada, Europe *, Japan * and Australia *. Founded in 1996 *, the firm has 45 employees and sales of $3 million.

Along the way, they took out a loan from the bank, Dufour said, so this year they decided to apply for the award. It carries no cash prize, he said, but "what's really great is it motivates everybody in the company. We're really proud."

And he believes the recognition will have practical benefits as well, opening opportunities in financing "and maybe sales eventually, too."

The company has done well in exports, he said, but the U.S. market is huge, and "we haven't attacked it yet." The company is optimistic it can double its sales, and expects employment to grow to 60 by spring.

Dufour said yesterday's sessions * with other winners from across Canada gave the company a chance "to compare notes" and develop contacts with other young Canadian companies.

Awards are presented to one company in each province and the three territories. Winners are selected by a panel of judges from the business community who consider such criteria as operating success, innovation, involvement in the new economy, community work and export performance.

After picking up their award from the bank, the trio heads back to Montreal *, where they have been nominated by business consultants Ernst & Young for their entrepreneur-of-the- year award. That will be presented next week.

This article was originally entitled "Top honours for skateboarders Woodchuck wins Business Development Bank's Young Entrepreneur Award for Quebec" and was found at http://www.canada.com/montreal/specials/business/ story.html?id=%7BE7D2ABD6-5B3A-495D-8A23-718A71DB744C%7D

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