2 THE BEAUSEJOUR REVIEW Friday November 6, 2009

Bialek brothers win big

By Donna Delaurier and Ryan Crocker Setting off fireworks indoors is rarely a ood idea, but that?s what happened this ednesday when Selkirk?s Blast Off ireworks was named outstanding small usiness of the year at the Manitoba usiness Awards ceremony Wednesday ight. Matt and Ryan Bialek of Brokenhead rovide the spark to what?s quickly becomng one of the province?s biggest little usinesses. And at the Manitoba Chamber f Commerce awards show, their Blast Off ireworks took top honours over what eemed like the easy winner ? Peak of the arket. "IWe were up against one heavyeight, Peak of the Market," Matt Bialek aid. "Excuse the pun, but Ryan and I igured we had a pretty tough row to hoe ith our running against Manitoba's vegtable giant. As a result, we were cauiously optimistic in terms of our chancs." Bialek said he was speechless when hey won. "Our entire table was in disbelief. It ook a while for the award to sink in. I onestly do not remember what I said in y thank-you speech after accepting the ward," he added. "The fact we were recgnized as the top small business in anitoba was hard to believe." He said the award is an honour for veryone involved with Blast Off ireworks and the business' two other ivisions, Red Bomb Fireworks and ampfire FX. "This award truly signifies that we're at he top of our game in our industry and in he province we call home. We never xpect any award of this magnitude, but hen it happens, we are truly thankful," e added. "It also serves as proof to every ay-sayer, especially those that believed ur organization was on a dead-end path, hat with passion, vision, and great mployees, anything is possible. verything in life starts small. To recogize this fact is the challenge of a proacive community and their elected officials. ven the smallest opportunity, coming out

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

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Fireworks business earns top prize from Manitoba Chamber of Commerce

The Bialek brothers shared their special moment with their parents. of left field, can wind up exceeding expectations on an exponential scale." Bialek started the business in Beausejour 10 years ago. In 2004 he moved it to Selkirk and since then has moved out of the 10,000 sq. ft. building into a 40,000 sq. ft. space. He admits, the new building is impressive. ?When you stand in there and look at all the explosives, it?s a little bit daunting,? he said. But not surprising. The boys have made a conscious decision to take what they get out of the business and put it back in. ?Our emphasis has been on reinvestment," he added. Bialek runs the wholesale division, while Ryan Bialek handles the retail Submitted photo end of the operation. They employ a staff of 10 that swells to 20 or 25 during peak season and they ship coast to coast. The fireworks, for the most part come from China and are not made at the Selkirk plant. Campfire FX is the lone exception, and for the uninitiated, Campfire FX is sprinkled over a campfire to ?create a mesmerizing display of dancing purple, blue, and green flames,? according to company literature. In their blood It?s fair to say the boys have been around fireworks most their lives. As youngsters they watched their father, whose business was with commercial, or display, fireworks, the kind you see at Canada Day events and the like. So while fireworks might seem like an odd business to get into, for the Bialeks it was as natural as a dairy farmers? son milking cows for a living. But it wasn?t always that way. After high school Matt Bialek headed off to university and planned to pursue a career in finance. In fact, it was while working at Nesbitt Burns ? BMO?s investment arm ? in a downtown Winnipeg high rise that it occurred to him he wasn?t really happy. ?I was sick of looking out the window,? he said. ?A couple of summers looking out the window at the warm sun wasn?t for me.? He got out of investments and into explosions. He admits he now has no time to look out any window, but he?s happier none the less. ?Even when we stop and think about what we?re doing, we absolutely love what we do,? he said of himself and his brother. ?It?s bewildering to think that what we do is what we do.? He tips his hat to Nesbitt Burns, saying he learned a ton and calling it ?the most valuable position I ever had?. ?That was where I gained a lot of knowledge," he added. That, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit inherited from his father and grandfather, keep him enjoying everything about life these days. He describes a typical day around the fireworks factory as ?craziness?, but the kind of craziness that makes you want to come back again the next day. ?I don?t recall the last time we worked less that 12 hours a day,? he said with a laugh. ?It?s usually about 18 hours.? And everyday is different. Dealing with clients, sales functions, travelling and just everyday keep-the-machine going kind of things. What he enjoys most is the relationship he?s able to build with clients. When he started the business he dabbled in display fireworks, but says a lack of customer connection turned him off ? you only deal with the client once a year, generally. ?We don?t do any of the display fireworks anymore... just what you can walk in off the street and buy,? he said. With display fireworks, he says they couldn?t build a relationship with clients ? a key ingredient for job fulfillment and one that?s blossomed with Blast Off, Red Bomb and Campfire FX. ?You?re constantly in touch with these people (clients). You build a long-term relationship,? he said. ?(Display) just wasn?t as meaningful to me in terms of relationship building.? And that is likely the reason for the Bialeks? success ? they confirm what we?ve been told all our lives, that we should really like what we do. ?It?s easier to do something well when you enjoy what you?re doing,? Matt added. ?I think my brother and I would both agree it?s not really work to us.?

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