Waste Industry Trailblazer Emmie Leung Named a Finalist in EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

TORONTO - Oct. 11, 2014 - PRLog -- Dating back 38 years and from humble beginnings, Emmie Leung proved that will and determination in Canada can translate into success. As Founder of CEO of Emterra Group, a leading waste management and recycling company operating in Canada and the US, Leung’s successes – and accolades – continue to add up. Leung has been recently announced as a finalist for the prestigious Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Awards.

Award finalists from all areas of business are chosen based on their vision, leadership, financial success and social responsibility. Nomination criteria explored how personal and business standards contributed to success; how the nominee demonstrated perseverance and overcame obstacles; how the business was built in the face of personal and financial risk; how the nominee overcame obstacles within the industry; and how their vision and plan for the future would contribute to the growth of their business. These are the very attributes that might best describe Emmie Leung and the reason behind Emterra Group’s continued success. For Leung, the key to achieving environmental (and business) sustainability is to espouse the credo, “Create opportunities from waste.” Indeed, Emterra relentlessly seeks opportunities to divert waste from landfill and create sellable commodities as inputs for new product manufacturing.

“I am overwhelmed and at the same time very proud to stand among the Canadian business leaders who have been selected as finalists in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 Ontario program. It is an honour to receive this recognition for my life’s work”, Leung said.

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalist announcement comes on the heels of Leung’s wins last year as “Executive of the Year Award in the Canadian Waste Sector” by the Canadian Waste Sector and "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs - plus various company awards.  Being a finalist in EY’s national entrepreneurship award further demonstrates Leung is an unstoppable entrepreneur – or at least that her vision and drive to succeed both appear limitless.

"This year's finalists prove that the future of entrepreneurship in our country is brighter than ever. After 21 years of Entrepreneur of the Year we're still amazed at how these leaders continue to defy the odds and the impossible. They are pushing their boundaries and propelling our country forward.” notes EY’s National and Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 program director, Colleen McMorrows,

Starting as a “one woman operation”, Emterra Group (http://www.Emterra.ca) now operates three Canadian divisions including Emterra Environmental; Emterra Tire Recycling and Canadian Liquids Processors. Leung’s ambition for expanding her innovative waste management solutions now extends beyond Canada, having launched Emterra USA in Michigan in 2013  (http://www.emterrausa.com/). Emterra now operates 21 material recovery facilities and operating locations with a fleet of 550 vehicles and over 1000 employees. Emterra serves over 80 Canadian communities serving 10% of the Canadian population.

As a waste management leader, Leung sees no limits to the opportunities to innovate in the area of waste management. Leung’s ultimate ambition is to realize sustainable, healthy communities in Canada and beyond, on a mission to realize a “zero waste” environment. The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award finalist nomination (http://www.ey.com/CA/en/Newsroom/News-releases/2014-Ontario-EOY-finalists) is a testament to Leung’s success. The Ontario winners will be announced at a gala on October 29, 2014. The overall Ontario winner will represent the region at the national gala held in Toronto on November 25, 2014.