‘Gala de Reconnaissance’ pays homage to Inter Clôtures Sentinelle and GEAK inc.
Of all the Black entrepreneurs in Canada who live and work in Quebec, more than half are immigrants, according to some of the latest figures compiled by Statistics Canada.
Last week, the Gala de Reconnaissance pour les entrepreneurs noirs du Québec shone a spotlight on these entrepreneurs, while helping to dispel some of the myths that have sometimes created financing roadblocks and image issues for Black entrepreneurs.
Two finalists from Laval
Initiated by the Fonds Afro-Entrepreneur and staged on April 25 at the Théâtre Saint-James in Montreal, the gala was an opportunity to discover and highlight projects and important business personalities in the field.
A number of key players, including Quebec Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon, were present.
While the finalists came from all over Quebec, two in particular from the Laval region, Alexandre Kénol and Olivier Doleyres, were strong contenders.
- Olivier Doleyres, a young entrepreneur from an immigrant family, embodies success through hard work. Involved in the world of work from the age of 15, Olivier was approached in 2018 to take over Inter Clôtures Sentinelle. After joining the company in 2019, he gradually acquired shares until he became Chairman and CEO in 2024, owning 50 per cent of the company.
- Alexandre Kénol, founder of Gestion Événements Alexandre Kénol (GEAK) inc. in 2019, embodies excellence in event and project management. Under his leadership, GEAK creates memorable experiences in the sporting, charitable, artistic and corporate fields.
Entrepreneurial spirit
In interviews this week with The Laval News, Doleyres and Kénol revealed some of the secrets of their success.
Doleyres is leading a company that has grown exponentially since he took the reins six years ago. He grew up in a home on Guénette St. in northern Chomedey. He attended grade school and high school in Laval and Montreal. He later obtained an undergraduate degree in industrial relations from University of Montreal.
Although Inter Clôtures Sentinelle’s clients are concentrated mostly in the Greater Montreal area (including Laval, Montreal, the North Shore and Lower Laurentians), these past few years the company has won major contracts from Amazon, UPS and Banque Nationale, as well as for the Espace Montmorency project in downtown Laval by Montoni.
Inter Clôtures Sentinelle operates three divisions: residential, commercial and distribution of materials. The company is currently in the process of expanding through the acquisition of a competing fence installation business.
Revenue has risen exponentially
“In the residential, I have a structure where I have a director with five sales reps who each cover a certain area in Greater Montreal,” said Doleyres. “And then I also have the commercial division where I used to be the director when I started. There I have two sales reps and a director.”
With an estimated market valuation of $10 million, Inter Clôtures Sentinelle currently ranks as number one in the fence installation sector in Quebec. Revenue has doubled in that space of time, according to Doleyres.
Over the previous 36 years, the company, whose head office is on Dagenais Blvd. West in Laval, was doing an average $6 million worth of business annually, he said. Inter Clôtures Sentinelle now does about $12 million of business in a year, according to some of the most recent numbers.
Contact: Inter Clôtures Sentinelle Tel.: (450) 963-1210
Thriving after the pandemic
“Baptism of fire” might be the expression that best sums up how Alexandre Kénol’s company, Gestion Événements Alexandre Kénol (GEAK) inc., managed to survive and thrive – when the ventures of many other entrepreneurs fizzled.
Kénol started GEAK five years ago, just as the Covid pandemic was about to strike and create economic pandemonium around the globe. “We managed to survive,” he said, noting that businesses in general which managed to weather the storm often came out stronger.
GEAK is a one-stop-shop for those looking to organize major events and celebrations. The company’s services include, consulting, planning and designing for occasions that can range from corporate and sports celebrations to charitable fundraising gatherings.
Organizing worry-free events
“GEAK revolutionizes the management of events,” Kénol states on the company’s website. “No need to worry about finding the best idea for organizing an evening with all the constraints you might run into.
“The GEAK team makes sure to set down a plan based on your objectives in order to organize events that fit your needs. Whether your event is sports or charitable, the team behind GEAK will be sure to fully answer all your expectations.”
In the past five years, GEAK has organized more than 100 major happenings in Laval and Montreal. “Sometimes, when a company is trying to raise its image, they will look for a way to organize an event or activity that ties in with their marketing,” Kénol explained.
“That’s where we come in,” he added. “We do consulting, event production, coordination of the events, as well as originating the ideas behind all this, which allows our clients to attain their objectives.”
Contact: info@geakevents.com. Tel.: (438) 882-4195
