FBA Awards and Fireside Chat - 

Founders of Today, Foundations for Tomorrow

Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon celebrating the heart and soul of family business in Atlantic Canada!

Join us at this year’s Awards of Excellence Luncheon, where we’ll shine a well-deserved spotlight on two visionary female founders who are redefining leadership roles ,and dive deep into the stories behind their success. Not only are they shaping successful enterprises, but also laying the foundations for a future built on family business and community.

The year we look forward to an insightful fireside chat, moderated by FBA Director Jill Murray, featuring this year’s honourees — Colleen Cole of Permacrete Systems Ltd. and Roxanne Tate of Tate Engineering. Our recipients will share their experiences on founding and leading businesses in engineering and concrete - industries grounded in strength, precision, and long-term impact.

We are also proud to be presenting John Abbass with FBA's Honourary Membership, recognizing his decades of dedication and leadership since the organization's inception in 1997. His contributions and unwavering support have helped shape FBA into the thriving community it is today.

**We have a fullsome agenda and are thrilled to be recognizing such incredible business leaders. Our program will begin promptly at 11:30AM, so please allow yourself plenty of time to arrive at the venue.

MEET OUR PARTICIPANTS:

John Abbass, Econo Color - FBA Honourary Lifetime Membership Recipient

John Abbass is a respected leader and long-time contributor to the family business community in Atlantic Canada. As a driving force behind Econo Color, John has built a reputation not only for business excellence, but for the way he leads with integrity and humility. Throughout his career, John has consistently demonstrated what it means to be a steward of a family enterprise. Within Family Business Atlantic, John has been far more than a member. He has been a steady and trusted presence; generous with his time, open in sharing his experience, and always willing to offer thoughtful guidance to peers navigating the complexities of family business. 

His mentorship has had a meaningful impact on many, helping others make informed decisions, and approach challenges with clarity and confidence. John’s influence extends beyond individual interactions. He has helped shape a culture of collaboration and openness within the FBA community, where members feel supported, connected, and understood. His contributions have strengthened the organization and reinforced its purpose. 

An FBA Honourary Lifetime Membership recognizes individuals whose impact is lasting and whose leadership reflects the very best of family enterprise. John Abbass exemplifies these qualities. His legacy is one of quiet leadership, meaningful contribution, and a deep commitment to the success of others, making him a truly deserving recipient of this honour.

Permacrete Systems Ltd. (PERMA-DRY) is a family-run business that was founded in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1978 by Colleen and her husband Bill Cole. Working with a team of chemists and engineers, they successfully formulated PERMA-SEAL, PERMA-DRY’s first unique, proprietary product, which allows cracked and leaking concrete to be permanently repaired from the inside, in any weather. Since then, PERMA-DRY has continued to expand and diversify. Now it offers a broad range of products and services to private home owners, industry and government, which range from waterproofing and concrete repair todecorative concrete finishes and underpinning.

Due to its widespread success, Permacrete recognized the need to expand its business in order to offer its proprietary products and systems to a larger area. Permacrete did this by franchising its business model to independently owned and operated businesses. Permacrete started franchising in 1990 and its original Cape Breton franchisee is still with the company.

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