Five Calgary entrepreneurs took home honours last week for reaching for the pinnacle of success in their industries.

The annual Pinnacle Awards, created in 1987 and sponsored by law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain, are given to businesses in the Calgary area that through drive and determination have shown the ability to adapt and survive in today’s challenging economic environment.

Chosen by a selection committee, the candidates must have a proven business track record with five to seven years of growth, and come from diverse areas of business.

This year’s winners were feted at a luncheon at the Palliser Hotel last Wednesday.

The winners include:
* Dan and Chris Britton, Chariot Carriers Inc. (child bike carriers). Dan Britton designed and built his first child carrier in the basement of his family home in the early 1990s, using his own unique folding system. His brother Chris soon joined the business and this year, Chariot Carriers will produce 35,000 carriers and conversion and accessory kits from their southeast Calgary facility.
* ARC Financial Group Ltd. (investment and production management). Founded in 1989 by Mac Van Wielingen, Phil Swift and John Stewart, ARC’s investment management operates primarily through three private ARC Energy Venture Funds, which have raised approximately $620 million for investment focused on junior energy companies. Production management operates through the publicly traded ARC Energy Trust (which was formed in 1996 and now has an enterprise value of about $1.9 billion).
* John Robinson, Green Drop (lawn care). Formed in the early 1960s as a ranch supply business, Green Drop is now the largest independently owned lawn-care company in North America, and includes seven lawn operations, ranch and agricultural divisions.
* Arlene Dickinson, Venture Communications (multi-media communications). Arlene joined Venture Communications as a partner in 1988, and bought out her partners through her own capital and bank loans. The company now boasts annual sales of $20 million.
* Tony Fisher, Southern Music Ltd. (entertainment products). First established in 1956 for operating jukebokes, Southern Music expanded into coin collection from pinball and pool tables, and now provides entertainment for clients including the Calgary Tower, Calgary Spaceport, the Banff Springs Hotel, the University of Alberta and the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. It has also created and grown a pool league that has steadily increased throughout the years to more than 5,000 players in 2001.