Co-owner – Arrow Engineering Corporation

When Robert Prybysh was a boy, he liked to play with Lego. Now, at 29, he still likes to build things. The mechanical engineer is one of three partners in Arrow Engineering Inc. in Edmonton. Formed in March, it has eight employees. “It’s absolutely amazing how much work has come to us in the last couple of months,” says Prybysh.

If all goes well, plans to double the size of the company within a few years could be possible. He attributes Arrow’s early success to the good relationship he and his partners have with the Edmonton community. They try to address the needs of the company, the client, and their employees.

Prybysh explains that material and labour costs have increased dramatically, but they attempt to keep the costs competitive and fair for everyone. “We try to make an effort to remember everybody.”

In his spare time, Prybysh likes to take part in sports such as running and mountain climbing. Some trips are more interesting than others, like his recent trip to Tanzania, where he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He says the trip was a disaster—their luggage, including their climbing gear, was lost so Prybysh and his friend had to rent gear and warm clothing. They made the ascent with a group of professional mountain climbers from Slovakia.

Prybysh was fine, but everyone else got altitude sickness. The trip is definitely memorable. Keeping in shape is part of his regimen: Prybysh does it so he can keep on working. “Engineers never retire. They work until they die. I want to be able to work until the day I die.”