Awards

Entreprise Chaleur Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2007 John Labonville, owner of Discovery Drill Manufacturer, is the 2007 recipient of Enterprise Chaleur’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He specializes in the mineral exploration sector and the drilling industry. He developed a turnkey highly efficient hydraulic diamond drill with the operator in mind, both from a safety and ergonomic perspective. Launched in 1999, his business employs seven people full-time.

The Art of Success For the past 10 years, John and Darlene Labonville have worked long hours to establish Discovery Drill Manufacturer (DDM) Ltd., currently located in the Beresford Industrial Park. Working side by side, they developed the “The EF-50 Hydraulic Diamond Drill” which has proven to be very competitive, efficient and safe in the world markets for mineral exploration companies. “We’ve made conscious efforts to improve on the set-up time, efficiency, productivity and versatility for our clients” says John. While the current economic downfall is a challenge for all manufacturers, DDM is taking this opportunity to prepare for the market turn-around with the development of two new units: the EF-75, and the heli-portable Hydraulic Diamond Drill. As John says, “Perhaps we are a small player in the industry, but our product and after-sale support is second to none. The satisfaction expressed to us by our clients and their employees for the excellent productivity of the EF-50 assures us that our vision has now become a reality!”