Business Growth

Toronto – September 26, 2026 -- LUG Sports Group Inc. has placed No. 146 out of 375 companies on Report on Business magazine's 2026 list of Canada's Top Growing Companies, marking its second consecutive year on the ranking.

LUG posts 174% three-year revenue growth to secure repeat ranking

The list ranks Canadian businesses on three-year revenue growth, and LUG qualified with a 174% increase over that period and a 239% growth rate over five years. The company also placed No. 5 on the Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation category list.

Winnipeg – September 25, 2026 -- Activate has ranked No. 35 among 375 companies on The Globe and Mail's 2026 list of Canada's Top Growing Companies, posting 958% growth and placing No. 2 in the arts, recreation and entertainment category.

Activate expands from 50 to over 80 locations across 12 countries

The Manitoba-based entertainment company has grown from more than 50 locations to over 80 since first appearing on the Globe and Mail list in 2024. Activate now operates in 12 countries spanning North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and has served more than 14 million players worldwide.

CEO ties international scale-up to Canadian R&D base

Adam Schmidt, CEO of Activate, said the company continues to invest in games, technology and innovation from its Winnipeg headquarters even as it expands internationally, calling this the foundation of its growth.

Dallas – September 24, 2026 -- Apex Dental Partners has been named No. 3,850 on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, marking its eighth consecutive year on the ranking after posting 67% revenue growth over the past three years.

Apex secures its eighth straight Inc. 5000 placement on sustained revenue growth

The Dallas-based dental partnership organization, which supports dentists and affiliated practices, achieved the 67% three-year revenue growth figure that placed it at No. 3,850 on the annual list published by Inc. magazine. The Inc. 5000 ranks privately held U.S. companies strictly by percentage revenue growth over a three-year period, making Apex's eight consecutive appearances a marker of consistent expansion in the fragmented dental services sector.

Doylestown, Pa. – September 18, 2026 -- SMB Franchise Advisors has secured a strategic minority investment from principals of Navigator Partners, a private equity group based in Summit, N.J., in a deal designed to scale the franchise consultancy's support services for emerging and maturing brands.

New Board Unites SMB and Navigator Leadership

The transaction establishes a new Board of Directors combining Steve Beagelman, Founder and CEO of SMB, and Brian Luciani, Chief Growth Officer at SMB, with Navigator Managing Partners Bernard Markey and William Stewart. SMB's existing leadership team retains control of strategic decision-making and day-to-day operations.

Tampa, Fla. – September 15, 2026 -- Genstone Companies has secured a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America for the second consecutive year, ranking among the Top 100 fastest-growing private firms in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater metro area.

The company also placed in the Top 400 nationally within the Financial Services category and the Top 500 in Florida, based on Inc.'s three-year revenue growth methodology.

Genstone expands financial services and property offerings through new partnerships

Over the past year, Genstone advanced its financial services and property services capabilities through strategic partnerships, expanded insurance offerings, and new institutional and single-family rental relationships. The company also invested in people, technology, and infrastructure to support growth.

Richardson, Texas – September 14, 2026 -- Trey Thomas-Piazza, the first-ever franchisee of Service Experts, has been named a 2026 Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association (IFA), marking a milestone for the residential HVAC company's year-old franchise system.

Service Experts launched franchising in 2025 after three decades as a corporate-owned business

Thomas-Piazza, who previously served as General Manager of the company's Tulsa market after years in maintenance, installation and operations leadership, became the system's inaugural franchisee when the program launched. His transition gave Service Experts an early test case for refining franchise infrastructure while maintaining continuity for employees, customers and vendor partners in the market he already managed.