Looking Back: Eric Jackman Named Young Entrepreneur of the Year
In 2020, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce honoured founder Eric Jackman as Young Entrepreneur of the Year, a milestone that marked a decade of building Jackman from a local crew into a trusted construction group.
In the winter of 2021, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s Spectrum magazine profiled founder Eric Jackman after Jackman Ltd. received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards.
The awards were announced at a virtual ceremony in fall 2020. The Chamber’s adjudicating committee reviewed 90 nominations across 11 categories. Sponsored by Graham Mathew, the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement by owners aged 18 to 40 who take on the risk of building a business, and see it through.
For Eric, the recognition was personal.
It means that all of my hard work, late nights and persistence in working towards a vision I had has successfully paid off. As a company, it has more meaning; to be recognized by leaders in the community as a reputable and trustworthy contractor, and as a now mature and established company.
From Cambridge to a construction group
Eric is a Cambridge native. After high school he started in construction with Nietsche Drywall in 2002, then spent years as a site superintendent with Jamesway Construction. In 2010 he used a personal tax refund to start Jackman, and for the next three years he kept working long days at both companies while the new venture took shape.
Construction and Drywall grew into separate divisions, and Jackman Renovation joined the group. By the time Spectrum went to print, the company was already known for a wide range of work, from home additions and apartment buildings to commercial and high-tech office space.
I am very focussed, as in when I set my eyes on something, I always follow through, no matter what the means. Issues and problems can quickly arise, and while there are a million ways to fix a problem, we often have to look at all the paths to get there and pick the best direction for both ourselves and the client.
Community, crew, and showing up
Even then, Jackman was already involved locally, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary, the Alzheimer Society, and the Grand Valley Construction Association, alongside team traditions like the annual baseball tournament for the Jackman Cup.
The profile was written during COVID-19, when in-person gatherings were on hold. Work continued, with safety protocols updated to new Ministry standards. Looking back, that chapter sits alongside what came next: more people, more projects, and later recognition as Business of the Year (50+ employees) from the same Chamber.
Eric’s advice in that interview still reads like Jackman: be persistent, be resilient, and don’t sell yourself short. Hard work pays off, even when the finish line still feels far away.
Read the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s introduction to Jackman Construction Ltd. and Eric Jackman.
Read the original Spectrum Winter 2021 profile (PDF).
