The Face of a Canadian Dream — Business in Edmonton Feature

Bilal Hydrie, founder and president of Inclusive Energy Ltd. and Global Centurion Investments (GCI), was featured on the cover of Business in Edmonton's January 2019 issue.

Born into the Habib Group — a large family of international investors headquartered in Pakistan and Dubai — Hydrie moved to Canada as a young man intending to get an education and return home to run the family business. But opportunities presented themselves, and he stayed to seize them.

After graduating from the Chemical Process Engineering program at SAIT, Hydrie spent six years in the oil and gas industry before noticing a gap in the drilling and completion sector: demand was high and supply was at an all-time low for customized equipment.

"I realized I could do this myself," he says. He established Inclusive Energy with a $50,000 investment and the goal of being a one-stop-shop — offering designing, drafting, custom fabrication, delivery, setup, and flexible financing options under one roof.

"Failure is a part of business," Hydrie notes. "With market fluctuations over the last five to six years I have failed several times before succeeding, but I've learned from my failures and applied my learning to return bigger and better each time."

His strategy of acquiring distressed assets and buying in bulk allowed Inclusive Energy to grow into one of Western Canada's premier full-service oilfield equipment suppliers, with five yards across Alberta and a massive inventory of stock ready for next-day delivery.

While growing Inclusive, Hydrie also launched GCI, his private equity firm, to help companies reach their full potential with financial investments and complete guidance through the growth process.

"My goal now is to give back to the province that has given me so much, and to help build an economy where future generations, including my own children, can thrive."