Entrepreneur, President – Tuccaro Inc. Group of Companies

Mr. Tuccaro is a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation in Fort Chipewyan and is the president and CEO of seven successful companies.

Dave’s personal commitment and the purpose of these companies is to “Create opportunities for aboriginal people at every level of education and every level of employment.”

The foundation for these businesses began in the oilsands region of Fort McMurray a quarter century ago. Although Dave’s businesses are now spread throughout Western Canada, Neegan Development Corporation Ltd., NTS Ltd., Tuc’s Contracting, WPS Ltd. and Tuc’s Rentals form the core of Dave’s businesses and are based out of the Fort McMurray area.

Part of his story is working on family traplines as a youngster and when in his twenties he used earnings from working as a heavy equipment operator in the oil sands to buy a taxi license in Fort McMurray.

In a recent conversation with Dave, he told the story of the ‘beginning of his entrepreneurial career’. As a very young child Dave attended a Catholic school and one of the nuns would sell marbles on Mondays, and buy them back on Fridays. Dave soon learned that if he could increase the 50 marbles bought on Monday to 500 on Friday he would make money!

But he pointed out that it was not so easy to increase the 50 to 500. Only through practice and hard work was he able to do that consistently – and these are the actions he has repeated again and again throughout his life.