Jim Estill, CEO and sponsor of 61 Syrian refugee families, invested into Order of Canada

Jim Estill, president and CEO of Danby, walks through the company's warehouse in Guelph, Ont. on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. (Darren Calabrese / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

A Guelph entrepreneur and philanthropist has been invested into the Order of Canada as a member.

Jim Estill is CEO and owner of Danby Appliances. He is a committed mentor and investor in local technology startup companies.

According to a media release from the Governor General of Canada, Estill sponsored the settlement of over 60 refugee families from Syria.

He described his actions as an attempt to “do the right thing” in the face of a major humanitarian crisis.

“I’m trying to help the world,” he said in 2018.

Many of the refugees Estill has sponsored have landed jobs at his company. There was a two-hours-per-week English program at Danby, as well as a word-of-the-day program and help around career training and resume writing.

Estill's appointment was announced in June 2018.