It’s a brave new world out there. A mobile world. Smart phones, mobile offices — everyone’s on the move. And to stay on the move, many businesses require mobility solutions that go well beyond electronic gadgetry. They need wheels. Vehicles that are customized specifically for what they are trying to deliver. Woodfield Canada is an up-fitting and vehicle customization company that modifies your vehicle to suit your entrepreneurial needs. Starting up in 1996, they are a family business based in London, Ontario. The business was founded on fixing work trucks, for example, power dump trucks, snowplows and other heavy work and road equipment. Within a few years, Woodfield discovered a growing niche market in customizing cargo vans and the like. They partnered with Ranger Design, a Montreal company that manufactures custom shelving units for vans and fleets, and began performing custom installations in their London shop. Spotlight on Business Magazine spoke with co-owner Jason Hewitt about all the interesting new projects Woodfield Canada is spearheading to keep Canada’s workforce on the road to success.
mercial vans more efficient and smarter. Hewitt explains, “That’s where our slogan of working smarter came from. Our vision is to be recognized and respected as the leader in work vehicle modification. Our mission is to maximize work vehicle efficiency through communication, innovation, quality and customer service.” These key ideas were the business foundations in 1996, and Woodfield continues to build on them today. Expansion almost three years ago into Canada’s largest metropolitan area, Toronto, was a natural progression for a company that often deals with corporate fleets. Hewitt points out, “In 2015 we started the location in Toronto. That was largely due to customer demand. A lot of our fleet clients had the bulk of their vehicles in Toronto. So it made sense to open up there and service the customers where they worked.”
By John Allaire A s one would imagine, Woodfield Canada works pre- dominately with tradespeople and municipal fleets, up-fitting vehicles for their unique needs. Specif- ically, people who do H-VAC, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical, as well as municipal water departments and other utilities, to name a few. Their focus is on making com-
45
APRIL 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs