ML : Just over a year ago we did a merger with Jeff Rogowsky and Sessions Craft Canning in Ontario. They were the second company in Canada to get into mobile canning about eight or nine months after us. Jeff came out to see us in Victoria on our first or second canning run and it was great and they started up in Toronto after that. We’ve since rolled into one company and we took what we had already created in BC and really tried to work with what they had going on in Ontario. We’re trying to fill the gap in a market that goes from big out West to enormous in Ontario. We really wanted to help and be a part of what is going on out there. They’re a sister company and a holding company owns both. It allows us to continue to provide a better service across the board and to continue to drive our price down so that breweries are paying less for their products to get on the shelves for consumers – that’s been the goal since day one. We’re continuing to grow organically, which is what we want. We’ve never had to take on any equity partners and we’ve been continually able to service our debt. It was towards the end of 2016 that myself, Kevin, and Mitch who is another partner – and Jeff at Sessions – recognized that there is a tremendous demand for this. There was a gaping hole in the supply chain and we wanted to be the ones to fill it because we felt we were the best to do so. It was then that we raised some capital and decided to move into the new facility. “It’s been wild to see these guys grow. If it wasn’t for riding their coat tails we wouldn’t be where we are today.” We’re really excited to see where it goes and we’re also excited to see up-and- comers come in and make contribu- tions to innovation and quality. We always want to stay on the top of the game and be leaders in volume and quality. Having a brand that’s cross-country is really cool, too.
to home for you and Kevin and that you both stepped-up and kept a promise that you made to yourselves years back. In the beginning Kevin and I didn’t pay ourselves. We did what we needed to do to grow the business. We knew that once we became profitable that we wanted to give back. We’re now in that position. Kevin and I are both from Northern BC and with the wild fires there this past summer we really wanted to help. In the month of July we kicked-in a penny for every can we filled and that month we filled 500,000 cans, which allowed us to give five grand to the Red Cross. We’re also a predominantly male company so the month of November was a big deal for us with Movember. We are working on bringing in more women at West Coast Canning, but that’s an important cause for us. We grew the moustaches and raised a lot of awareness about prostate cancer along with $8,000. It was really cool. The moustach- es we posted on social media were pretty great. I’ve got to say that being a part of this industry is definitely something that has changed all of our lives. Are the rumours true, Matt? Are you guys bringing back CAN CITY in 2018? CANCITY, as it was, will not be back in the same form for 2018……but…….we do have something great planned coming down the pipe!
Matt, I understand that the devastating wild fires last summer in Northern British Columbia really touched close
21
FEBRUARY 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Made with FlippingBook Annual report