We manufacture garage storage products; slatwall, cabinets, hoists, racks. The garage has become an integral part of today’s home, we are helping by organizing this space with multiple solutions.
Tell us about yourself?
I have been an entrepreneur all my life. I started my bicycle shop back when I was 19 and have owned multiple businesses since.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Build my Canadian factory earlier! No one could predict what the effects of the pandemic would be but if I could go back I would have invested in my factory earlier. We had looked at building it in 2018/19 but at that time couldn’t justify it.
What problem does your business solve?
Everybody has stuff, we organize stuff! The garage has been the dumping ground for many years but now is seen as an integral room in your home. Outdoor activities, sports, DIY mechanics, all these things have equipment, we offer multiple solutions to properly store everything.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
I am a car enthusiast and had an old garage that we wanted to clean up. We installed tin as a wall covering as this is what was available. Once the installation was complete we realized we had to start drilling holes everywhere to hang stuff up. This is where my idea of our slatwall came from.
What is your magic sauce?
Our first product was our slatwall. Although slatwall existed, mostly in retail stores, I wanted Proslat slatwall to look like a hybrid between siding and slatwall. We needed it to look good empty but also be fully functional. Our system is one of the most attractive and cost-effective systems on the market. A key to our success has also been our customer service.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We are currently finishing up our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Quebec and will launch multiple new products in the next few years. Our goal is to double in size over the next 3 years.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
Brand awareness. We had an amazing product but nobody knew about it. This was the biggest hurdle for us. Marketing is very expensive so we took more of a grassroots approach and made sure we took care of our customers. There is nothing better than a happy customer that refers you to a new customer.
How can people get involved?
Visit our website (www.proslat.ca) or you can reach Jesse at 888-691-2944, ext 215.