I clearly remember the day in 2001 when I decided that Canada Goose would commit to always making our signature parkas in Canada. I was sitting at my desk, reading that morning’s newspaper headlines, and I saw that two North American apparel companies were moving their manufacturing abroad. Their leaders gave two reasons: the high cost of domestic labor had been squeezing their margins and the belief that customers wouldn’t care about where products were made.
They’re wrong, I thought to myself. I’d learned from my early days at international trade shows that many customers in Europe and Asia do indeed care where goods are produced, especially high-value ones. I saw firsthand that people had a passion for high-quality, Canadianmade outerwear, and I suspected that over time, they would come to care about provenance even more deeply. Today, Canada Goose is one of the country’s best-known apparel brands, selling a range of high-quality outerwear around the world.
In 1957 my maternal grandfather, a Polish immigrant, started the company that would eventually become Canada Goose. His Metro Sportswear was a small industrial-apparel factory with a handful of employees. In the 1970s my dad got involved in the business. He invented a downfilling machine, which allowed us to be more efficient and expand our product line. He created the in-house brand, Snow Goose, which supplied coats to tactical units across the province of Ontario.
Most of our revenue at the time came from private-label commissions: making outerwear on which other companies put their names. Those relationships could be unpredictable. Orders weren’t always as large or as frequent as my parents would have liked, so they sometimes accepted less-profitable orders to keep the factory running.
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I had no interest in the parka business or in having a job that people would think my mom and dad had given me. Instead, I got a degree in English literature and set out to be a shortstory writer. But first I wanted to do some traveling. That meant I needed to earn some money, so I asked if I could work in the factory for three months.
I had zero intention of staying, but I liked earning an income. I realized later that Snow Goose wasn’t just a “parka business” — we were making something real. Our products had a meaning that resonated with customers.
While working at the company, I had some ideas about how the business could be improved. I set up an email account for the company and built its first website. My three-month stay turned into six months and then into a few years; it’s now been more than two decades since I started.
In 1998 I began attending trade shows around the world. I discovered that in Japan and Europe, where we used the name Canada Goose (because Snow Goose was already trademarked), our little in-house label really meant something. Consumers recognized that people who lived and worked in the coldest places in the world wore our coats.
In 2001 I told my parents I was ready to run the company if they were willing to let me. My dad let me take the reins and pursue my own vision for what Canada Goose could become. Slowly but steadily, I got out of our privatelabel deals and focused solely on the Canada Goose brand, eliminating the Snow Goose name. Quality was key. People wanted a well-constructed, exceptionally warm coat made from the best materials. Our country of origin was also critical. To many people, owning a Canada Goose jacket is like owning a little piece of Canada, and for that they’re willing to pay a premium.
That’s another part of what persuaded me to commit to being a “Made in Canada” brand. Although we couldn’t sustain the cost of domestic manufacturing in a world where people bought one $299 coat and kept it for a decade, we could do so in a new environment where outerwear was treated as a luxury, coveted and collected, just like high-end watches or cars.
We couldn’t afford glossy ad campaigns, so we focused on a different kind of marketing: word-of-mouth and telling real stories. When an expedition team traveled to the North Pole and was featured in National Geographic, we made sure the team members were wearing our jackets. We also outfitted TV and film crews that were shooting in remote cold-weather locations where temperatures could fall well below freezing.
As awareness grew and sales began to spike, we had to increase production capacity. We moved to a much larger manufacturing facility in Toronto and later expanded into the eight factories. We also focused on building a bigger talent pool. In our training schools people learn to operate an industrial sewing machine, set a zipper and more. In Winnipeg, Manitoba, we’ve partnered with local government and employment agencies that funnel students into our programs. Across the country we now employ more than 3,500.
For many years I dreamed of opening our own store, a place where we could showcase our heritage and immerse shoppers in the Canada Goose story. In 2016 that dream became a reality when we opened our first stores in Toronto and New York City. We had already launched e-commerce in North America by then, but our expansion into brick-and-mortar shops, at a time when so many other companies were closing them, caused us to shift our thinking about the business. Today we have Canada Goose stores in 12 cities around the world, and we run an international e-commerce business.
In 2017 we took the company public. Many people warned me that being publicly listed would change the company, putting pressure on us to do whatever it took to keep investors happy. But that’s not a formula that works for Cananda Goose, and we made that very clear from day one. I continue to run this business with the same long-term vision I had back when I became CEO.
I regularly hear stories from people who are only now discovering us about how much they love our products. Young, old, local, international, outdoor explorers or fashionistas, they all respond to our commitment to quality and authenticity. That’s how we remain relevant as we grow and build an enduring brand. Canada Goose will forever be a champion for “Made in Canada.” There is simply no better way for us to remain timeless.
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