Ice resurfacing goes green
By SIMON FULLER, SUN MEDIA
The University of Manitoba will soon be the proud owners of a cat.
They have just bought a $170,000 Icecat -- the only zero-emission electric ice resurfacer in North America -- from Joe Johnson Equipment.
The U of M's associate president, Alan Finn, said they were eager to provide users of the Max Bell Centre a "greener and safer" ice resurfacer. The city has also leased one of the environmentally friendly machines for use at the St. James Civic Centre.
Various studies point towards the negative impact of tiny carbonated exhaust particles, which experts claim adversely affect skaters. The fully electric Icecat is designed to have a beneficial effect on air quality in arenas, using maintenance-free batteries.
Jeff Johnson, vice-president of marketing for Joe Johnson Equipment, said he was thrilled about the "positive and proactive role" shown by both the school and the city. "For the last several years, poor air quality in arenas has been a very serious concern of participants and parents," he said.
The new machines are expected to arrive in Winnipeg by mid-July.
Joe Johnson: Recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40™ Award
We are pleased to announce that Joe Johnson, President & CEO of Joe Johnson Equipment has been named a Recipient of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 TM award for 2007.
Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 TM is a prestigious national award program, which annually honours 40 Canadians in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors under the age of 40.
Joe and his peers were selected from over 1500 nominees by an independent Advisory Board, comprised of 27 business leaders from across Canada. Honourees were chosen on five key criteria including: vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; community involvement and contribution; and strategy for growth.
Joe received his BA (Economics) from the University of Western Ontario in 1991. Upon graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University and being called to the Ontario Bar in 1996, Joe practiced in Waterloo specializing in Municipal Law. In 1998 he became President of Joe Johnson Equipment (JJE). Joe continues to operate JJE with his brother Jeff.
JJE provides and supports environmental equipment to municipalities and contractors who perform infrastructure maintenance services. Ten years ago, JJE had one office and 7 employees. Today, Joe Johnson Equipment has 8 locations and 140 employees and continues to grow.
Through Joe’s leadership, JJE has become The National Company that Operates Locally. “Our geographic expansion has enabled us to be more efficient. We now have the highest quality of infrastructure in place (both bricks and mortar and managerial infrastructure) to leverage synergies and scalability to drive further growth. We have distinct markets in each area of Canada so we operate on a hub-and-spoke approach with the Innisfil head office as the hub supporting our branch network as the spokes” says Joe. “Our company has been successful primarily due to the quality of our staff and our willingness and ability as an ownership group to be open and communicative with our staff on all matters”.
Congratulations Joe on being named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40™. Your
employees and peers applaud your achievements.
Envirosight Sales Partner Recognition
Steve Webster is recipient of Best Franchised Salesperson Award
This new award is given to individuals who sell
Envirosight equipment better than anyone else! He/She must know the equipment, the
competition, understand service and have great product mix. They must also incorporate the
latest technologies very quickly and are a GIANT pain to their competitors. This is not an
annual award, it is given when individuals obtain these skills. It is an extremely special award – Envirosight greatly values their contribution! Congratulations Steve!
Innisfil comes of age
High-profile business park marks new era for growing town
Posted By Dave Dawson
Simcoe Business - Winter 2008
The future has arrived in Innisfil.
For many months, huge billboards stood alongside Highway 400 like beacons heralding the imminent new homes of Mercedes-Benz Barrie and Barrie Subaru. Now, those signs have been replaced by brand new world-class facilities — visual symbols of the coming of age of a piece of prime land that lay dormant for years.
Today, Doral Park is not just the address of a pair of impressive new multi-million-dollar car dealerships, it’s home to the headquarters of an international Barrie-based company, a massive new glass factory and a myriad of other businesses. That all translates into many new jobs for the growing municipality south of Barrie.
“There are more than 100 new jobs that have been created (in Doral Park) in the last 12 months,” said Lawrence Allison, CAO of the Town of Innisfil. “It’s the primary goal of this term of council to create jobs – that’s their No. 1 stated goal, so we’re very, very pleased with how this has gone.”
Town officials are also pleased with the eclectic mix of businesses they have been able to attract. “It’s great because we have a headquarters, we have car dealerships, we have industry…it’s just a great mix and that’s what we were looking for when the plan for this park was approved five years ago.”
The park has been many years in the making. Erwin Zecha – who owns Doral Boats, a large Midland-based boat manufacturer – and his partner bought the 100-acre property in 1999. Soon after, before there were even paved roads or services, Boatmax opened its doors.
“We opened in July of 2000 and we were the anchor before there were even roads and services here,” said Tom Fulton, general manager of Boatmax, Canada’s largest full-line Doral dealer. “Since then, business has increased every year. And whereas I used to spend about $100,000 on advertising each year, now I only spend maybe $15,000. And that’s all because of location. We are so clearly visible on one of North America’s busiest highways that I really don’t have to advertise.”
The early success of Boatmax did not go unnoticed and has created waves of interest in the area. And once the ball got rolling, roads were engineered and services extended, success has come quickly. A key, Allison says, was the decision by Poraver North America to build its sprawling new 43,000-square-foot factory in
one corner of the park. “Once we had Poraver, which was a very good visual anchor, and Joe Johnson Equipment in the corner, we knew that we would have success,” said Allison, noting there are now just a handful of available plots of land in what was a massive 27-lot property just a few years ago.
Poraver, which will recycle about 80,000 tonnes of coloured glass each year, opened its monolithic plant in Doral Park last summer. The environmentally-friendly company employs about 60 people at its $50-million facility. For municipal officials, enticing Poraver to build its first North American facility in Innisfil was a win-win situation.
“We look forward to any business like this coming to our business park,” said Innisfil Mayor Brian Jackson. “This moves us forward and creates more employment opportunities for our people. This is very significant to us and it could be the start of a green trend and might entice other businesses here.”
While Poraver was still in the blueprint stage, back when the long-vacant stretch of land along Highway 400 was just an open field, John Angelucci felt like a farmer who knew he was sitting on a large piece of fertile land.
“The opportunity to have a brand new dealership showcased on Highway 400 is just great exposure for us,” said Angelucci, the president of Mercedes-Benz Barrie and Barrie Subaru, which, together, have spent more than $8 million on their two new state-of-the-art dealerships at Doral Park. “This is an area that is poised to see explosive growth and that was certainly a draw for us as well,” he said, peering through massive windows that provide a constant reminder of the thousands of commuters passing by his dealership each day.
But space was also a key. “Having enough space was a critical factor for us,” he said. “We have 7.5 acres here for the Mercedes-Benz dealership and the Subaru dealership. There is a big housing development planned just west of us…it’s great to be part of the success story here and I think five years from now, you won’t recognize this area because it will have grown so much.”
That trend was also what prompted Joe Johnson Equipment to move from cramped quarters in Barrie to spacious new digs in Innisfil. While the $6.5-million building project meant a substantial investment, it was also necessary, said Joe Johnson, one of three brothers operating the company started by their father more than 15 years ago. The company had been at its location at the increasingly busy corner of Welham and Saunders roads since 1991 and its 13,000-square-foot facility was simply no longer big enough. So when Johnson was driving around looking for a new home for his rapidly growing company, the Doral Business Park was, he quickly discerned, a good fit. And now his 42,000-square-foot office complex serves as the head office of what is an international business.
“We didn’t want to be too far away from our existing employee base and we thought if we have to move, we want to move south toward the Greater Toronto Area…and as far as location, for proximity to the 400 and Barrie and the GTA, it’s ideal.”
Burgeoning Innisfil (with a current population of 31,000) is a good fit with his young company, says Johnson. “I’m 38 and the average age of our employee is 36 so we have a very young demographic. Innisfil (has built) a new rec centre and it’s growing, so for our employees, it’s a good fit.
“I knew it was the right thing to do, although when you’re going from a mortgage-free situation to a heavy mortgage situation, it’s a little worrisome… but you can’t steal second with one foot still on first base,” he said philosophically. “And we want to continue to grow.”
Growth has been a common theme for this company which distributes mobile public works and environmental equipment to municipalities and their contractors across the country. In December, the company added a satellite office in Edmonton, joining its network of similar operations in Ottawa, Dartmouth, Montreal, Calgary, and Winnipeg, in addition to offices in Buffalo and Rochester, New York. But Innisfil is its headquarters and home to its centralized finance and administration services as well as about 20 mechanics.
Like Angelucci, Johnson says Innisfil offered more potential than land-strapped Barrie.
“There are limited options in Barrie, quite honestly,” said Johnson. “The biggest problem is there’s a real shortage of serviceable land, plus where we were at, it was just so busy.”
But that doesn’t mean the site is perfect. Johnson would like to see a dedicated off-ramp to the industrial area adjacent to the highway and he wishes the land was fully serviced. “We’ve certainly paid for every square foot because we dedicated a huge portion of the land for a huge septic tank …it would be nice to have (sewer) services.”
Despite that drawback, Angelucci says officials with the Town of Innisfil have a mandate for growth and have bent over backwards to accommodate him.
“The city of Barrie has a mandate to restrict growth and focus on industrial uses, whereas Innisfil has been very open and accommodating,” said Angelucci. And that has paved the way for a spacious new facility for both Mercedes-Benz Barrie and Barrie Subaru which, together, have 42 employees. The modern, spacious new Mercedes-Benz facility sits on a 3.6 acre property, boasts a 27,500-square-foot building featuring a 16-car showroom, nine service bays, three prep bays and all the modern amenities customers demand, such as wireless internet capability in the waiting area.
“We’ve been in business in Barrie for 28 years and this is a way we can thank our loyal customers by building a state-of-the-art dealership where we can properly showcase all of our product and offer a top-notch service department with all new equipment…this is a world-class facility that we’re very proud of,” said Angelucci.
The new 12,000-square-foot Subaru dealership includes a 10-bay service shop, express lube and drive-through service, a spacious showroom and lots of amenities. “The Subaru dealership, like the Mercedes-Benz dealership, simply outgrew its old location and the new facility will accommodate any customer’s needs and will also have a beautiful showroom,” he said.
According to Fulton, there may soon be other showrooms popping up at the now-popular park. “While there was really no specific vision to create an automotive focus here per se, when Autopark came here, that really started something.”
Autopark’s Fraser Mill says it was a no-brainer to build a new dealership in Doral Park. “You know what they say: location, location, location,” said Mill, the operations and sales manager at the used car superstore, which opened last summer.
“We looked at the Mapleview area but like a lot of the areas in Barrie, it was just too congested. And the visual exposure here is spectacular and we’ve been enjoying success so far.”
Autopark Barrie sits on an almost six-acre site that is home to more than 200 used vehicles. Having other dealerships in the neighbourhood is welcome, Mill said. “We all have different niches and really, it’s great for the customer. They can come out here and wander around and see hundreds of new and used cars at the different dealerships. It’s great for us and ideal for the customer.”
And while Doral Park is now almost full, that doesn’t mean Innisfil can’t accommodate more growth.
“I think it’s important to note that we have a variety of vacant parcels of land and other opportunities in close proximity to this park and the 400,” said Allison.
“We are anxious to attract more interest in a number of different lots that we have that could accommodate a variety of uses.”
ABOUT DORAL PARK
The land – on the east side of Highway 400, just north of Innisfil Heights industrial area, on the north side of the 9th Line – was purchased in 1999 by Doral’s Erwin Zecha and his business partner, who created Realplast Investments, the current owner of the land. Each purchased 50 acres.
The 100-acre parcel of land was divided into 27 lots and named Doral Park and approved by the Town of Innisfil as a new industrial park.
Its first tenant was Boatmax, which opened its doors in July of 2000.
Joe Johnson Equipment
• The company moved from cramped quarters in Barrie to Doral Park in 2007.
• The new facility represents a $6.5-million investment. It includes a 42,000-square-foot building that serves as company headquarters and is home to its centralized finance and administration services as well as about 20 mechanics.
• The growing company specializes in the supply and servicing of vehicles and equipment for snow and ice control, sewer cleaning, road maintenance, garbage collection and recycling for both municipalities and companies contracted by governments.
OPWA 2007 Awards
Joe Johnson Jr. receives Joe Johnson Sr. Private Sector Award from OPWA - Outstanding individual and corporate achievement in support of the OPWA's strategic plan, goals and objectives.
Joe Johnson Jr. receiving his award from President of the OPWA - Linda Petelka
Joe started with the OPWA Board in 1997 as a Board Member. From 1998 to 1999 he was a member of the APWA "Facilities Grounds and Fleet Operations" Committee. Joe chaired the OPWA Awards and Education Committee chair from 1998 to 2000 at which time it was recommended to split these into two committees to give a better focus for each mandate. In 2001, Joe was Chair of the Awards Committee.
From 2000 to 2002, he served on the OPWA Executive Board as Treasurer. Joe was a founding member of the Central Ontario Branch of the OPWA in 2002 and started on the executive committee as Treasurer and continues in the role to this date.
In 2002, Joe was the OPWA Vice-President and in 2003 he served as the OPWA President; a year in which OPWA won the PACE (President's Award for Chapter Excellence) from the APWA.
From 2004 to 2005, Joe was the APWA House of Delegates Representative. In 2007 he served as the OPWA Branch Liaison.
Joe has served on the OPWA Executive in one capacity or another from 2000 to 2007 as well as various ad hoc committees such as attempting to get APWA Congress to Canada/Toronto. His many contributions to the OPWA will certainly be felt for many years to come.
InfraStructure October 2007:
InfraStructure October 2007:
Joe Johnson Equipment to celebrate Grand Opening
By Wendy Soloduik - September 26, 2007 - The SCOPE
Joe Johnson Equipment Inc. (JJEI), will officially open their doors in Innisfil this Thursday in a ribbon cutting ceremony planner for 11:30.
JJEI, owned by Johnson brothers - Joe, Jeff and Jamie was started by their father Joe 20 years ago. The distributor of public works "mobile municipal equipment" has recently re-located from Barrie to be closer to the GTA while occupying larger space.
JJEI sells three main types of industrial machines: refuse and recycling (garbage collection), snow and ice control (road sanders) and street and sewer (sweepers and suckers).
The company has been operating from their new headquarters in Innisfil since July. although the branch serves as the centre for administration and finance, there are six other branches across Canada and the State of New York to service clients.
"We view this area as a growing area," said Joe Johnson. "It is central to the 400, with great proximity to excellent staff and access to the GTA. It also gives us an edge when dealing with northern clients, who may not want to deal with "big city" companies, but keeps us close to our customers in Toronto, just the same. Innisfil was the perfect choice.
JJEI is a company that attracts and employs many young people with a median age of 36. Several of their employees are either from Innisfil or plan to move to Innisfil.
"The new rec centre is a perfect draw," added Johnson. "We employ people with young families and now they can work and play in the same area."
On Thursday, September 27 from 9 until 5, JJEI will host an Education Day and Open House to coincide with their grand opening ceremonies.
Live demonstrations will go on throughout the day. Attendees will witness the unveiling of the "Elgin Pelican" street sweeper and much more.
Several seminars will also be held including topics on: road snow/ice control, road-side mower safety, accurate brine making, automated refuse collection and much more. Great door prizes will be given away as well including the Grand Prize of a Harley Davidson Motorcycle.
Equipment Supplier Keeps On Truckin'
Joe Johnson recently opened its new 42,000-square-foot
head office in the Doral Business Park.
By Bruce Hain - August 2007 Huronia Business Times
One of Innisfil's newest corporate citizens is expanding its reach across Canada and the United States.
Joe Johnson Equipment Inc. formerly of Barrie, opened its new 42,000-square-foot head office earlier this year in the Doral Business Park north of Innisfil Beach Road.
The company specializes in the supply and servicing of vehicles and equipment for snow and ice control, sewer cleaning, road maintenance, garbage collection and recycling to both municipalities and companies contracted by governments.
Increased sales in the past few years forced the move from the former Welham Road address, says President Joe Johnson, one of three brothers working in the family-owned and operated business.
"We loved being a corporate resident in Barrie, but we needed seven acres to build our 42,000-square-foot building," he says.
"In Barrie, there were limited options. If we had to move, we wanted to move south and stay close to our labour pool and the GTA. Plus, there were traffic concerns. We have big vehicles.
"The Innisfil location was convenient to Highway 400."
He credits the company's growth to the Ontario's boom times. "Every new home that's built means more roads that need to be swept and garbage trucks to pick up trash. It has been good for our business. We've done a good job building relationships with municipalities across Ontario too. Ontario represents approximately 75 per cent of our business. We also deal with companies who have the contracts to do highway sweeping, road builders and utility companies."
In the past seven years, the company has opened branch locations in Ottawa, Dartmouth, Buffalo and Rochester, New York. Additional offices opened in Montreal, Calgary and Winnipeg last year.
"The goal is to have a national presence to help further our growth," Johnson says.
As well as building their already strong presence in snow, sewer and garbage removal, the company has moved aggressively into anti-icing equipment and into vehicles that pre-wet roads.
"Salt has been designated a toxic substance," Johnson says. "Municipalities have to minimize the amount of salt they put on roads. That's been a big developing industry. Plus, we offer waterless and ductless street sweepers. It's much more environmentally friendly. Many urban centres are interested in it. Another trend in Europe and the U.S. slowly catching on in Canada, is automated refuse collection. The truck is equipped with an arm to pick up trash containers. It's more ergonomic and more aesthetically pleasing if everyone has the same container on a street. Toronto has said they will look at it. Pembroke does already."
The Innisfil building serves as the finance and administration centre for the company. Joe Johnson Equipment employs 120 men and women.
"It's quite important to note while we're growing in Canada and the U.S., our head office is here," Johnson says. "We're quite philanthropic, too. I believe that money will be redistributed in the area and we will distribute community dollars. The majority of our people live in Barrie and surrounding area. We support Royal Victoria Hospital and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation."
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It's not only curlers who "sweep"
by Michelle Minnoch - The Scope August 8, 2007
There's going to be a shiny new piece of equipment on our streets, helping to keep our town nice and clean.
Mayor Brian Jackson and Wayne Young, Manager of Operational Services, picked up the town's first street sweeper on Thursday.
Currently, the town contracts out street sweeping, and there are about six units out cleaning our roads.
"Owning our own street sweeper gives us an advantage," said Young. "Our scheduled sweep is around the first of May, so if we have an early spring, we can get out there with our own machine." He said the town will still be contracting out some of the work, but having their own means they can sweep anytime.
"We're way ahead of the game," remarked Mayor Brian Jackson, who said the purchase meets the California Standards of efficient machines. Ontario falls slightly behind the energy leading state. "This is a great purchase for the Roads Department - we priced out our options and this one from Joe Johnson Equipment was not only the most cost effective, but it is local." Joe Johnson Equipment recently relocated to the 400 Industrial Park area from Barrie.
The cost of the machine was $224,350 and Joe Johnson Equipment was the lowest bidder for the tender.
Not only will the machine clean the streets, but will provide immediate help if there are spills on the road.
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New garbage truck ‘a big improvement’
Jonathon Naylor, Staff Writer for the Flin Flon "Daily Reminder" posted 7/11/2007 -- 8:28:43 AM CST
 Tony Bowen was behind the wheel of a garbage truck, but to residents fed up with poor trash collection, he may as well have been riding a white horse. Bowen delivered the City of Flin Flon’s glistening new truck last Friday, just weeks before the municipality takes over collection services.
Bowen, a regional sales manager with Winnipeg-based Joe Johnson Equipment, said the white 2007 model is top of the line.
The rear-loading unit can hold up to 20 cubic yards of trash and is easily navigated through tight turns and narrow back alleys, he said. Director of Works and Operations Rick Bacon said the Freightliner model and its Mercedes Benz engine represent “a big improvement” over the faulty truck currently used by Waste Management Canada.
The city recently announced it would take over garbage collection August 1, ending its contract with Waste Management due to frequent complaints about service.
Waste Management spokesperson Cam Hantiuk noted that the company utilized a subcontractor for its Flin Flon operation. He’s pleased the city has resolved the situation. “I think both parties made the best of a challenging situation and we certainly do appreciate the relationship that we have with the city, and we’re pleased as we can be with the outcome,” said Hantiuk. Despite its use of a subcontractor, Hantiuk said the buck stops with his company.
“We take as much responsibility as we can for subcontractors, for sure,” said the Edmonton-based spokesperson. “After all, the agreement is between Flin Flon and Waste Management. It’s just in this situation, it wasn’t the best operating relationship between the subcontractor, Waste Management and Flin Flon itself.” Bacon noted that the city hopes to have its identification on the truck by the time it hits the road.
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