HomePlus Products has been a member of the Canadian Water Quality Association (CWQA) since 2011 and Grant Robertson, one of the principal owners of HomePlus helped us to understand how the company got it’s start and how it plans to grow. Similar to some of the other water companies in Canada, Grant had an idea for a water business because of his own water challenges, and a level of frustration in finding the right equipment solutions for his needs.
HomePlus Products is a wholesaler located in beautiful Kamloops, British Columbia, with a consolidation warehouse in Wisconsin. The company was founded in 1999 and now offers a full product offering of softeners, salt free conditioners, backwashing, tannin, carbon filters just to name a few. They also carry a full complimentary line of products such as UV, chlorination and membrane technologies. On top of the point of entry equipment, they also carry a full line of point of use and other ancillary items like water leak detectors. Water isn’t the only focus, as air quality products are also building in momentum over the last few years.
They support a network of dealers across North America and internationally, but the lions share is within British Columbia and Alberta. The key component to their success is staying highly focused on education and product knowledge, not only for their own staff, but also for all their dealer network. They stand ready to tackle all water challenges, and if they don’t know, they will find out and search for new technologies for emerging contaminants.
The team of 15 is a well-oiled machine, and if there was a possibility to have more staff Grant would welcome them, however the shortage in the workforce right now is hindering their search. They have just completed a warehouse expansion and implementing a new inventory management system designed specifically for their unique needs. They promote their own brand, but will privately label for water dealers that want to bring their own brand to market.
In crafting the business plan, Grant has always believed in a strong foundation for good health involves, good quality water, good quality food and good quality air. He will be the first to admit that the good quality food would need to come from others, but he could impact the water and the air. With a degree in accounting and strong financial analyst skills, starting a business in water to solve his own issues was developed.
Living in BC has certainly brought it’s challenges over the last few years, with flooding, drought, wild fire, and landslides, he knows that HomePlus will need to be ready to deal with the climate extremes that are happening. Grant wants to challenge companies to find ways to treat water with less chemicals and less water waste, and while doing this, he knows that paying attention to the new emerging contaminants will be key. Lastly, with some of these climate challenges, it will only open the door for more regulations from municipal, provincial and federal jurisdictions, so staying connected to the CWQA is important.
HomePlus is part of the CWQA because it is a national association with a common voice for the water industry. Creating a louder voice to attract new recruits to the industry is one of the key areas that Grant is hoping the CWQA can bring awareness to. He is looking to the association to continue its focus on education to create that career path in the water industry. Also, having an association that continues to look toward regulatory issues that may affect their business and assisting to protect all members interests are reasons why HomesPlus has stayed a member for 11 years.
The next few years, will present challenges through staffing, supply chain, and inflation, but focusing inward on new proprietary products and expanding their geographical reach by heading east will keep HomePlus heading in the right direction.
