Business partners making their mark

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This article was published 16/01/2024 (639 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

At age 18, Willows Christopher — with his business partner, Zach Isaacs — founded a winery called the Shrugging Doctor. The proud local producers of wine, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages grew to be the largest winery in Manitoba’s history by 2018. They plan to continue to grow and revolutionize the liquor industry across Canada. And that’s not all.

The pair recently made their first business acquisition when, in June of last year, they became the owners of Maple Leaf Rubber Stamp, a Manitoba business with a history dating back to 1932, which still uses processes from the ’30s, making rubber stamps using Manitoba’s only surviving Ludlow Typograph.

Christopher and Isaacs have partnered with longtime friend Garth Coutu to run the successful business now that the previous owners have retired. And they’ve brought on their winery’s culinary director, Alyssa Winzinowich, to run Maple Leaf’s ribbon and button departments.

Its location has changed a few times over the years but the company that began as family-owned and operated stayed that way until it was purchased by long-time employees who operated it for over 40 years. Now a new chapter has begun with young entrepreneurs and their staff made entirely of the under-30 demographic.

A combination of ambition and a keen interest in learning new things led Christopher to taking on yet another venture.

“What do I know about stamps? People have asked. What do I know about wine,” he laughed.

“The listing came across my desk from an acquaintance and it sounded kind of interesting to me,” said the operations manager, co-owner and co-director. “I have an affinity for old things, and this was something that you don’t really think about. My business partner and I looked at the numbers, met the owners and thought it was a good opportunity. We wanted to keep it going.”

Now, nearly 100 years after the creation of the iconic company, the young new owners are re-imagining the Winnipeg business and respecting its heritage and longstanding quality while also putting into action their desire to modernize the operations.

The makers of rubber stamps in all sizes, date stamps, corporate seals, award ribbons for any event, name tags, custom buttons, engraved signs, and customized self-inking stamps with any message you want, say that the possibilities beyond the classic rubber stamp are endless and also fun to contemplate.

“We kind of have our bread-and-butter clients,” explained Christopher. “Banks, law firms, school districts, they’re still using stamps for a reason, and they’re not going to switch to digital anytime soon. We are trying to put our own spin on it. We are more internet-focused. We have stamps and buttons on Etsy,” he noted, adding that popular book stamps ‘from the library of the book owner,’ are now selling on the online platform.

With a little more advertising to people online and direct-to-customer business, Maple Leaf Rubber Stamp will expand to selling more to individuals while modernizing and digitizing where possible.

These days Christopher is sleeping less. With eight hours a day at the winery and eight hours at the ‘stampery,’ he’s putting in the time to build up his new business.

“I know all too well… this is a business that has been around for so long. There was a world war in there… I’m sure there were parts of this business where people had to struggle to get it into the next step. We respect this business heritage, it has so much history.”

Christopher is at the office every day as the learning curve with ancient equipment continues. Some of the tools and equipment are almost 100 years old, so maintenance isn’t always easy to access. The company keeps a second Ludlow Typograph around just for parts.

“There’s been days slaving over the hot Ludlow trying to get it running again,” explained Christopher, comparing the work to trying to get an old car running.

“We have cabinets filled with physical fonts. We are casting them in lead mold, pushing them in the Vulcanizer machine. It’s a cool system. A friend came in saying it was like being in a museum,” he said, adding that the new team has been sharing highlights of the historical equipment on social media.

“We can add a personal touch that a giant chain could never add,” said Coutu, who has taken on the role of CEO. He said he sees a future for Maple Leaf Rubber Stamp to move more into the direct-to-consumer market and build a social media presence to market custom buttons, stamps and ribbons directly to consumers on media like TikTok, Etsy and Instagram.

“I always preach this, anytime,” added Christopher. “Buy local. This business is still working by hand, hand-pouring, hand-mounting. We try to put our hearts in what we make, into the quality. Name a big box website, there’s no comparison in quality. If people don’t buy local there won’t be any local left. I had someone who came in to get a stamp of official agent for a candidate who started buying these 45 years ago and comes in every four years,” said Christopher, adding that it’s support of customers like that that keeps the business in existence.

“I know it’s not as glamorous as making wine,” said Christopher, “but sometimes that’s where the money is. Salt-of-the-earth businesses that are manufacturing products that businesses use every day.”

Maple Leaf Rubber Stamp is located at 1211 Richard Ave. in St. James and is open every weekday at 8 a.m.

Visit MapleLeafRubberStamp.ca or on social media @MapleLeafRubberStamp.