Bernie Ross

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell 

Published in the Financial Post
March 30, 2009

Bernie Ross, along with brother Blake, runs Frank T. Ross (www.franktross.com). The Toronto company makes household products like Nature Clean and Weldbond.  Bernie Ross tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

Family: “In 1928, my grandfather founded the firm in Vancouver to make products for the railroad industry. In the 1950s, my dad moved the company to Ontario, where we began manufacturing Weldbond glue.”

Allergies: “When my mother showed allergies to commercial soaps, Dad developed hypoallergenic products for her. These became popular with our friends and network.”

New focus: “As an environmentally-aware graduate from the University of Guelph, I vigorously promoted our ‘Nature Clean’ toxic-free cleansers to retailers like Canadian Tire, A&P, and Loblaws.”

Tipping point: “Our ‘green’ marketing was an uphill battle until Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ focused awareness on the environment. Suddenly, our sales jumped 30% annually for four years running. Borrowing concepts from the wine industry, we’ve reduced packaging by 80%, mainly plastic.”

Big step forward: “In another coup, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC have licensed us to produce, package, and market their household cleaning products.”

Wonderful: “We’ve attracted a young team who have rejuvenated our company and daily inspire me.”