Greg Taylor and Cam Heaps

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell

Published in the Financial Post

April 28, 2008

Greg Taylor and partner Cam Heaps founded Steam Whistle ( www.steamwhistle.ca ), a brewery headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Greg Taylor tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

Summer job:  “In my teenage years, a friend and I painted houses to make money, hiring friends to meet the demand.”

Meeting my mentor: “Early on, I delivered beer for Upper Canada brewery. There, I met Frank Heaps, Cam’s father, who owned the company. His love of his workers impressed me profoundly.”

A better way: “When Upper Canada was sold to a national brewery, gone was the spirit of the place. Together, Cam and I decided to create the kind of place we’d like to work in. That’s what Steam Whistle is.”

A climate for inspiration: “As a privately-owned company, we have the control to push innovation. Having hired a lot of young workers, we find they contribute great ideas that have allowed us to become more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.”

Community involvement: “We needed to know more about the community we were selling to. That’s why our staff is involved in so many local projects and charities.”

What we have: “Cam and I sincerely believe that happy workers make a better product, one that everyone here is proud of. That’s important.”

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