Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooks Chandler.
Hi Brooks, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Canvasback, Inc. was initially started by an energetic outdoor enthusiast from Ketchum, Idaho in the early 1990’s. An avid skier and dog owner, Missy was tired of ruining the back of her vehicle with dirty, hairy dogs, snowy skis, and muddy sporting equipment. As a result, she created the idea of a waterproof, fabric cargo liner to protect the carpeting of the whole back end of her SUV, which included the cargo area and up the back of the seats, with total functionality. Thus, Canvasback custom cargo liners were born!
I started purchasing the company in 2006 and finally moved it to Minnesota in 2008. Every year business kept growing and we kept running out of space until there was no more space at that facility. For 14 years we were located on the shores of Lake Minnetonka in Spring Park. In May of 2022, we moved not far north to Long Lake and are now in a much bigger and brighter building. We are proud to say that we are made in the USA and especially Minnesota!
What makes our product unique is that our products are made from durable fabric, not plastic or rubber and we have custom fits for hundreds of makes and models. We have partnered with local car dealerships to keep up to date on the latest vehicles and take the time to custom design each cargo liner to fit most features and variations so that the liners allow all functionality and never need to be removed. We now do some custom work, have 11 different fun colors and prints and we can even monogram the liners! We have expanded our product line to offer our customers more protection for the interior of their vehicles such as bumper flaps, seat covers, cargo side pieces, door covers, hammocks, seat barriers, dog beds and bones, duffle bags and other fun accessories.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
When I was in the process of deciding to purchase this business from the original owners in Idaho, everyone told me not to do it. “Don’t buy a sinking ship, Brooks!” I understood, on paper, why they were saying it. However, when I was told that many of the customers buying Canvasbacks were dog owners (I am a big dog lover), that’s when it hit me, and my gut told me I could do this! Everyone thought I was crazy!
My biggest challenge at that point was to make sure I had someone in Minnesota that could sew the liners and seat covers sight unseen once I moved the company from Idaho to Minnesota. I found one man in Minneapolis that took on the job. He was a boat cover maker, and his business had been slow, so he had the time and the knowledge to sew for me- thank goodness! I would cut the orders coming in over the website and either he would come into the shop to pick up or I would take the trip to Minneapolis and drop them off for him. I was doing all the patterning of new vehicles at that time which involved traveling to the local dealerships, borrowing their new vehicles, and developing new patterns. There was never a dull moment! So, the one greatest struggle; finding employees.
We have a great Team! We now have 11 seamstresses and five office staff.
(Oh! And three dogs that wander and keep us on task.)
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I don’t need to be too involved in the day-to-day operations, as my team has it handled! I do get updated on things that are going to change or important decisions we need to make. I feel part of my job is to make sure everybody has what they need to succeed. I get presented with new apps and tech that my staff believe might help us run smoother constantly. It’s never a dull day! I try to make Canvasback a fun place to work!
Best thing….. I have the fun job of paying all the bills! 😉
How do you think about luck?
I honestly feel like I’ve been ‘lucky’ throughout my life, so many good things have happened! However, I’m not sure that I believe that luck is just happenstance all the time. Maybe it’s how we look at things.
I love the saying by the philosopher, Seneca; “There is no such thing as Luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. Act when the opportunity presents itself. If you don’t take action, all you’ll have are missed opportunities. When it comes to luck, the actions you take matter.
For me, a few years before I bought Canvasback, I was getting tired of traveling around the country selling movie theatre advertising. I really did love the job and all the interesting places I landed, but all the traveling was tough. I began thinking of how nice it would be to just be home, work and stay put! I started to think that it might be fun to own a business, so I nonchalantly threw out the thought to a few friends. Not long after that, I received a phone call from some good friends out in Idaho, close to Sun Valley. They told me about a couple that was thinking of selling Canvasback, Inc. I honestly didn’t have a big interest in vehicles and interior car protection, but I ended up having discussions with them throughout the year and ended up purchasing the company.
We’ve grown the company exponentially in 15 years, and I’m so thankful I made the right decision!
So, was it luck, or was it being ready (preparation) and having an opportunity knock at my door that I decided to act on? Fun to think about!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.canvasback.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canvasbackcargoliners/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/canvasbackcargoliners
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CanvasbackLiner
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Canvasback
Image Credits
Canvasback, Inc and customer testimonials sent in for social media
