By IAN ROSS
Jon Wynn is a true believer in the power of the web.
For years, his Thunder Bay store, Gear It Up for Outdoors, was bumping along, losing money or barely breaking even. Then, about 10 years ago, one computer-savvy employee suggested taking their inventory of tree planting gear online. It was all new for Wynn, but it proved to be a virtual awakening.
Those big fluffy Canada Goose down-filled parkas which stylish-conscious Canadians sneer at? Europeans love 'em.
To Finns and Swedes, Canadian-made apparel means it's top quality, durable and warm.
As a dealer for Canada Goose, the parkas sold so well online, the Toronto winter coat-maker now forbids Wynn from selling their product to Europe.
Still, his web site features a whole section of Canadian-made products with expanding sales into Russia and Italy.
"The web has been a huge help to us."
In a nondescript mini-mall location, nestled near the auto supply outlets and equipment suppliers of city's light-industrial district, Gear It Up has become known as an outdoor store for the hardcore who stay true to the rugged forestry and mining roots.
Raised in Toronto and private school-educated, Wynn left behind any Ivy League prospects and headed North for the light and space of the northwest, graduating with a Lakehead University forestry degree.
After working in sales hawking forestry, mining and surveying equipment, he met his future wife, Sandra, and 22 years ago established, what was then, an industrial supply store, selling hard hats, rock hammers and boots for tree planters.
"We lost a pile of money," remembers Wynn, but didn't bail out.
They expanded their offerings stocking backpacks, tents and sleeping bags.
But a lack of local exposure, the warm winters and a slow regional economy didn't change things for the better, until they created a web site dedicated to tree planting gear.
"I had no clue about what the Internet was," says Wynn.
His younger staff took on the project, scanning images of their inventory into a catalogue for tree planters. Gradually, they began getting queries from the U.S. and Europe.
Those hard-to-sell Canada Goose parka that sold for $500 retail were put online and quickly sold.
E-mail interest led them to add more Canadian-made apparel like Baffin polar boots and Mustang Survival gear. It was a revelation for Wynn.
"We started getting huge, huge orders from Europe and the U.S. military." Five hundred pairs of Mustang boots were sent to the Maryland Proving Grounds to equip troops.
"People were buying container-loads. It was unbelievable."
The cash started flowing and the retail store spawned an 24/7 e-tail outlet.
"It helped save the business."
Web sales led to a physical expansion into the mall with space next door to serve as a warehouse and shipping depot. Through deals with international couriers, they can deliver a tent, pack, coat or boot to a European customer within two days.
The web master is in Calgary and four employees off-site are dedicated to keeping the site updated every day.
Though tree planting gear only makes up five to 10 per cent of sales (since the planting season is a narrow window), Wynn says they've sold more tree planting bags this year than in their previous 22 years in business.
"A lot of it has to do with the Web and how we position ourselves with search engines."
Wynn says their monthly web hits range between 750,000 and one million. The busiest time is between September and January when customers stock up on winter wear. During summer, they sell plenty of tents, packs, tank-tops and sandals.
What has him really excited these days are the mineral exploration prospects in northwestern Ontario.
He's set up a trade show booth every year at the annual spring mining symposium and the buoyant atmosphere this year was contagious with gold at $1,000 an ounce and junior miners re-exploring and reviving old mining camps.
"The whole resource business is going to be huge," says Wynn, who also serves as chair of Thunder Bay Ventures, the local economic development arm of FedNor.
Often Wynn will open the store early to help geologists or foresters gear up for an early start.
He's also hopeful the new knowledge-based economy that's brought new doctors into town and introduced young well-paid researchers into the workforce will help boost sales. He has plans to further explore web-based opportunities in China and the Far East.
