Image 1 and 2: Property bought in February 1985.
In 1983, Scott started working for his grandfather during the summer months, helping out as a general labourer wherever he could. Over the years, Scott would begin working with his parents full-time, learning every aspect of their awning operation―from cutting and sewing to installation and fabrication to sales and administrative work. That level of expertise would help out immensely when Scott took over the business from his parents in 2004. “I’d been running the day-to-day operation for six years at that point,” Scott explains, “so it was a natural progression for us.” Even to this day, Alexander Awnings is still very much a family business. After stepping back from the company for several years, Frank came out of retirement in 2014 and now helps out in the cutting and sewing department as well as consulting with customers on the structural design of larger projects. The next generation of the Andres has also come on board of late. Scott’s son Michael recently graduated from Niagara College and has joined the firm full-time, after working part-time with their installation crew. Scott’s daughter Jennifer has also become a valuable member of their cutting and sewing team. SEEING IS BELIEVING
Alexander Awnings is now located at 461 Eastchester Avenue East in St. Catharines. Here, Scott and his team have a 5,000 square foot work space that includes a welding shop, and a cutting and sewing department so they can do everything inhouse to ensure the highest degree of quality for the customer. Alexander Awnings also has a modest showroom and a large outdoor display of their canopies and shade solutions. Scott says that seeing their products in person is the best way for customers to get a sense of the final product. “Most people have done their research online so they have a general idea of what they’re looking for,” he says. “But we encourage them to take a look at our showroom. We try to have a decent sized display at all times so customers can get a better idea of what we have to offer.” For their customers’ convenience, Scott and his team will often come straight to the site to consult A Business Link Media Group Publication
Image 3 and 4: New property bought in July 1985.
with the customer and review the project. Even then, there are no high pressure sales tactics involved. Alexander Awnings always provides a free estimate and leaves the final decision up to the customer. Installing a new awning to your home or office is a great way to shade doors and windows and cut down on the need for air conditioning. But the product also has to look good. “At the end of the day, we try to provide practical shade canopies that are aesthetically pleasing,” Scott says. “Both components are key.” Scott says their work doesn’t end with the completed project either. Alexander Awnings services everything they sell and offers dependable warranties on their parts and labour. One big part of their after service business is canopy management. Every year, Alexander Awnings stores hundreds of canopies for their customers. As part of their contract, the Alexander Awnings team will take canopies down in the fall (October to November) and reinstall them in the spring (April to May). During their peak seasons, the Alexander Awnings team can have dozens of projects on the go at any one time―whether it’s new installations or awnings that have to be reinstalled or removed. Eleven hour days can end up being the norm. “In this job, you have to have a positive attitude and think outside the box,” Scott explains, “but you also need to be efficient and get to the customer in a timely manner.” At Alexander Awnings, however, Scott’s staff is more than up to the challenge. In addition to the Andres family, Scott’s team includes Dave Gossen (sales estimator), Allan Dale (lead installer), Christopher Feere (custom welder), Jim Koski (fabric production and sewing), Gilbert Lizotte (sales and installation of Phantom Screen products), and Rhonda Gossen (customer service and administration). One of the big reasons behind Alexander Awnings’ success is their reliability. Many of their team members have been with the firm for 10 or 20 years. That loyalty and lack of staff turnover has helped provide consistency to both the company and their customers, and is a true testament to Alexander Awnings’ ongoing success.
TAKING CARE OF THE CUSTOMER
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Alexander Awnings’ work was almost evenly split between residential and commercial assignments. Since Scott took over the firm, however, Alexander Awnings has become increasingly focused on residential customers. Over time, much of their projects have come through referrals. Scott says their workload has also increased in recent years because a lot of their residential customers – like the baby boomer generation― are staying home rather than going away on vacation. “Their home is their cottage,” he explains, “so we try to add features that will help extend the season for their porch or patio, whether it’s sun block, wind block or bug protection.” But Alexander Awnings hasn’t turned its back on commercial work altogether. In recent times, their team has taken on many challenging commercial projects, installing canopies at places like the St. Catharines Golf Course, Sherkston Shores, and the Cherry Hill Golf Club in Fort Erie. They’ve also installed canopies on many of the storefronts along Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake―and done work for countless businesses and tourist operations including Pizza Pizza, Travelodge, Ruby Tuesdays and Casino Niagara. With Michael and Jennifer coming on board at Alexander Awnings, Scott is looking at transitioning the company on to the next generation somewhere down the road. But for now, Scott is content to teaching his children the same fundamental values his parents and grandfather instilled in him from a very early age. Principles like fine quality, great workmanship and taking care of people’s needs. “It’s not about providing our customers with cookie cutter solutions,” Scott says of their work. “It’s about building the right awning or canopy to suit their needs.” AITF
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ALL IN THE FAMILY
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