For any fledgling business, landing that first big client can be a turning point. And for many woman-founded and woman-owned businesses in Canada, that big break came from Amazon.
Amazon’s significant direct investments in Canada – to the tune of more than $50 billion since 2010 – have a spillover effect that extends to local businesses of all sizes. Keystone Strategy, an independent economics consulting firm, estimates that the company’s investments contributed an additional $43 billion in spillover value-added effects to the Canadian GDP between 2010 and 2023, helping create more than 90,000 jobs at companies other than Amazon. From food suppliers to facilities maintenance firms and delivery companies, Amazon’s third-party business partners in Canada include companies founded by women whose stories are as inspirational as a best-selling novel on Kindle.
Tracie Lambert got the idea for Calgary Vending Solutions, a company that supplies food and beverage vending machines, when she was preparing to return to work after a maternity leave and was daunted by the seemingly endless obligations that working moms need to juggle. Inspired by her entrepreneur husband, she attended a small business fair, and the idea for Calgary Vending Solutions was born. After starting out with only four vending machines, Lambert gradually got the business off the ground, but was still shocked when she got the call in 2018 asking if she could supply Amazon’s first fulfilment centre in Calgary.
“To be a small independent company getting the opportunity of a lifetime, I initially thought it was a prank call! The fact that Amazon would choose me, and not a larger competitor, made me very grateful,” she remembers.
After that initial boost from Amazon, Calgary Vending Solutions now supports a growing list of major companies and organizations, including all of Amazon’s operations facilities in Calgary.
In other cases, Amazon has helped Canadian businesses expand their reach south of the border.
Freshco, a North American facilities firm with a head office in Burlington, Ontario, started out by providing maintenance services at a selection of Amazon’s Canadian sites. That list quickly grew to nearly 200 Amazon sites across Canada and the United States, a growth trajectory that has helped the company create jobs while giving back to the community.
“The growth of Freshco’s service portfolio with Amazon, along with our other valued clients, has allowed us to expand both our internal and external teams while implementing several key improvements and efficiencies within our business,” says Shauna Lenius, Freshco president.
“At the same time, we’ve been able to partner with Canadian organizations and provide significant job opportunities in the communities we serve. This momentum has the additional benefit of stimulating growth in the Canadian trade industry, which aligns with our core value to advocate for skilled trades,” adds Mandy Rennehan, Freshco founder and CEO.
Female entrepreneurs are also part of Amazon’s fleet of Canadian Delivery Services Partners who own companies that deliver orders to customers’ doorsteps. Through the Delivery Services Partner (DSP) program, Amazon helps entrepreneurs launch their own delivery business by providing access to infrastructure, technology, and a suite of exclusive services. Since the program launched in 2018, more than 4,400 DSPs across the globe have created more than 390,000 jobs and delivered over 20 million packages every day to customers across 20 countries.
One of those entrepreneurs is Aminat Popoola, founder and owner of RHAY Logistics in Calgary. An engineer by training, Popoola launched RHAY Logistics in May 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though she was relatively new to logistics, she was motivated by the opportunity to create a business that would help people affected by the pandemic get back on their feet while having a meaningful impact in the community.
Thanks to the tools and support provided by Amazon, RHAY Logistics now employs more than 100 people. The company has created an internal health and safety committee and introduced policies that encourage a respectful and positive workplace. Because of these efforts, RHAY Logistics received a Certificate of Recognition for Partnerships in Injury Reduction from the Government of Alberta — a huge accomplishment for Popoola’s growing team.
True to Popoola’s goal to give back to her community, she recently partnered with Amazon through the “Together, We Give” program. Amazon and RHAY Logistics collectively donated a total of $10,000 to the Calgary Drop-In Centre, an organization that supports vulnerable adults at risk of homelessness.
“I’ve always been inspired by women who lead with confidence and resilience. Seeing others break barriers encouraged me to push past challenges and believe in my own capabilities,” she says.
Amazon also offers products from women-owned business in its store. To discover them, visit Amazon.ca.
This article also appeared in Postmedia publications.
