Portrait of a Successful Small Business
The telecom meltdown provided as good an opportunity as any to turn a
hobby into a business. Phil too
k his layoff package (Fall 2002) and
immediately began researching and buying equipment. He formalized
the business by organizing as the proprietorship "Phil's Foils &
Composites". With a large CNC
milling machine stuffed into the basement workshop, experimentation began that
winter. The use of modern technology* in the
fabrication process allows very competitive foils to be built for a very competitive price.
The first production centerboard shipped in March 2003.
The basement workshop was quickly outgrown, with Phil moving production to a commercial warehouse bay in April of 2004, and hiring staff as necessary to get through the busy spells.
The next big change came Fall 2006 as Dave Bradly also exited from High Tech and began learning the business. He concentrated on Marketing and Sales, while also lending a hand in production on a regular basis. A keen sailor, Dave owns a 49er, 5o5, 18' Skiff and has raced the '06 Sydney to Hobart (among others).
In May 2007 the venture was incorporated as Competition Composites Inc. The Phil's Foils brand name continues to be used for our foils business.
Dave & Phil enjoying the spring breeze on Dave's 5o5.
* Foil cores are shaped on a CNC milling machine, giving a very accurate shape, in turn reducing the amount of hand finishing required after the fiberglass layup. Click here for a short overview of the fabrication process. Templating of planform or foil section is not normally done, as the shape is established early and all effort is made not to distort it. If you require templating, be sure that is known at time of quote.
Contacts:
If you don't get a response, please assume the email got lost in space, and resend it. Thanks!
Post: 215 Terence Matthews Cr, Unit #1, Kanata, Ontario, Canada. K2M 1X5
Phone: (Canada) Office: 613-599-6951 Phil's Cell: 613-794-PHIL
Retail flyer (pdf) Business-to-Business Flyer (pdf)
Competition Composites Inc. web site: www.fastcomposites.ca
The Disclaimer
We do not claim to be formally trained in yacht design, computational fluid dynamics, or structural engineering. Any advice given in these areas is given in good faith, and is free and not warranteed. Services billed are that of a fabricator.