Wakefield Canada: A Focused Effort
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Written by Ashley McGown   
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Wakefield Canada: A Focused Effort
With an experienced team and a nationwide focus, this organization is able to help its customers drive growth in a variety of sectors.


Premier Business Partners:

Border Landner Gervais
BP Lubricants America's
CN WorldWide North America

Toronto, Ontario-based Wakefield Canada is a privately owned company that provides sales, marketing, and distribution solutions to more than 5,000 customers across its home country. With a team of roughly 140 employees, the organization has established a strong presence in multiple markets, serving retailers, warehouse distributors, automotive and heavy-duty specialists, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), and others.

The company was born out of a strategic partnership that formed in March 2005 when BP Lubricants looked to appoint a master distributor to take over Castrol’s Canadian operations, a responsibility that included the handling of all frontline customer interactions. Wakefield’s inception occurred shortly thereafter, as it was created specifically to handle most of these operations.  

“BP wanted to install a new business model, one that would allow it to relinquish most of its responsibilities in the Canadian market,” explained Bob MacDonald, who founded Wakefield and now serves as president.

Wakefield Canada: A Focused Effort
Bob MacDonald, president
“The deal allowed BP to sell capital it had invested in a mature and declining market, which subsequently gave its team the opportunity to reinvest in areas of the business it was looking to grow,” MacDonald continued. “Most people also felt that an independently owned entrepreneurial company focused exclusively in the country had a better chance to grow the brand here, as opposed to a large multinational organization.” Essentially, the deal allowed Wakefield to take over the sales, marketing, and distribution responsibilities. BP, however, continued to operate its Toronto facility, handling all aspects of the manufacturing process.

Today, with an experienced sales force, an inhouse marketing team, and a comprehensive network of professionals that spans both coasts, Wakefield is able to help Castrol, and a number of other automotive brands, drive growth in the Canadian marketplace.

Forward progress
As a result of the success it’s experienced during the last five years, Wakefield continues to grow. In fact, the company just recently announced its plan to purchase Castrol’s Toronto production plant from BP Lubricants USA. Several companies submitted proposals in a bid to purchase the facility, but Wakefield was ultimately chosen. The two entities signed an initial agreement last week.  

The deal marks a major milestone for Wakefield and should further strengthen the relationship between its team and the team at BP. Once the acquisition is finalized, the team at Wakefield will assume all manufacturing responsibilities at the plant, which includes the blending and packaging of products. According to MacDonald, who said the acquisition aligns well with the organization’s overall strategic goals, Wakefield will retain its exclusive rights as the sole vendor, marketer, and distributor of Castrol lubricants in Canada.

“We aspire to be a strong industry leader. The acquisition is a strategic move for us because it gives us greater flexibility in the marketplace, and ultimately, it’ll allow us to deliver an even greater level of service to our customers,” he said, adding that the deal will ultimately enhance Wakefield’s capabilities and overall offering.

Right now, the team at Wakefield is working closely with the team at BP Lubricants to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible. As it stands, BP Lubricants will retain ownership and maintain operations of the facility during the transitional period, but Wakefield is expected to take over by the middle of the year.

Solidifying its reputation
Although Wakefield is still a very young company, it was able to generate approximately $140 million in revenue
last year, and it’s already garnered a significant amount of external attention for its efforts. Last month, it was recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, a national awards program that was established in 1993 to perform annual assessments and compile the data. Each year, the group surveys hundreds of businesses (all of which have revenues exceeding $10 million), evaluating the management abilities and practices of each company’s team.

In addition to this achievement, Wakefield was able to claim the 24th spot this year on The Globe and Mail’s annual list of top 50 best small and medium businesses. When asked how the company is able to stand apart, MacDonald credits the organization’s customer-centric culture, which he said has a direct and significant influence on management style across the board.

“There’s a customer-based philosophy that guides operations here. Everyone, from the field staff across the country to the senior management group at our headquarters, is dedicated to achieving the goals we’ve set. We are all truly committed to providing a high standard of excellence in all that we do for our customers, partners, and internal team,” MacDonald explained, adding that he and his team are very much honored by the recent recognition.
 
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