eSupply Canada Ltd. to support Indigenous communities with office supplies in response to COVID-19 pandemic
By Rick Garrick
SAUGEEN FIRST NATION — Former Saugeen councillor Steven Vanloffeld wants to support Indigenous communities and businesses during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by offering office supplies at cost to staff who are working at home.
“If they need supplies, we will supply them with supplies at cost, so there is no profit involved,” says Vanloffeld, founder and co-owner of eSupply Canada Ltd. “What we get, those workers at home will get.”
Vanloffeld and co-owner Glenn Wheeler launched eSupply Canada Ltd. in February to provide Indigenous communities with a more community-oriented option for office, janitorial and industrial supplies.
“Our generation has never before experienced what our communities, the nation and the globe is experiencing, and we must all do our part to ensure the continued health, safety and well-being of one another, especially our Elders and the most vulnerable,” says Wheeler, a Mi’kmaq citizen from Qualipu First Nation in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Vanloffeld says the business offers more than 400,000 products from more than 1,000 manufacturers.
“We are an Indigenous online office, janitorial and industrial supplies company and we provide those services specifically to Indigenous communities and businesses operating in our territories as well as governments,” Vanloffeld says. “We essentially want to make sure we provide the supplies to keep communities and businesses running. If you’re looking for [something] there’s a good chance we’ve got it.”
Vanloffeld says they offer supplies not only for administration services but also for other services in a community.
“Everything Chief and Council and admin would require, we’ve got that,” Vanloffeld says. “If you go to the roads department, we’ve got all of the equipment to keep the machines going, if you go to housing we’ve got everything from scaffolding to hammers to nails. We’ve got cleaning products and supplies, we’ve got automotive motor oil, you name it, we’ve got vast amounts of supplies.”
Vanloffeld says eSupply Canada Ltd. is part of a retail dealer network with national reach and local impact.
“We ship out of our distribution centre in Ontario to communities and places of business from coast-to-coast so we don’t need the brick and mortar stores,” Vanloffeld says. “We have everything available online and we are able to operate that way. The people that provide us with products, they’ve been around for 40 years. We ship on a daily basis, so all orders that are placed by 4 p.m. are shipped that same day through Purolator.”
Vanloffeld says they are able to keep their prices low because they are tapping into the purchasing power of the retail dealer network and are not warehousing or shipping the products.
“Through this network, all these retailers are able to pool their spend, which winds up being about $400 million a year,” Vanloffeld says. “And that spend obviously opens doors with the people that manufacture all these products.”
Vanloffeld says an important aspect of the business is supporting the people and communities that support them.
“We’ve committed to directly giving back to each and every community that makes eSupply their supplier of choice, while also donating a portion of proceeds from industry and government to fund scholarships,” Vanloffeld says. “And through our carbon off-set program, a portion of proceeds will support reforestation initiatives. At eSupply Canada Ltd., we come from community and we support community.”
Vanloffeld and Wheeler registered the business under the federal government’s Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business. As a Certified Aboriginal Business, it is also found on the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business’ Aboriginal Marketplace.