RC Products: From Basement Suite to the International Stage
Publish Date: December 2008
When Rory Carr founded RC Products in his Whistler basement suite 21 years ago he never imagined that he would one day work with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC).
Running the business out of a basement suite, he offered only one product, and Carr was much more interested in skiing than selling. But things have changed dramatically. RC Products has become an international player by signing a with the Vancouver 2010 Official Licensing Program to supply hard goods and novelty souvenir products like luggage, bags and other winter sporting goods.
“Getting the license and working with VANOC has been huge for us,” says Carr. “It gives us an opportunity to work with arguably the most recognizable brand in the world which adds a great deal of credibility to our business. It’s amazing how much more seriously our business partners take us now that we have the Games license.”
In addition to street cred, the contract has created a drive within RC Products to ensure it exceeds both VANOC’s and its own expectations. While social and environmental sustainability have been on Carr’s radar for a number of years, going through the bidding process gave him the push needed to formalize his policies. As a smaller company, RC Products’ sustainability programs are getting a boost from the tools provided by VANOC.
Carr says VANOC has also done a great job of creating a cooperative environment for the licensees. “We will all be stronger working together even though we are competing for the same retail dollar in many instances,” he says. RC Products has had the opportunity to work with other licensees to develop a program that they can take to retailers.
To get a better understanding of the challenging nature of the VANOC bidding process, RC Products took advantage of the programs and services offered by the 2010 Commerce Centre. Initially utilizing the comprehensive procurement database on the 2010 Commerce Centre’s website to identify when new opportunities were becoming available, they also participated in a 2010 Business Opportunities Workshop. The workshop demystified the bidding process and made it clear what VANOC was looking for.
“The 2010 Commerce Centre has been a great resource,” says Carr.
Addressing the common fear of being too small to be a part of Games, Carr says he doesn’t think size is a factor in securing business with VANOC. But he says to be successful a company needs to be able to focus resources and attention to the project.
“The business is definitely there but it is not an easy project. You have to have the ability to put people and resources into the project before you bid,” he says. The journey from a Whistler basement suite to a Vancouver 2010 Official Licensee has been a very exciting transition for RC Products. The company is thrilled to be associated with the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and confident about reaping the benefits of this relationship long into the future.
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