The Handyman

Age: 49
Company: Trout River Industries, Coleman, P.E.I.
Business: Farm & Construction Machinery
2008 EOY Category: Manufacturing

Rural Prince Edward Island hardly seems like a centre of industrial manufacturing, so it’s fitting that Harvey Stewart doesn’t come across as your typical global exporter. He’s just an Island boy, after all—a tinkerer who discovered his entrepreneurial spirit because he simply liked to fixed things.

Stewart is also an icon in the West Point area of P.E.I., a volunteer fire chief (over 25 years and counting) who happens to sell farming and construction machinery around the world. In 1989 a career that began with repairing dump trailers for local farmers and contractors evolved into a tiny company, HF Stewart & Sons, that designs, builds, and repairs potato-handling equipment. That outfit has since grown into a 10,000-square-foot facility with 10 employees and contracts in Russia.

In 2000 Stewart was approached by a local company seeking a more efficient way to load its lime spreaders. A year later he founded Trout River Industries to manufacture his solution, the live bottom trailer, which he figured would also be a godsend for the road-construction industry. His guess proved right: Stewart now has customers across the country and throughout South America and Eastern Europe, and has watched his sales grow by 1,847% over the last five years. But the most rewarding part is the fact he’s managed to do it all from western P.E.I.

Entrepreneurial Style

Defining moment: When I knew that I would never be able to work for anyone else.
Biggest triumph: Getting respect from other businesspeople in the community.
Biggest mistake: Sometimes I was too busy putting out fires to be able to look ahead to the future.
Best thing about doing business here: The people are great to deal with.
The toughest: Changing people’s attitudes into believing we are just as good as any other companies out there.
Financing nightmares: There were days when it felt like all the financial people were hiding and I was the only one left standing.
Worries about losing everything: Yes, but another person believed in my company enough to step up and help out.
Business mentors: My father and J.K. Irving.
Developing an entrepreneurial culture: We can lead by example and show how a business should be run.
Entrepreneurship should be taught: In grade school.
Progress is: When customers are happy, which enables us to sell more.
How I’ve changed over the years: Today I am more focused on the task at hand.

Personality Profile

As a kid I wanted to be: I just wanted to fix stuff.
Personality type: I have always taken a leadership role.
Best strength: It doesn’t bother me if I make a mistake.
Weakness: Spelling.
First job: Working at a sawmill.
I’m reading: The Healthy CEO by Dr. Larry Ohlhauser.
Spare time: I am involved with the community. I have been the fire chief of West Point for over 25 years, and I’m a member of the West Point Community Development Committee.
My ride: Toyota Tundra.
Most treasured possession: My family.
Never leave home without: My pocketknife.
In the movie of my life I’d be played by: John Wayne.
Words to live by: Treat people with respect.

For more profiles on our other Entrepreneur's of the Year please following the links below

Click here for George Armoyan
Click here for Wadih Fares
Click here for Curtis Howe
Click here for Bill Sanford
Click here for Greg Roberts
Click here for Irving Schwartz