In this exclusive CanadianSME Small Business Magazine interview, Terry Cassaday, Founder and CEO of ergoCentric Inc., shares how a commitment to Canadian manufacturing, modular design, and workplace health has shaped North America’s leading ergonomic seating brand. Drawing on his unique journey from law to entrepreneurship, Terry explains how rigorous thinking, continuous innovation, and purposeful partnerships—like the landmark Waaban chair collaboration—have helped ergoCentric deliver tailor-made, sustainable solutions that put people first in every workplace.
Terry Cassaday is the Founder and CEO of ergoCentric, North America’s leading manufacturer of ergonomic seating, which are proudly made in Canada. ergoCentric also produces healthcare furniture, height-adjustable workstations, and ergonomic accessories. Before founding ergoCentric, Terry practiced law for five years. His interest in ergonomics and workplace wellness led him to establish a company dedicated to designing seating systems that fit people—not the other way around.
Your career path is quite unique—transitioning from practicing law to designing ergonomic seating systems. What inspired that shift, and how has your legal background influenced the way you run ergoCentric?
When I went to university, my intention was to attend business school and to eventually start a business. When I decided to go to law school, I did not change my long-term goal of being an entrepreneur. While I practiced law for five years, I was always looking for a business to start. So making the shift was always the plan. I will never know if I would have been better off going to business school, but I enjoyed law school and am glad to have had that experience. Law school disciplined my mind and taught me to look at issues and problems from every angle which I believe has helped me in the day-to-day operation of my company and may partly explain why I have so many trademarks and patents.
ergoCentric’s products are proudly made in Canada. In a globalized market where outsourcing is common, what are the advantages and challenges of maintaining domestic production, and how does this decision reflect your company’s values?
ergoCentric’s goal is to design and manufacture ergonomic office seating that fits 100% of the workforce. You cannot do that by importing mass-produced chairs from overseas. Our made-in-Canada, modular seating system is our competitive advantage. By making chairs to order, we avoid waste and provide a better solution and better value for our customers. We’re in business to be successful, but it’s especially rewarding to know that our success supports Canadian manufacturing and helps people work healthier and more productively.
The Waaban chair represents a meaningful collaboration with Indigenous partners. Could you share how this partnership was developed and what it signifies in terms of cultural respect, shared values, and social responsibility?
The idea for the Waaban chair came from Steven Vanloffeld of eSupply Canada. Steven and the artist that designed the fabric, Tracey Metallic, created this new chair. We were proud to help bring that vision to life by supporting their idea through our manufacturing expertise. The only thing I’ll take credit for is immediately recognizing the incredible opportunity we were being offered at such an important time in our country’s history. This is something everyone in the company is proud to be part of. It has provided the opportunity for all of us at ergoCentric to learn about Reconciliation and to talk to our customers about it. We are just getting started with the Waaban chair but already we are seeing the benefits reaching far beyond our company.
ergoCentric’s modular, build-to-order model sets it apart as a company that designs “chairs to fit people.” How do research, ergonomics, and continuous innovation guide your team’s design philosophy—especially with flagship products like the tCentric Hybrid and the Centric task chair?
From the very beginning, my goal was to make the best ergonomic office chairs and to develop a modular manufacturing system to allow the company to fit everyone with the best chair for their needs. Modularity also allows us to repair and reconfigure chairs easily and inexpensively. In fact, we can repair the first chair we ever made using our current components. This is good for our customers, and good for the environment. The goal of trying to make the best office chair never ends and our biggest strength may be that we have never lost focus on this one goal since we started 35 years ago.
As a leader who has built a world-class Canadian brand grounded in quality, inclusion, and innovation, what final advice would you give to small and medium-sized business owners striving to combine purpose and profit in their ventures?
I don’t like giving advice, but I will say that for me I decided from the beginning that I would focus on my business first and that pursuing higher goals and giving back should wait until the business was successful. Providing value to your customers creates the resources to pursue your purpose. Being in a position to partner with Steven on the Waaban chair is the reward for the work that came before.
