John Schira
John Schira is the co-founder and director of Maxxeon Inc. With over forty years of experience working in the Automotive Aftermarket space, he and his partner set out on their own in 2003 and started Maxxeon, Inc after a chance meeting at a cocktail party. Though the co-owners knew one another in high school, they went their separate ways after graduation. John has always capitalized on happy accidents in his career, from crossing paths with an old high school friend to introducing Maxxeon lighting tools to the HVAC and plumbing trades and is grateful for Canadian financial service companies such as RBC which support small businesses. When not at work, John enjoys travel and following Formula 1® and IndyCar series.
1. What does winning the CanadianSME National Business Award mean to you and your organization?
TheCanadianSME National Business Award is important to all of the Maxxeon team members. It recognizes the time and effort that they have invested to grow the company and make it a leader in our industry.
2. What piece of advice would you give to entrepreneurs?
My advice to entrepreneurs would be to focus on your customers by always listening very closely to what they are saying. Then execute – do not wait for the perfect circumstances to act on your plan. Be flexible, remember that one of the biggest strengths in being a small company is the ability to change and move quickly.