When John Phyllis was 18 years old he received a pen with a logo on it. It ended up altering the course of his professional life.

“I thought, ‘what a cool business — promotional items,’ ” he recalls.

After graduating from Lakehead University with a business degree, majoring in Marketing, he started PJS Marketing, then bought into another local promotional company. After working for Pepsi in Thunder Bay, he started his own businesses: Impact Promotions and Uniform Pros.

That was 10 years ago. Today the businesses employ more than a dozen people in adjoining offices on Victoria Avenue, producing promotional products, custom clothing and uniforms for business, teams, schools and organizations.

Impact Promotions has an in-house production team that embroiders, screenprints and digitally prints apparel, uniforms and headwear. Impact can help with branding an organization with promotional products with logos on items such as bags, pens, drinkware, electronics and trade show giveaways.

Next to Holland Bakery at Uniform Pros, the focus is on uniforms and workwear. There you will find Hi-Vis workwear, scrubs and lab coats for nurses and health-care providers, chef and server apparel for chefs and wait staff, as well as uniforms for all types of industries, including forestry, mining, aviation, police, fire and security

“Some exciting news for Uniform Pros is we are now a Carhartt Retail Store with Carhartt hoodies, hats and work wear in stock now,” John says.

Asked what motivates him, John replies, “Meeting all kinds of great people and helping them brand their organization with embroidered or imprinted apparel, promotional products and uniforms.”

Beyond his own business, John says he loves Thunder Bay and is pleased there is a growing number of local businesses who feel the same and are promoting shopping local.

As for the future of Impact Promotions and Uniform Pros, John is growing the business regionally and nationally. John is happy to live in Thunder Bay with his wife and raise his two boys here.

“At Impact, our team are your neighbours and we are proud of our company, the great service and quality products we embroider and imprint at our locally-owned facility with our local production specialists from Thunder Bay,” he says.