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Author	Comments
Keith Gervais Posted: Aug 28, 2008 10:18 AM	SPF Distributors in Canada I'm looking at getting into the foam business in Sask. I would like to get in contact with a distributor in Canada to supply me with material and possibly a trailer. Any suggestions?
Linerman Posted: Aug 28, 2008 07:43 PM	I'm guessing you've done your homework, if not do some research then ask yourself again if you really want to get in the business.
Keith Gervais Posted: Aug 28, 2008 08:08 PM	Yes, I've done some research. There is a lot of opportunity where I live and think I could make a go of it. I just want to build a relationship with a Canadian distributor as it would be faster and probably cheaper to get product.
Linerman Posted: Aug 29, 2008 08:23 PM	I don't really know of any distributors in canada, but i'm sure someone will chime in and direct you to a good supplier. good luck, hope you're successful and above all have fun:)
Gordon Howard Posted: Sep 03, 2008 01:10 AM	Why do you want to get into foam spraying... have you seen it done before... what kind of budget do you have...
Keith Gervais Posted: Sep 03, 2008 10:53 AM	I want to get in now because there is a big opportunity. Natural gas rates have increased 25% in the last year and people want to better insualate their homes. Money is not an issue for startup. Myself and another invester have 150k to put into this business now and more when it grows. We already have trucks. Priced out a rig from CPI for just over 70k. Looking for good distributors in Canada.
Luke Kujacznski Posted: Sep 03, 2008 11:34 AM	I would try to connect with Lapolla, they are based out of the states but I am pretty sure they have a network in Canada
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Sep 07, 2008 01:34 PM	Might try Home Foam. They are much smaller than LaPolla tho. Also try Gaco Western. Good materials.
jeff henderson Posted: Sep 08, 2008 03:58 PM	At the risk of sounding a bit negative...my experience is that Canadian Foam Suppliers have the ability to set market pricing much higher then in the States. Foam pricing is only part of the problem - you also have costs of certification, CCMC issues and CAN/ULC standards to meet. CUFCA is essentially a cash grab - a really good idea that appears to have been highjacked by self-serving interests - and really it all boils down to passing costs onto consumers so it is the homeowner that is getting robbed. The costs of compliance with CAN/ULC 705.1/.2, SHOULD be minimal, but CUFCA seems intent on escalating them into areas where small market areas cannot justify entering the field. BASF has a MUCH more affordable Quality Assurance Program - the foam is still overpriced in comparison to say, Lapolla, but at least it is not prohibitive to enter the playing field with BASF. A recent Macleans article highlighted how Canadian consumers are being gouged in comparison to people from the States - they did not use SPF as an illustration, but it could have! (should have?) My advice is to research/price out foam across the border and ensure that it meets the CAN/ULC standards, then talk to your local building inspector to ensure that they will agree (direct reference to Lapolla's foam-lok as that was a brand that was suggested in a previous posting)...even without a CCMC number. I am NOT advocating putting inferiour quality foam into a building (i.e. does not meet all standards) but I am saying that if it does meet standards, and is cheaper, than pass the savings on the client ...maybe keep a little for yourself! US pricing, even with exchange rates and shipping, will invariably be much less than Canadian pricing. Use Free Trade to your advantage! Please note - full disclosure - I am biased against the Foam Cartel we have in Canada - in case you weren;t able to tell.
Posted: Sep 16, 2008 08:01 PM	After reading some of the replies, I feel I must clue you in on the real situation in Canada. We have a CCMC standard, that is very hard to meet in order to protect the consumer. Todate there are only 2 manufacturers that are able to meet the CAN/ULC standard in Canada. Due to the fact that buying this high quality product, has its costs, many US companies don't like using, we'll say, "the good polyols" and believe that a foam system has to be cheap, have sacrificed the quality of their products. In Canada we have out grown this philosophy.
erik williams Posted: Dec 13, 2008 07:32 PM	Which foam manufacturers are able to meet the CAN/ULC standard in Canada?

Author

Comments

Keith Gervais

Posted: Aug 28, 2008 10:18 AM

SPF Distributors in Canada

I'm looking at getting into the foam business in Sask. I would like to get in contact with a distributor in Canada to supply me with material and possibly a trailer. Any suggestions?

Linerman

Posted: Aug 28, 2008 07:43 PM

I'm guessing you've done your homework, if not do some research then ask yourself again if you really want to get in the business.

Keith Gervais

Posted: Aug 28, 2008 08:08 PM

Yes, I've done some research. There is a lot of opportunity where I live and think I could make a go of it. I just want to build a relationship with a Canadian distributor as it would be faster and probably cheaper to get product.

Linerman

Posted: Aug 29, 2008 08:23 PM

I don't really know of any distributors in canada, but i'm sure someone will chime in and direct you to a good supplier.

good luck, hope you're successful and above all have fun:)

Gordon Howard

Posted: Sep 03, 2008 01:10 AM

Why do you want to get into foam spraying...

have you seen it done before...

what kind of budget do you have...

Keith Gervais

Posted: Sep 03, 2008 10:53 AM

I want to get in now because there is a big opportunity. Natural gas rates have increased 25% in the last year and people want to better insualate their homes. Money is not an issue for startup. Myself and another invester have 150k to put into this business now and more when it grows. We already have trucks. Priced out a rig from CPI for just over 70k.

Looking for good distributors in Canada.

Luke Kujacznski

Posted: Sep 03, 2008 11:34 AM

I would try to connect with Lapolla, they are based out of the states but I am pretty sure they have a network in Canada

Gerry Wagoner

Posted: Sep 07, 2008 01:34 PM

Might try Home Foam. They are much smaller than LaPolla tho.

Also try Gaco Western. Good materials.

jeff henderson

Posted: Sep 08, 2008 03:58 PM

At the risk of sounding a bit negative...my experience is that Canadian Foam Suppliers have the ability to set market pricing much higher then in the States.

Foam pricing is only part of the problem - you also have costs of certification, CCMC issues and CAN/ULC standards to meet.

CUFCA is essentially a cash grab - a really good idea that appears to have been highjacked by self-serving interests - and really it all boils down to passing costs onto consumers so it is the homeowner that is getting robbed.

The costs of compliance with CAN/ULC 705.1/.2, SHOULD be minimal, but CUFCA seems intent on escalating them into areas where small market areas cannot justify entering the field.

BASF has a MUCH more affordable Quality Assurance Program - the foam is still overpriced in comparison to say, Lapolla, but at least it is not prohibitive to enter the playing field with BASF.

A recent Macleans article highlighted how Canadian consumers are being gouged in comparison to people from the States - they did not use SPF as an illustration, but it could have! (should have?)

My advice is to research/price out foam across the border and ensure that it meets the CAN/ULC standards, then talk to your local building inspector to ensure that they will agree (direct reference to Lapolla's foam-lok as that was a brand that was suggested in a previous posting)...even without a CCMC number. I am NOT advocating putting inferiour quality foam into a building (i.e. does not meet all standards) but I am saying that if it does meet standards, and is cheaper, than pass the savings on the client ...maybe keep a little for yourself!

US pricing, even with exchange rates and shipping, will invariably be much less than Canadian pricing. Use Free Trade to your advantage!

Please note - full disclosure - I am biased against the Foam Cartel we have in Canada - in case you weren;t able to tell.

Posted: Sep 16, 2008 08:01 PM

After reading some of the replies, I feel I must clue you in on the real situation in Canada. We have a CCMC standard, that is very hard to meet in order to protect the consumer. Todate there are only 2 manufacturers that are able to meet the CAN/ULC standard in Canada. Due to the fact that buying this high quality product, has its costs, many US companies don't like using, we'll say, "the good polyols" and believe that a foam system has to be cheap, have sacrificed the quality of their products. In Canada we have out grown this philosophy.

erik williams

Posted: Dec 13, 2008 07:32 PM

Which foam manufacturers are able to meet the CAN/ULC standard in Canada?

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