Latest news with #PeterHlynsky
The Province
30-07-2025
- Business
- The Province
MEC's very Vancouver history is a stepping-stone of Canadian-focused future
A reinvestment in its Canadian connections is something that's happening at MEC, from the top down, according to CEO (and B.C native) Peter Hlynsky MEC CEO Peter Hlynsky. Photo by Chung Chow / MEC Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Peter Hlynsky is a very Vancouver kind of guy. Born and raised on the North Shore, he grew up with the mountains in his backyard and the ocean at his front, spending as much time as possible in B.C.'s great outdoors. 'Every weekend and every day, we'd go out and play, whether it was skiing, biking, hiking,' he recalls. Oh, and he was also a Vancouver Sun paper boy for a few years in his youth. 'It's one of those jobs that forces you into understanding you have a commitment,' Hlynsky recalls with a smile of his five- and sixth-grade paper route. 'You can't just be like, 'No, I'm not gonna today.' ' That early work ethic would go on to take Hlynsky into accounting and private equity positions. In 2020, after relocating from Los Angeles back to Vancouver with his family, Hlynsky took a job at the Mountain Equipment Company (MEC). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Proudly pointing out that he's been a member of the company since 1995, he joined the corporate team amid a leadership change that followed its conversion from a co-op model to a company. When asked about customer complaints about the shift away from a co-op model, Hlynsky notes that, while 'people were very passionate about the co-op,' the model wasn't exactly working. 'The co-op actually hadn't paid dividends out to its members for five years,' Hlynsky says, noting it wasn't the biggest pain point for many members. 'The thing we actually heard the most was the comment on the logo. 'People talked about the change from the co-op to the company, but the thing that I heard the most was people saying, 'Are you gonna bring the peak back?,' ' Hlynsky shares about the feedback on the MEC logo update. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As both a local, and a longtime member of MEC, Hlynsky was perhaps perfectly positioned to help guide the company through its transition. The then-shift of the company also happened to coincide with COVID-19, a point in history where people felt very comfortable venturing into the outdoors. 'Everybody was looking for outdoor gear,' Hlynsky says of the boom in interest at that point. His local cred undoubtedly surged again when he became the CEO of the Vancouver-headquartered outdoor company in 2023. Speaking from the company's flagship store at 111 East 2nd Ave., Hlynsky greeted staff and customers in the busy, cavernous retail space with familiarity. MEC, he noted, is a company that tries to employ people who live and breathe the outdoors and adventure — and use the products that they sell. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's a particular hinge-point of the business that Hlynsky points to as a key to its success. 'People come to us. If you're an outdoor enthusiast, people know this is a great place because we have great perks and great benefits,' Hlynsky says. There's also, he notes, a 'massive discount' on MEC gear. An MEC employee helps a customer in a store. Photo by MEC The company currently employs 1,800 people across its stores and head office. The firm leans heavily into the testing and feedback from their employees to help with product design and assortment, Hlynsky says. 'We have 1,800 employees that are telling us all the time what activity they're doing, and what product works, and what doesn't. We buy a product, and immediately our staff start taking it out, and they start telling us, 'This doesn't work, this works,' ' Hlynsky explains. 'And then our label team hears that, and they get that feedback. And then they start designing based on all the feedback, or based on the changing activity, or how the activity is evolving.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Employees are also invited to join courses through the summer 'out in the field' where they can learn how to climb or camp, or test their skills in other areas of outdoor adventure. The courses are led by other staff members who are experts in the particular area. 'They go out, they get paid, and then they do little research seminars after on the product,' Hlynsky says. The product testing among employees not only leads to hands-on feedback and knowledge for customer-facing interactions in stores, it also leads to organic engagement online. 'If you look at our social-media channels, our social-media channels are our staff promoting the gear that they use,' he says. 'It's not some actor, it's not some paid influencer, it's our own people.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Noting the company has spent the last five years trying to 'really hone back into that outdoor lifestyle product, active life product, but not be too general,' Hlynsky is confident the sharpened focus will help the company navigate what's shaping up to be a turbulent retail market. MEC CEO Peter Hlynsky at Mountain Equipment Company's head office in Vancouver, BC, July 28, 2025. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG When asked about the news of the closure of some outdoor gear companies such as the five stores across Canada for the European company Decathalon, Hlynsky notes MEC is doubling down on its Canadian roots in an effort to weather the retail slowdown. The executive says that having 'a good product assortment' that is tailored to the diverse Canadian market and geography has been and will continue to be a north star for the company, which was founded in 1971. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'You have to maintain true to the core of who your consumer is, which is an outdoor enthusiast that wants to get outside and needs a very technically superior product,' he says. A reinvestment in its Canadian connections is something that's happening at MEC, from the top down, according to Hlynsky. Today, the MEC executive board is mostly made up of Canadians. It's also, as of May, owned by a Canadian entrepreneur. Tim Gu, the chairman of the Canadian uniform and workwear company Unisync Corp., as well as an investor in Roots and Tilley, was announced as the leader of a 'group of private Canadian investors' who took over ownership of the company this year. 'As a lifelong believer in Canadian manufacturing and innovation, I'm proud to join MEC's journey,' Gu said in a news release shared by MEC at the time of the ownership change. 'Together, we'll strengthen its foundation, expand its reach, and ensure that MEC remains an essential part of Canada's outdoor culture for generations to come.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Gu's influence can already be spotted at MEC stores. This summer, the outdoor outfitter debuted a small collection of made-in-Canada clothing items. The name of the products? M-Eh-C, a cheeky blend of the company's well-known acronym and the question-marking Canadianism. Made in Gu's factory in Markham, Ont., the shirts and hoodies are just the start of what Hlynsky says will become a broader assortment of Canadian-made goods in the future. 'Over the next 18 months, you're going to start seeing more and more rolled out in terms of more technical apparel that is going to be produced in Canada,' he says. 'MEC used to produce a lot of product in Canada. So it's nice to go back to that.' The MEC M-Eh-C Graphic Tee, $39.95. Photo by MEC According to Hlynsky, there's been an 'overwhelming response from people' about the domestic ownership change. 'The timing couldn't be better, right?' he says with a smile, referencing the general shift in consumer sentiment toward purchasing more Canadian goods. 'Something that we always felt was fundamental was that Canadian ownership of the brand seemed to be pretty important. And it's nice. I think it's great. 'And Canadians seem to be really, really loving it.' Aharris@ Read More Vancouver Canucks News Local News Vancouver Whitecaps Sports
Vancouver Sun
30-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
MEC's very Vancouver history is a stepping-stone of Canadian-focused future
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Peter Hlynsky is a very Vancouver kind of guy. Born and raised on the North Shore, he grew up with the mountains in his backyard and the ocean at his front, spending as much time as possible in B.C.'s great outdoors. 'Every weekend and every day, we'd go out and play, whether it was skiing, biking, hiking,' he recalls. Stay on top of the latest real estate news and home design trends. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Westcoast Homes will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Oh, and he was also a Vancouver Sun paper boy for a few years in his youth. 'It's one of those jobs that forces you into understanding you have a commitment,' Hlynsky recalls with a smile of his five- and sixth-grade paper route. 'You can't just be like, 'No, I'm not gonna today.' ' That early work ethic would go on to take Hlynsky into accounting and private equity positions. In 2020, after relocating from Los Angeles back to Vancouver with his family, Hlynsky took a job at the Mountain Equipment Company (MEC). Proudly pointing out that he's been a member of the company since 1995, he joined the corporate team amid a leadership change that followed its conversion from a co-op model to a company. When asked about customer complaints about the shift away from a co-op model, Hlynsky notes that, while 'people were very passionate about the co-op,' the model wasn't exactly working. 'The co-op actually hadn't paid dividends out to its members for five years,' Hlynsky says, noting it wasn't the biggest pain point for many members. 'The thing we actually heard the most was the comment on the logo. 'People talked about the change from the co-op to the company, but the thing that I heard the most was people saying, 'Are you gonna bring the peak back?,' ' Hlynsky shares about the feedback on the MEC logo update. As both a local, and a longtime member of MEC, Hlynsky was perhaps perfectly positioned to help guide the company through its transition. The then-shift of the company also happened to coincide with COVID-19, a point in history where people felt very comfortable venturing into the outdoors. 'Everybody was looking for outdoor gear,' Hlynsky says of the boom in interest at that point. His local cred undoubtedly surged again when he became the CEO of the Vancouver-headquartered outdoor company in 2023. Speaking from the company's flagship store at 111 East 2nd Ave., Hlynsky greeted staff and customers in the busy, cavernous retail space with familiarity. MEC, he noted, is a company that tries to employ people who live and breathe the outdoors and adventure — and use the products that they sell. It's a particular hinge-point of the business that Hlynsky points to as a key to its success. 'People come to us. If you're an outdoor enthusiast, people know this is a great place because we have great perks and great benefits,' Hlynsky says. There's also, he notes, a 'massive discount' on MEC gear. The company currently employs 1,800 people across its stores and head office. The firm leans heavily into the testing and feedback from their employees to help with product design and assortment, Hlynsky says. 'We have 1,800 employees that are telling us all the time what activity they're doing, and what product works, and what doesn't. We buy a product, and immediately our staff start taking it out, and they start telling us, 'This doesn't work, this works,' ' Hlynsky explains. 'And then our label team hears that, and they get that feedback. And then they start designing based on all the feedback, or based on the changing activity, or how the activity is evolving.' Employees are also invited to join courses through the summer 'out in the field' where they can learn how to climb or camp, or test their skills in other areas of outdoor adventure. The courses are led by other staff members who are experts in the particular area. 'They go out, they get paid, and then they do little research seminars after on the product,' Hlynsky says. The product testing among employees not only leads to hands-on feedback and knowledge for customer-facing interactions in stores, it also leads to organic engagement online. 'If you look at our social-media channels, our social-media channels are our staff promoting the gear that they use,' he says. 'It's not some actor, it's not some paid influencer, it's our own people.' Noting the company has spent the last five years trying to 'really hone back into that outdoor lifestyle product, active life product, but not be too general,' Hlynsky is confident the sharpened focus will help the company navigate what's shaping up to be a turbulent retail market. When asked about the news of the closure of some outdoor gear companies such as the five stores across Canada for the European company Decathalon, Hlynsky notes MEC is doubling down on its Canadian roots in an effort to weather the retail slowdown. The executive says that having 'a good product assortment' that is tailored to the diverse Canadian market and geography has been and will continue to be a north star for the company, which was founded in 1971. 'You have to maintain true to the core of who your consumer is, which is an outdoor enthusiast that wants to get outside and needs a very technically superior product,' he says. A reinvestment in its Canadian connections is something that's happening at MEC, from the top down, according to Hlynsky. Today, the MEC executive board is mostly made up of Canadians. It's also, as of May, owned by a Canadian entrepreneur. Tim Gu, the chairman of the Canadian uniform and workwear company Unisync Corp., as well as an investor in Roots and Tilley, was announced as the leader of a 'group of private Canadian investors' who took over ownership of the company this year. 'As a lifelong believer in Canadian manufacturing and innovation, I'm proud to join MEC's journey,' Gu said in a news release shared by MEC at the time of the ownership change. 'Together, we'll strengthen its foundation, expand its reach, and ensure that MEC remains an essential part of Canada's outdoor culture for generations to come.' Gu's influence can already be spotted at MEC stores. This summer, the outdoor outfitter debuted a small collection of made-in-Canada clothing items. The name of the products? M-Eh-C, a cheeky blend of the company's well-known acronym and the question-marking Canadianism. Made in Gu's factory in Markham, Ont., the shirts and hoodies are just the start of what Hlynsky says will become a broader assortment of Canadian-made goods in the future. 'Over the next 18 months, you're going to start seeing more and more rolled out in terms of more technical apparel that is going to be produced in Canada,' he says. 'MEC used to produce a lot of product in Canada. So it's nice to go back to that.' According to Hlynsky, there's been an 'overwhelming response from people' about the domestic ownership change. 'The timing couldn't be better, right?' he says with a smile, referencing the general shift in consumer sentiment toward purchasing more Canadian goods. 'Something that we always felt was fundamental was that Canadian ownership of the brand seemed to be pretty important. And it's nice. I think it's great. 'And Canadians seem to be really, really loving it.' Aharris@
CBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
MEC is Canadian-owned again. What does that mean for the store's future?
MEC CEO Peter Hlynsky discusses the company's return to Canadian ownership after five years being under the U.S. private equity, and what fans of the outdoor retail store can look forward to in the coming years.
CTV News
17-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Amazing enthusiasm' for MEC's return to Canadian ownership, executive says
A MEC store in Vancouver is seen in this file photo. (CTV News) Five years after it was sold to American investors in a creditor protection proceeding, popular outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment Company is back in Canadian hands. CEO Peter Hlynsky announced in a post on the company's website Friday that a Canadian investment group had become the company's majority owners. Hlynsky is part of that group, as is chief merchandising officer Chris Speyer, who spoke to CTV News via Zoom on Friday night. Speyer said the 'primary investor' of the group is Tim Gu, who is also a major shareholder in Roots, among other Canadian retail companies. 'We all come at this with a deep passion for the outdoors and a long-time connection to MEC,' Speyer said. 'We think that Canadian identity is more important than ever and we also think Canadians can build strategy for Canadians in a way that might be different than how international ownership might think about it.' He said the timing of the takeover is apt, given the current political climate caused by U.S. President Donald Trump's hostility to free trade with Canada and stated desire to annex his northern neighbour. Canadians' response to MEC's announcement has, so far, been 'amazing enthusiasm and pride,' Speyer said. He said the company employs 2,000 Canadians and is 'a Canadian institution.' The new ownership group will be looking to expand the company's made-in-Canada offerings, Speyer added. He also offered a positive assessment of the work the company's American owners have done since acquiring MEC in 2020. Kingswood Capital has done a good job stabilizing the company and maintaining continuity, Speyer said, adding that the company began looking for 'the right buyer' for MEC last August. 'Their business model is not long-term investing, it's relatively short-term investing,' he said. Speyer said the new ownership group is focused on the long term. MEC was founded in Vancouver in 1971 as Mountain Equipment Co-operative.
