Interviewed by Vincent J. Curtis, written by Alison Buchanan
Alec Rossa is the President and CEO of MD Charlton Ltd. (MDC) a Victoria, BC based company which is Canada’s largest and only national distributor of police and tactical equipment. He has been at the helm of the company for nearly 20 years and has steered it from a regional provider to a national presence, with maintenance and warranty facilities in Mississauga. Rossa attributes the longevity and success of the company to his people and his passion to make sure he is supplying Canada’s military and first responders with the best, safest, most advanced technology and the most modern protective equipment available.
Alec grew up in Vancouver as a first generation Ukrainian-Canadian. He is active in the community at all levels – particularly in church where Alec is a cantor and president at the parish. In fact, Alec took on a project to re-build the church in his first retirement and continues to be an enthusiastic supporter. His recreation consists of running, golf, and gardening.
Since he bought the business on Canada Day in 2002, it has grown from 15 full-time employees to 60. Although the pandemic has been challenging for many companies, Rossa was determined not to lay off any members of his team. “Our company is a success because of our people. Together, we have forged great relationships with Canada’s military and first responders. We work with customers from coast-to-coast to supply products and training that save lives. We are focused on helping service members keep our communities safe.”
A serial entrepreneur, Rossa sold his photocopy and fax machine business in 1995 and semi-retired – becoming a full-time dad, soccer coach and church builder. A chance conversation at a soccer game in 1999 with a member of the RCMP canine division changed everything. The conversation brought Rossa into contact with Murray Charlton who established MD Charlton in 1980. The company has now passed its 40th anniversary and Rossa oversees two bricks and mortar business outlets and three facilities in Mississauga to take care of Canadian distribution, service, warranty repairs, modifications and alterations. The employee base has increased three-fold and the average employee tenure is 15 years.
The motto of the company: “Honesty, the highest quality equipment and great service at a fair price,” has become a mantra for Rossa. He sees the company as an innovator and disruptor in the sector. MDC were the first to bring pepper spray and less lethal ammunitions such as tasers to the Canadian marketplace. He is profoundly conscious of the responsibility he has in supplying the best equipment to Canada’s frontline service personnel who depend on it. “The end users are always at the forefront of my mind as we evaluate the suitability of a product. We need to be sure it is tested, safe, certified and backed-up by gold standard warranties if we are going to distribute it to Canadian frontline service personnel. Their lives often depend on the equipment we supply.”
Despite the fact that federal procurements can be exhausting and demanding for a small firm, Rossa is committed to supplying the highest quality and best value equipment to Canadian military and RCMP personnel. Rossa suggests that if better standing offer agreements could be established and more technical specialists evaluating the bids, there could be significant savings in time and money. But the process is what it is says Rossa, and “if the result is a fair, open and transparent competition that results in the purchase of the best value equipment for Canadian Forces, we are committed to the process.” Many of the weapons MDC sells are classified as prohibited – that is, for use only by trained and certified military or police forces. If they are approached by an individual officer for a personal purchase, MDC refers them to the Individual Officer Purchase (IOP) program where the person can buy a pistol at a preferential price through their official network. Again, community safety is top-of-mind for Rossa. “There are some items that cannot be sold to individuals regardless of their status,” he repeats firmly.
Rossa’s strong ethical standards, his reputation for customer and employee satisfaction, along with his passion for the company made MDC the natural representative for SIG Sauer US in 2010 when he became the sole Canadian distributor for all SIG Sauer products. This includes the maintenance and warranty centre for SIG Sauer in Mississauga which is a unique Canadian aspect to his business. Anything manufactured by SIG Sauer and sold in Canada goes to Mississauga to be serviced by technicians who are recertified by SIG in New Hampshire every 12 months. Having all maintenance and repairs done in Canada has been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic when crossing the border was pretty much impossible. Rossa describes the relationship of more than 10 years with SIG Sauer as “a true partnership.”
One of Rossa’s more interesting projects, working closely with SIG Sauer, was to issue commemorative SIG Sauer pistols – one to mark the 20th anniversary of JTF-2 (1993-2013) and the other to mark the 10th anniversary of CSOR (2006-2016). Both pistols were specially designed by SIG Sauer and sold only to active or retired officers through the IOP program. “We are always trying to provide innovative and unique offerings for Canada’s frontline service personnel,” says Rossa.
Rossa is active in supporting and partnering with communities across the country. To mark its 40th anniversary, MDC endowed scholarships at 11 academic institutions nationwide which offer programs to train first responders. These scholarships continue to allow students to study and train to serve the country. This has given Rossa a window into communities nationwide and allowed him to pay forward some of the success he has worked hard to build.
MDC also makes an annual donation to the Salvation Army of footwear and apparel in recognition of the suffering that some veterans have endured. The company is regularly called on by the law enforcement and military communities for sponsorships and support. Rossa endeavours to answer the call where he can and where he sees alignment with MDC’s values. “We have sponsored runs, including The Army Run, an Ottawa Senators hockey night, festivals, competitions and sports teams. It is important that people understand MDC endeavors to support local organizations, locally owned businesses, Canadian expertise, diversity and inclusion in all workplaces and always Canada’s frontline service personnel in the field.” Alec Rossa says: “We have built a company by supplying the right equipment, at the right time, for the right price. MDC is committed to high standards without compromise.” These are words to live by from someone who clearly fits the description of a “Captain of Industry” in Canada.
