Founder Don Wells started Corrosion Control Coatings 36 years ago, from his home in Walkerton, Ontario, selling pails of dripless rustproofing to corner automotive garages.

In 1963, Don graduated from the Guelph Business College with an Honours Degree in Business and went on to work at a Trust company for three years. From there, he worked in various sales positions, some of which included selling appliances. Wanting to try something different, Don decided to take a job as a federal government Auditor, where he stayed for 13 years – earning a promotion to Branch Manager. However, sales called him back. After leaving the government, Don went back to his sales roots and took a position as a door-to-door salesman where he sold insulation to homeowners. Don and the president of the insulation company formed a close friendship and decided to go into partnership to start a rustproofing supply company. However, at the last minute, his partner backed out. Don was resilient and determined, so he decided to pursue the rustproofing distribution company on his own. 1983 was the start of Corrosion Control Coatings Ltd. (formerly Corrosion Control Technology).

Corrosion Control Coatings started in Don’s home in Walkerton, Ontario, which consisted of a separate phone line in the master bedroom to ensure customer calls would remain professional and quiet, despite the noise of his large family of five children. After six months of hard work, Don started to have second thoughts about this venture and contemplated quitting. It was his wife, Lorraine, who encouraged him to persevere and continue with the business. With newfound resolve, Don continued ‘banging on doors,’ going around to local corner garages and small mechanical shops selling dripless oil rust protection.

For the first few years, Don ran the company entirely on his own. When asked about those early years, Don fondly referred to himself as a ‘one-man-band.’ He installed all the rustproofing equipment, delivered the product, and even managed all the clerical work involved with running the company, including invoicing, accounting, and marketing. As business slowly increased, he finally found himself needing to hire an employee to help him deliver the product to his customers using Don’s own pick-up truck. His customer base continued to grow, leading Don to decide that it was time to move Corrosion Control Coatings out of his home and open an official office. He was able to rent 1,200 square feet of space that would house a small office and warehouse. He hired an Administrator to help with the clerical duties as he continued to focus on customer service and growing the business. To this day, Corrosion Control Coatings’ distribution centre remains at the exact location in Walkerton, currently occupying 16,000 square feet of warehouse space - serving customers and distributing products across Canada.

The first product Corrosion Control Coatings sold was Fluid Film, a long-term rust protectant for inside door jams and enclosed areas of the vehicle, which Don sourced out of California. The product still exists on the market today! From there, in true entrepreneurial fashion, Don went on to create Dura-Shield ®, an annual dripless rust inhibitor for automobiles. Don worked alongside a Toronto chemist to ensure the perfect formulation, providing a consistent high-performance product. Today Dura-Shield® continues to be an excellent annual rust protectant for the automotive industry and remains a top-selling product.

In 1999, Don negotiated with Daubert Chemical Company for Corrosion Control Coatings to be the exclusive Canadian distributor of their Tectyl® product line. This distributorship allowed Corrosion Control Coatings to increase its customer base by expanding its automotive market into industrial coatings. Today, Corrosion Control Coatings is recognized as a leading supplier of protective coatings for automotive and industrial markets. With Sales Agents in Western Canada, Ontario, and Quebec, the company serves and distributes protective coatings to bus and transit manufacturers, the aerospace and mining industries, the Canadian military, and general manufacturing. Don’s son, Brad, became involved in the company during his university years and continues to work in the business today.

When asked about his key to business, Don attributed his success to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring that this was a crucial component for the company. With customer service at the foundation of Corrosion Control Coatings, Don gained incredible customer loyalty. His easygoing personality and excellent work ethic with the customers, suppliers and his employees created a solid foundation for the thriving company.

Thanks, Don, for all you have done over the years establishing the company. You have provided high levels of customer service, top-quality products, and a truly fantastic place to work. We have all benefitted from your mentorship and work ethic – you will be missed.