The PetrolPlaza audio version is presented to you by UNITI expo, the leading retail petroleum and car wash trade fair in Europe.

Brand Excitement - FormaShape™ SilkTek curved composite material helps draw attention to Independent Ontario site.



Last update: | Advertorial
Brand Excitement - FormaShape™ SilkTek curved composite material helps draw attention to Independent Ontario site.

When TREVOR LEWIS undertook a major renovation at his Village Variety & Gas Bar site in Shannonville, Ont., he didn’t hesitate to pull out all the stops, enlisting the help of BC-based FormaShape to develop a new and distinct look. “I bought the business from the former owner and took over in 2011, at which time the infrastructure badly needed an upgrade,” explains Lewis. “I wanted to rebuild it and give it a good makeover, so that’s what I did. I undertook probably a year and a half of planning, drawing, pricing, and looking at everything I could to make sure I did it right.”

Village Variety & Gas Bar caters to the convenience, gas, and grocery needs of the local community, along with visitors to the Shannonville Motorsport Park in the summer months. Lewis says the site had never included a canopy over the gas pumps, but seeing the value of this addition in the competitive marketplace, he worked with a contractor to have one installed.

But Lewis knew his renovation wouldn’t be complete without the right canopy cladding, and his continued research led him right to FormaShape. “I was going through a magazine, and I saw a FormaShape ad. So I just called Bren Steele and started talking with him, and he quickly gave me a rough estimate on what it would cost. For me, the value was clearly there; I want to be an independent brand with an image as good or better than the national brands I compete with. Then we got into creating concepts with his design team; we sent design ideas back and forth, and proceeded from there."

Lewis continued to work with FormaShape to develop an original cladding design that would set his site apart. “Their designs are unique, and that’s what I was looking for. We probably have 14 or 15 gas stations in a small area, so I wanted to come up with something that was different from everybody else.” The SilkTek fibreglass cladding was delivered last winter, and installed in March.

Although it’s only been a few months, Lewis says “the renovation has changed the look of my site 100%, and the addition of the finalized cladding has put the finishing touch on it. This makes it look 100% more professional, and their different product helps us stand out. “I think it already has drawn more people in,” adds Lewis, whose c-gas sign is the only one visible on Highway 401 in the area. “We typically get busier this time of year, but between the pylon sign I installed and the finished canopy, it’s made a noticeable difference. We’ve had an increase in sales compared to last year.”