While the world was shutting down in March 2020, Win-Shield Devices was about to start up.
The Winnipeg-based company launched at the onset of the pandemic in response to the need for personal protective devices that could defend against the airborne virus.
Over a three-day span at North Forge — an entrepreneurial incubator, accelerator and fabrication lab — entrepreneur Rob Ranson developed a prototype for a face and head shield that could protect health-care workers, including his own daughter. Five weeks later, he founded Win-Shield Devices to meet the demand for millions of units of the C-Shield that he developed.
On Oct. 22, Ranson shared his entrepreneurial story at Kilter Brewing at a WTC Talks session sponsored by North Forge and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. WTC Talks is a monthly gathering facilitated through World Trade Centre Winnipeg to connect the business community and share stories of trade and growth.
Ranson shared that entrepreneurship has always been his path. While he was at university, he met with two friends each week to work on a business plan to build fitness centres across Canada. But when interest rates hit 21 per cent, he re-routed to take a job with Canada Safeway.
Over the years, he continued to gain experience in human resources, workplace safety, benefits management and operational support. In addition to medical devices, his business ventures include forays into global photo marketplaces, public relations, construction, manufacturing and software-as-a-service procurement platforms.
After the C-Shield earned a positive response in the medical community, Ranson responded to a challenge from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada to develop an inclusive respirator that could be used by RCMP officers with beards. Win-Shield Devices was the only company that was selected to move forward with their design.
From there, he connected with the Canadian military, which was also interested in Win-Shield’s equipment. The Canadian military then told NATO about the products, and Ranson recently travelled to Amsterdam to present the products to the NATO physical protection panel.
In December 2023, the provincial government announced that it would provide Win-Shield Devices with $100,000 in funding for field testing their air purification respirator for use by medical, industrial, law enforcement and military workers.
“We’re pretty comfortable with the trajectory that we’re on,” Ranson said, “It’s kind of surreal sometimes.”
Reflecting on his journey, he expressed appreciation for North Forge, which has an 18,000-square-foot facility downtown where he initially worked on his prototype.
“If it wasn’t for North Forge, we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “All of the opportunities that we’ve had can be directly linked to North Forge.”
He also shared some advice for others who are interested in embarking on an entrepreneurial journey.
“Ask a lot of questions, do a lot of due diligence and really dig in,” he said.
At the same time, he noted that it’s sometimes easier for a smaller company to manoeuvre within the business environment.
“You can move so much faster than the big entities. You can think outside the box and propose something they might not have considered. That’s your strategic advantage,” Ranson said.
“We’re 13 people and we’re able to nimbly move around quickly. We can develop something pretty fast. We pride ourselves in being really great at rapid prototyping.”
He also stressed the importance of asking for introductions to people who can help advance the business.
“Don’t be afraid to ask people to move it forward,” he said. “One of the smartest and easiest things that I’ve done is asking for that type of input.”
To learn more about Win-Shield Devices, visit win-shielddevices.com. To learn more about World Trade Centre Winnipeg, visit wtcwinnipeg.com.
