I’m not going to lie, I always get super excited whenever I get the line-up for the Supplier Spotlight Blogs and see that Yorkn is on the list. I have been with SAGE for three years and interview Jake Pan, their director, each year. Checking in on them is always so much fun, and I love seeing how they’ve grown their business! Plus, Jake is always such a pleasure to speak to.
If you don’t already know, Jake founded Yorkn in 2012 and started out in his home office as just a one-man operation. “I live in York Region, Ontario, and I added “N” to signify a new face in this industry,” he said when I asked about the name. As for a bit of background on Jake, he came to Canada from China for university in the early 2000s. After completing multiple degrees (go Jake!), including a computer science degree, he was looking for something to do. His friend had just recently started working for a promotional products company, and he wondered if he could also start a similar business. With factory connections and a family full of business people and entrepreneurs, it was easy to get a foot in the door. And the rest, they say, is history. Now, they are in their 12th year of business – and thriving!
They recently added new printing services to their lineup, including laser engraving, screen printing, pad printing, digital printing, UV printing, and more! They’re also proud to offer products made locally in Canada, like this gorgeous cutting board which had everything sourced right there in Canada!
As for growth (outside of consistently adding new products!), they’ve recently opened a brand new warehouse in the Markham area in Ontario!
When we talked about what we can look forward to seeing from Yorkn in the future, Jake said they are aiming to have a greater variety of stock items in their warehouses here in the United States and in Canada. Their other goal for this year is to double their team to thirty and become a top supplier in both countries.
And, especially for our friends in the North, Yorkn wants you to know they’re also proud to accept small orders! While they do ship some products from overseas, they’re also happy to ship smaller quantity orders with their in-stock items made and decorated right in Canada.
To learn more about Yorkn or see their products, check out their website here. If you’d like to read other Supplier Spotlights, click here!
