In Episode 319 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Jamie Crozier, an entrepreneur who did something most people only dream about. He bought the company he once worked for. Jamie shares his journey from stocking shelves at a dollar store to building his career in industrial sales, eventually acquiring Thunder Bay Hydraulics and expanding through the acquisition of Custom Hydraulics and the founding of Atlas Elite Lifts. His story is a powerful reminder that ownership is not about where you start, but about the moment you decide to bet on yourself and step into uncertainty.

This episode dives deep into the realities of acquisition, the emotional weight of taking over a legacy business, and the resilience required to build and scale manufacturing companies in Canada during a time of tariffs, competition, and global uncertainty. Jamie also shares his innovative approach to transparency in service businesses and his vision for building premium, design-driven lift solutions across North America. This is a conversation about risk, responsibility, and the identity shift that happens when you stop working for someone else’s future and start building your own.

Key Takeaways:

Ownership starts as an identity decision before it becomes a legal one.
If you are going to be an entrepreneur, you have to get comfortable accepting risk and believing in yourself when everything depends on you.
When acquiring a business, build your own relationships with your bank, accountant, and lawyer because those relationships will carry you through the process.
Vendor take back financing can make acquisitions possible by aligning the seller with the future success of the business.
Trust and personal relationships matter more than numbers because without trust, the deal will not happen or succeed.
Buying a competitor requires patience, respect, and confidentiality because pushing too hard can destroy the opportunity.
The emotional commitment to ownership begins before the deal closes, and the fear of losing the opportunity can be as powerful as the responsibility itself.
Starting a company from nothing is far harder than buying one because you must build reputation, customers, and trust from zero.
Transparency with customers during difficult times strengthens relationships and turns challenges into partnerships.
Great companies differentiate themselves by solving real customer problems and making the experience easier, clearer, and faster.

Check out Thunder Bay Hydraulics and learn more about the incredible work Jamie and his team are doing:

https://thunderbayhydraulics.com

Learn more about Custom Hydraulics:

https://customhydraulics.com

Explore Atlas Elite Lifts and their premium automotive lift solutions:

https://www.atlaselitelifts.com/

You can also connect with Jamie directly at...