September 12, 2012

If you were to ask Grant Koppers what is the one thing he couldn’t live without, he would most likely respond fishing.  Throughout his entire lifetime, Grant has been an avid fisherman, constructing his first fishing lure in 1977 from a spoon, a clothes hangar and some rope.  The initial spark of invention spawned into a small business:  Sport Fishing Niagara, which Grant started in 1996.  He operated this business for 11 years but during that time, he was doing valuable research for his next business endeavour.  Grant noticed that water conditions, mainly visibility, were changing due to the introduction of zebra mussels to Lake Ontario.  Grant took advantage of a niche market in the fishing lure industry and started making anatomically accurate lures.  In 2005, along with his wife Susan, Grant started Koppers Fishing and Tackle Corp.

With the help of a local CFDC, Venture Niagara, Grant grew his business into a multimillion dollar lure manufacturer that supplies major chains like Canadian Tire and Bass Pro Shops with product.  The CFDC provided substantial access to capital loans to the company in order for them to employ enough staff and to provide a diverse product line.