THE MAN BEHIND IAXCANADA
Jason Swales, the Owner, CEO, and the man behind the Ice Arena Experts of Canada (IAXCANADA), is a Certified Refrigeration Mechanic RSE. His primary skills include Ice Arena Engineering, Design, Installation, Service, Maintenance, and Operations.
Jason is a strong entrepreneurial professional with Refrigeration Mechanical competence, Red Seal Certification specializingin Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology / Technician from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He is an experienced refrigeration mechanic with a documented background of working in the mechanical or industrial engineering field.
“Developing high quality and highly efficient ice rinks allows non-conventional markets an opportunity to create a company around ice sports and expand ice sports without dissipating the revenues into inefficient and poor-quality ice infrastructure. We are focused on delivering high-quality, most efficient ice rinks to non-conventional markets globe-wide.” Adds Jason while speaking about his inclination toward starting the business.
In 1999, Jason started working for a Canadian firm specializing in ice rink refrigeration. He constructed ice skating rinks across North America, including in Mexico. Since then, Jason has relocated to Asia, where there’s a greater demand for professional services, higher quality ice rink standards, and efficiency than in Canada.
IAXCANADA
IAXCANADA was founded in Canada. However, the corporation is now headquartered in Thailand. As the popularity of ice hockey and other ice sports continues to soar, there is a pressing need for an abundance of new ice rinks around Asia and the world.
“After visiting many Asian facilities, we decided to relocate here in order to improve quality control and save overhead by using more cutting-edge technical practices,” added Jason.
Technology plays a significant role in the ice arena business. The company tightened operating parameters to decrease the needless stress on the equipment in low load circumstances, as well as proper and professional engineering and full-scale automation systems to run and data log the facility equipment. This is useful for fine-tuning the system’s operational parameters for maximum efficiency. All of these facilities at IAXCANADA are now computer-controlled and run entirely remotely.
The company’s goal is to ensure that the customer facilities maximize equipment capabilities while maintainingthehighest quality of ice and facility comfort. Having decades of industry experience and phenomenal backgrounds, the core team members of IAXCANADA, Mike Slocombe, the current Director andVice President, CorporateDevelopment; Neil Styre, the President; and JasonSwales, Chief ExecutiveOfficerforIceArena Experts of Canada, are relentlessly working to take Ice Arena on the top of the world. Leaving their safety zone to relocate to Asia, taking a chance on a new market, and sticking with it despite initial setbacks is indeed a commendable achievement by the company executives.
CHALLENGES THAT COULDN’T FREEZE ICE ARENA EXPERTS
Although the Ice Arena Experts faced numerous challenges in its journey, none of them could stop it from becoming what it is today. “Especially when facing stringent timelines, the difficulties caused by the language barrier and the dearth of qualified labour have been magnified and caused us lots of trouble. It’s been a real challenge to get any work done in the sweltering heat of Southeast Asia. When the temperature is 38 degrees Celsius, and the humidity is 90%, you never get accustomed to it,” adds Jason when speaking about the obstacles and challenges they faced.
Jason’s reputation has grown because he always focussed on following through on his promises. His habit of keeping promises has led him to create a stupendous brand.According to Jason, in this universe, there are three distinct demographics:
1) Those who make things happen
2) Those who watch things happen
3) Those who wonder what has happened!
Taking in the finished result and seeing kids skate, play hockey, and do figure skating routines is what Jason finds to be the more satisfying thing in life. This has been his fuel for striving for the betterment and growth of his company.
CROSSING THE COVID 19 HURDLE
The sports and recreational sector were one of the sectors severely hit by the Covid 19 pandemic. When asked about the pandemic’s influence on IAXCANADA, Jason said, “Our ability to move about was severely restricted by Covid, and many other initiatives had to be placed on hold or scrapped as a result of the economic destruction in certain areas. Fortunately, Bangkok is home to not one but two ice skating rinks that kept us busy until the rest of the world reopened.”
IAXCANADA needed to continue to innovate and improve the technological processes. Because of the company’s proximity to the Canadian ice rink market, it has first-hand knowledge of any policy shifts or regulatory developments that may affect the business. The sheer leadership and the attitude to take on challenges led IAXCANADA to survive through the tides of the pandemic.
VALUE PROPOSITION BY IAXCANADA SETTING
Telling about the uniqueness of the Ice Arena Experts, Jason said, “When it comes to ice rink technology, IAXCANADA is unrivalled. Low pressure, excellent efficiency, zero ozone depletion, and minimal global warming potential are hallmarks of our systems’ operation (GWP). Our newly completed ice rink in Bangkok is the first of its type in Asia and far beyond anything the locals have ever experienced.”
IAXCANADA recently played host to the IIHF Under-20 Asia and Oceania Ice Hockey Championships. The arena and ice were lauded for their excellence as the company is applying the latest and greatest innovations from Canada, the birthplace of ice hockey and ice rink construction, throughout Asia.Bitzer, Danfoss, Vahterus, Guntner, and Guest Automation are some of the major companies that provide IAXCANADA with essential components. “We keep our partnerships strong by exhibiting the goods through professional installs and operations,” added Jason.
Every aspect of Jason’s leadership stems from the central tenet of following your own lead. “I don’t think it’s fair to expect someone to do something I wouldn’t do myself,” said Jason when asked about the vital secret to his successful leadership.
He further added, “The values of hard effort, dedication, enthusiasm, and meticulousness are ingrained in IAXCANADA. Again, we teach this to our staff by setting an example. The vast majority of our staff members have at least played ice hockey at a collegiate level.”
The sport of ice hockey has a significant impact on helping young people mature into productive individuals. Teamwork, togetherness, discipline, hard effort, humility in failure, appreciation in victory, and most of all, respect for oneself and others are all lessons learned on the ice.
FUTURE PLANS
There are a lot of different nations helping IAXCANADA construct new facilities. The company’s mission is to expand ice sports in a fiscally prudent manner by collaborating with those who share enthusiasm for ice rinks.
ADVISING THE YOUNG
According to Jason, Getting started is half the battle. Also, “The bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of low price has been forgotten:-US President Abe Lincoln. Jason believes that one must not do business for greed as shrewd business tactics that make profits in the short term will be lethal for the long term. Young entrepreneurs must focus on delivering quality, and all the other things like money and fame will follow up.
