Adel Babataher, founder of Teqtronix International, has been nominated for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, to be presented on the evening of November 26 at the 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Awards. Make sure to get your seats today!
Adel Babataher, founder and CEO of Teqtronix International, began importing sports jerseys to Canada at the age of 14. A few years later, and with couple of retail jobs under his belt, he felt there was a significant disconnect between the fashion and the fast-moving world of technological accessories.
After maxing out his credit cards and returning from a trip to China, he and his two best friends set up shop in a 10×10 flea market booth in Scarborough. Fast forward one more year and Teqtronix was officially formed.
Teqtronix manufactures and distributes cellular accessories primarily to mobile operators and large retail chains. They are creators of the premium phone accessories brand Strong n’Free (the name is inspired by the Canadian national anthem). This company is also guiding force behind Matrix Audio, one of the world’s premier portable speaker brands with distributors in over 30 countries. The launch of their award winning Qube2 speaker is their proudest accomplishment to date.
Teqtronix products continue to receive international recognition. The company has won two Red Dot Design Awards, the iF Design Award, and 2013 MacWorld Best New Product. This company’s knack for innovative product designs have landed them exposure on dozens of top tier media outlets such as CBC, NBC, Fox News, and Wired Magazine.
So what advice does the founder and CEO of Teqtronix have for other businesses looking to succeed in Ontario?
“Get familiar with the resources available to entrepreneurs in Ontario. Depending on the type of business there can be a number of grants and programs available. The province has a great pool of talent with lots of eager university graduates and international students with fresh ideas,” says Babataher. “Make mistakes and don’t be afraid to learn the hard way.”
In the technology industry, he acknowledges the large role that product design plays, noting that products need to be both attractive and useful to the end user in order to be successful.
“We have to be aware of both fashion trends and technology trends when designing our products. Supporting retailers with not only great margins but also the tools to sell your product is key. Backend programs are equally as important as the initial sale, providing exceptional customer service and warranty programs to both retailers and end users is a must.”
In five years time, Teqtronix hopes to see their products being sold in all North America’s largest retail chains within Canada, either through distribution or a direct relationships. They also envision Strong n’Free to be a leading international brand name for cellular accessories and aim to have it in shops all over Asia, Europe and the US. Their top goal is to be one of the few Canadian manufacturers with a product in Apple stores and they are confident that they can make it happen.
Join us in Toronto on the evening of November 26th as we shine the spotlight on 17 other extraordinary organizations and entrepreneurs that are redefining business excellence in Ontario. Get your seats at the 2014 Ontario Business Achievement Awards today!
