The My Custom Sports Chairs story
By: David McPherson
The Boys Behind My Custom Sports Chair – Matt and Mike Ruberto, along with Ricky Walton
Cambridge, ON – Matt Ruberto was set to return to Sherbrooke, Quebec, for another year as the hockey director at Bishop’s College when a call from a childhood friend changed everything.
Ricky Walton, who played four seasons in the GOJHL for the Hamilton Kilty B’s, shared an idea for a business venture: branded chairs with hockey logos. Ruberto was intrigued and all in. As part of its pitch to the National Hockey League, they shared a sketch with Phil Kessel’s jersey on the back of an Adirondack chair. The uniqueness of this proposed product led to an NHL licensing agreement. And, as Matt recalls, “we were suddenly off to the races!”
Instead of racing back to the boarding school in the Eastern Townships, Ruberto recruited twin brother Mike, and My Custom Sports Chairs was born. The siblings, along with their best buddy, relied on teamwork, discipline and drive from years playing OHA hockey to vinyl-wrap these plastic chairs in Walton’s townhouse garage in Stoney Creek, Ont. The trio officially launched the small business October 23, 2015 and the Globe & Mail named them the top start-up in Canada the following year.
“We’ve become a manufacturing company with a massive marketing arm,” explains Matt, SVP, Marketing. “We’re not just patio furniture. We hit so many different niches with all the ways we can customize our chairs.”
As the chair orders piled up — and the demand for My Custom Sports Chair’s customized, branded products made from recycled polyethylene resin grew — they purchased a larger manufacturing facility in nearby Dundas.
Nearly 10 years on since these three hockey-loving friends started this small business, My Custom Sports Chairs have 20 employees. They have shipped more than 50,000 chairs and signed licensing agreements with the MLB, NFL and the NCAA. They have also created partnership deals with some of the biggest brands in North America like Molson Coors, Coca-Cola, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s and CIBC. To meet this demand, My Custom Sports Chairs are now manufactured at a 12,000 square-foot facility in Stoney Creek
Today’s a Great Day for Hockey
Matt Ruberto and his twin brother Mike were on the ice by the time they were four-years-old — playing on the same AAA teams in the Hamilton Minor Hockey Association throughout their formative years. Matt was a defenseman; Mike played forward. A tryout with the Oakville Blades led to a successful Jr. B career for both of them.
“My brother and I were signed as the 15th forward and the seventh defenceman,” Matt recalls. “Mike led the team in scoring as a rookie and in my third year with the Blades I led the league in scoring for defencemen.”
A stint with the Cleveland Barons followed before the pair both received Division I hockey scholarships to Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. After two years, Matt transferred to Manhattanville University. A pro career in various leagues and with teams like the Fayetteville FireAntz and the Louisiana IceGators in North America — and one year in Lyon, France — followed before Ruberto obtained his Bachelor of Education degree from Nipissing University. A ubiquitous and unusual route, for sure, but his passion for hockey fuelled every stop on this journey. The lessons learned from the sport are also one of the keys to My Custom Sports Chairs’ success.
“Playing hockey has taught me the value of being a team player, having accountability for your actions and how they affect others, and not wanting to let my teammates down,” Matt says. “Those lessons learned, and having that mentality, translates to business and to all aspects of life.”
Despite helping My Custom Sports Chairs grow, and balancing life as a new dad, with a two year-old and a two-month-old at home, Matt’s passion for the game still runs deep. The 41-year-old entrepreneur subscribes to “Badger Bob” Johnson’s famous quote: “It’s a Great Day for Hockey” and today laces up his skates for the Senior AAA Stoney Creek Tigers.
“This is probably going to be my last year, but I joked the other day with my wife that I just signed a five-year extension, so we will see,” he laughs.
What’s next for My Custom Sports Chairs? Scaling up the business with a goal to increase market share in the United States, which currently accounts for approximately 20 percent of its business, and explore expanding into Europe.
“It’s hard enough to start a business, let alone sustain it for going on 10 years,” Matt concludes. “We’ve got a really nice dynamic between the three of us and a friendship that spans more than 30 years, so that has certainly helped our success. Sure, there are disagreements at times, but our hockey background — and our understanding of what it takes for a team to win — has served us well. As we’ve grown, we’ve solved any problems collaboratively and quickly.”
With thousands of customizable designs to choose from, My Custom Sports Chairs’ all Canadian-made and weather-resistant products are a perfect gift for the sports-lover who has everything. Now OHA-members, volunteers, and their families can save big through this partnership. Click HERE and select the chair you want. This can be custom chairs or could be one of their many licensed chairs. Save 15% on the custom chair you always wanted!
