Bounding success

By Kevin Black

When the career of a CA is marked by jumping from one successful business opportunity to another, eventually landing as president of a trampoline company makes a lot of sense. For entrepreneur Steven Holmes, whose ventures include Verifeye Technologies (makers of the TaxiCam) and now Springfree Trampoline, his business style is simply an expression of his character.

“I call myself a starter,” says Holmes, 42, who identifies new business opportunities through his Markham, Ont-based company, ICL Management. “I like to get a business started, rolling successfully and making money. Then I hire really good people so I’m free to start my next project.”

As the name of his latest project indicates, the Springfree Trampoline is a new gymnastic technology: a springless, virtually silent trampoline. For Holmes, who found his family life too often taxed by the hours needed to succeed as an entrepreneur, Springfree has a special bonus — time with his three daughters, who are literally the poster kids for the product’s marketing. “Katie, my youngest daughter, has gotten to travel the world and be on national TV with her girlfriends as we showcase the trampoline,” he says.

This year, Holmes led Springfree into the North American and European markets. As he sees it, buyers will be attracted to Springfree’s unique features: improved safety, durability and ease of set-up. “We’re totally ready to compete with the traditional trampoline,” he says, focused on gaining a sizeable piece of the approximately one million units sold worldwide every year. “But to tell you the truth,” says Holmes, remembering when he first considered the idea of a springless trampoline two years ago, “if it wasn’t for Katie, I doubt I’d have taken on this project. She kept saying, ‘Dad, I really like this one.’ I think it’s her dream to one day own the company.”

Whether Springfree succeeds in the marketplace remains to be seen, but going by Holmes’ past record, nobody should worry. He’ll doubtlessly be using his springless trampoline to jump to yet another successful venture before too long.