There is no magic recipe to developing an entrepreneurial spirit and start a business. In most cases, it all started with a natural ability for innovation and creation. It is also the ability to mobilize and motivate the people that compose the team that will make success possible when creating the dream of a new company come together.
It is mostly one’s personal experiences and path in life that shape a leader. It takes a lot of intelligence and a great deal of energy to start up a business, and develop it to reach the final goals. And a lot of bravery.
Among many great entrepreneurs, Stéphane Bouchard had a promising bright future from an early age. His educational advancement was quite impressive. He completed a degree in aerodynamics at CÉGEP de St-Jérôme and, at the same time, completed a science degree to continue his studies at the university. His ultimate goal was to be admitted to Automated Production Engineering program at ÉTS de Montréal. During his four years at ÉTS, he was able to put theory into practice on a continuous basis through his business activities with his father. This laid a spectacular groundwork for success.
When he finished his university years, he had a high interest in management and he found the right opportunity in Florida, USA. After much effort and with his multiple academic successes, he was admitted to this elite program and it is noteworthy that in his introductory year, only two Canadians were sponsored by Canada. He had the privilege of rubbing elbows with people from NASA and the US Army. This really kicked things in motion.
Stéphane showed boldness and fearlessness by staying down south for almost 20 years, enriching his knowledge and gaining valuable experience. His many jobs as a consultant in aeronautics allowed him to acquire the necessary experiences to be a leader.
He and his wife realized one day that it was time to return back home in Quebec. In 2015, based on his vast experience he founded Flex A Fab to promote robotization for the benefit of manufacturing.
Flex A Fab is a company serving industries but increasingly focused on recreational vehicles. It creates windshields, rear windows, hard roofs and many other unbreakable accessories for motorcycles, snowmobiles, off road, and water vehicles. The main advantage of his business is its flexibility to adapt to the demands of its customers. Through personalized service and a human approach, Stéphane is able to answer all the questions and concerns of his ever-growing clientele.
Stéphane and his team strive to design products and accessories that exceed the highest standards. Most people believe that the OEM products offered by the off-road vehicle manufacturers are of superior quality compared to what can be found in the aftermarket. Stéphane is working to reverse this popular belief thanks to its innovative products and, on top of that, lower prices. So when you’re in a dilemma, at higher quality and the lower price you should think Flex A Fab.
Its personalized service also offer advice to customers and offer a product tailored to their preferences and their specific uses. Stéphane’s attention to detail is directly related to selected quality components and rigorous testing to ensure durability and endurance on continuous use. With well-established parameters and the help of state-of-the-art robotic tools, he put his skills and experiences into practice for his company. An entrepreneur is eager for discovery, and he always wants to go further without ever resting on his laurels.
When you are thirsty to undertake, you must have the taste of being with others and know how to identify talents to associate them with your quest for the absolute. A company is above all a human adventure and in Stéphane’s case, it is also a family business. His wife assists him in all his projects and she is his best friend in the first place, before being his soul mate and accomplice in life. Vincent, the oldest of their three descendants, also works actively in the company. He brings a different and constructive vision through his “millennial” point of view. His brother also has recently joined the team as the Production Manager. Stephane’s company allows him to meet his family members all day long while doing a job he just adores. Apart from the many hours spent in manufacturing, the Bouchard family has the chance to meet other ATVs at various rally, festivals and trade shows.
We were able to see all the efforts that Stéphane and his team put into providing personalized service to their clients through their company. We submitted a request to design a windshield and a rear window for our CFMOTO ZFORCE. We had previously consulted the website www.flexafab.com for an overview of the possibilities they offered. It is possible to purchase pre-designed and proven accessories for all ATV models on the market. However, we wanted to test the flexibility, skills, and capabilities of this company to design something specifically made for our vehicle and that will exactly meet our requirements.
Stéphane gave us a call and asked the right questions over the phone to initiate the design of a full windshield and a rear window according to our requirements, our vehicle, and our use. It was during this conversation that we learned that this company uses 3 types of polycarbonate: standard (clear), abrasion-resistant (A.R.) and colored/tinted. These transparent materials have different properties that will make them more or less appropriate for specific uses. As an example, the standard and tinted poly are not scratch-resistant and, in the long run, may not retain their original finish. So, following Stéphane’s recommendations, we opted for the abrasion-resistant coating (A.R.) for our accessories. A.R. offer optical quality and optimal transparency. The A.R. coating, however, has a distinctive characteristic: it creates a slightly veiled line in the folding areas. This characteristic makes it possible, when in doubt, to certify the presence of an anti-abrasion coating. We also requested sliding openings to let fresh air come in the vehicle when weather permits. Stéphane also recommended a combo for the rear window.
The production time was very fast and they called us to proceed with the installation of our new custom-made Flex A Fab accessories. We took the opportunity to visit their brand new premises at 197, rue de l’Industrie, in St-Lin-Laurentides, Quebec. Always innovating, Stéphane has developed rugged Velcro-type straps to hold the front windshield in place. Unique in the industry, these straps need no tools for installation and are a quick alternative for mounting on the uprights of the roll cage. They also took care to install a protective rubber at the base of the windshield to avoid friction and wear of the paint coating of the bodywork.
The rear window is made of the same quality anti-scratch coating. This time it is held in place with stainless steel flanges. The installation was done in a few minutes using basic tools that we all have at home. This rear window has the particularity of stopping dust with a bottom section made of black material and a half section made of unbreakable polycarbonate 10 times stronger than tempered glass, 20 times more than the plexiglass, 50 times more than regular glass and safety glass. It can be folded, will let 15% more light pass through compared to regular glass and it does not create fog during a cold day.
When it’s time to give advice on the maintenance of his polycarbonate accessories, Stéphane is very generous: he suggests cleaning only with a garden hose. There is no need to use a pressure washer, in fact, he does not recommend it because of the possible damages induced by its high power that would make materials penetrate in the polycarbonate. The use of mild soap is also recommended and in this respect, Stéphane advises Diamond 54 from Savon Expert Soap. If you follow these recommendations, the rainwater will be easily evacuated from the surface and will be able to enjoy your polycarbonate accessories for many years.
In addition to weather protection, Flex A Fab windshields provide excellent impact protection. Their high resistance provides safety to the occupants of any type of vehicle. Do you have a custom project? Do not hesitate to challenge them. This company provides top quality service and products and will meet the expectations of any enthusiasts.
The next time you visit your dealer, ask for Flex A Fab products and accessories. You will love them.
For more details, please visit www.flexafab.com
