At 16, Mitch, had a unique dream - "Doing Business with Portugal." Why Portugal, you ask? Well, Mitch's parents hailed from the land of port wine and custard tarts, and he was head over heels for the place. So, naturally, he became fixated on the idea of importing Portuguese goodies to North America. Mitch's journey began with a Degree in International Business & Supply Chain Management, where fate intervened in the form of his future best buddy and business partner. Rather than settling for the mundane, Mitch landed a gig as a Purchaser at a ceiling supply store. Why? Because he figured a smaller company would give him the wiggle room to hunt down those Portuguese treasures. While soaking up the sun in Portugal one summer, Mitch stumbled upon Sagiper, a PVC ceiling product that mimicked wood planks without the upkeep hassle. It was love at first sight, business-wise. Mitch sniffed out an opportunity for exclusive distribution rights in Canada, but alas, his boss dropped the ball. In a plot twist worthy of a telenovela, Mitch's boss dangled a lifeline - invest in the inventory or watch the exclusivity deal go down the drain. At the ripe age of 22, armed with guts and his trusty best friend, Mitch took the plunge and bet everything on a container full of Sagiper. Fast forward 12 years, and Mitch and his partner are the proud owners of Sagiper's North American Sales & Distribution arm. They've raked in over $40 million in sales, erected not one, but two distribution centers (complete with neon signs that read "Sagiper Wonderland") - one in chilly Edmonton, AB, catering to the Great White North and the wild west of the USA, and a recent addition in sunny Tampa, FL, serving up the eastern seaboard with Sagiper goodness. On the home front, Mitch's been hitched to his missus for a dozen years, with two precious princessas running amok. Recently, they swapped maple syrup for orange juice and relocated to Florida, where Mitch now leads the company's US expansion plans. Got a burning question about international business, logistics, or supply chain shenanigans? Mitch's your man. Need some sage advice on family matters or making the leap from igloos to palm trees? He's got you covered.