Executive Team
David Hudson - President and C.E.O.
David was born into the aluminum business. His father Brian began working in the industry in 1964 and founded Spectra
in 1978. Dave has spent his entire professional life in the company. Dave graduated in engineering, and attained his Professional Engineer status shortly thereafter. His education and experience at Spectra have taken him through every
facet of the organization from the delivery driver to line chemist, to Midnight Shift Supervisor and Operations Manager.
As the second-generation owner of Spectra Aluminum, Dave is focused on maintaining the level of quality, innovation and service that has made Spectra one of the leading aluminum extrusion companies in the country. “We are a family business in every way,” says Dave. “Not only are we family owned, we are also a family of people who share a common set of goals and have a great sense of pride in what we do.”
Spectra enjoys long relationships with many of its customers and Dave knows this simply would not happen without
the commitment of everyone in the company. “For over twenty years we have been able to create high quality
custom extrusions in very short timeframes. That is only possible when everyone believes in going the extra mile
for the customer.”
When he is not coaching his Spectra team, Dave coaches a variety of kid’s sports and manages to play a little hockey himself. He does both with the same passion that he brings to making Spectra Aluminum the preeminent company
of its kind.
David Hudson, President & CEO
905-778-8093 ext. 225
Scott Chapman - Vice President of Sales
Scott has more than twenty years in the aluminum industry, the last twelve years as part of the Spectra team. Exclusively working in sales, Scott always works closely with his customers. “I always remember that our customers have customers themselves,” says Scott. “Our performance can significantly affect their success with their clients.” Such was the case with a Spectra customer in the interior décor business. “They had received a large order from a U.S. based Fortune 500 company and needed a new custom profile - designed, tooled, extruded, and finished – within one week,” recalls Scott. “We assembled the troops at Spectra and we made the date. As a result our customer has a very important new customer.”
When he is not focusing on meeting customer challenges, Scott devotes his spare time to a dizzying array of activities including coaching and playing hockey, golf, skiing, and boating. “They say sales people tend to be A-type personalities,” says Scott. “If that means you like competitive activities, then I must be a capital A-type.”
Scott Chapman, Vice President of Sales
905-778-8093 ext. 239
Robert Jong - Vice President - Finance , IT & Human Resources
Robert has a broad range of knowledge and experience culled from working in a variety of senior positions in both the public and private sectors. This is Robert’s second time working with Spectra. He was responsible for developing the financial structuring of the company in the late 1990s. Robert returned to Spectra in 2007 because, as he says, “I saw the company evolving from an entrepreneurial endeavour to a multi-facetted corporation and I wanted to be a part of that evolution.”
Robert believes that the entrepreneurial spirit that launched Spectra has evolved into a very strategic style of management that ensures consistency and stability for Spectra’s customers. Robert believes the personal touch is still very much a part
of Spectra’s culture and he is no exception, “I have met with many customers personally to discuss how we work, explain our terms, and clarify the expectations we have of each other,” says Robert. As an avid poker player Robert knows that paying attention to the details will put the odds in your favour.
Robert Jong, VP Finance, IT & Human Resources
Archie Proper - Vice President Operations
Prior to joining Spectra, Archie’s background was primarily in the automotive business. When asked how the automotive business prepared him to manage the operations of an aluminum extrusion company, Archie has a simple answer, “People,” says Archie, “are the key to any operation. There are certainly processes, technology, equipment and systems, but all of those rely on people to make them work. The car business teaches you the impact of people on every aspect of the business, from making the sale, to servicing the customer, and earning the next sale. At Spectra there is a culture of accountability which more than anything ensures our operation is efficient and our customers come first.”
Archie’s focus on people often leads him to conduct site visits of customer facilities, to better understand how Spectra’s performance impacts its customers operations. One such visit led to Spectra designing an Automated Sorting and Inspection Machine along with input from the customer. “With Spectra building and installing this machine in our facility, in just three months we were able to reduce rejected product to this customer by half,” explains Archie. “We never forget that the quality of our operation directly impacts our customer’s success.”
Archie Proper, VP Operations
Grant Jardine - Director of Operations
Grant joined Spectra Aluminum over ten years ago, and like everyone else at Spectra, has been exposed to every facet of the business. Grant, a Professional Engineer, has had a hand in running various divisions within the company as well as managing the expansion of the company’s facilities.
As the father of two young children, Grant understands the need to be responsive in a “crisis situation.” He remembers an occasion at Spectra that required such a response, “We had scheduled some maintenance on our anodizing line over Christmas, and the line had been disassembled. We received a panic call on Christmas Eve from a company we had not dealt with before and they needed products for a trade show and their current supplier couldn’t deliver in time. We reassembled the line and produced what they needed in time for their show.” Why does Grant believe this kind of response is the norm at Spectra? “That kind of response is only possible if you have people who are committed to the company and to the customer. At Spectra that is exactly what we have.” That company remains a customer of Spectra to this day.
Grant Jardine, Director of Operations
905-778-8093
