London Inc. Winter 2021 - 28

Upfront Manufacturing

BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY
With demand at an all-time high, a bathroom
remodelling operation manages growth on
both the consumer and manufacturing fronts

JULIE DIGIROLAMO BELIEVES your bathroom needs to be
an appealing, comfortable place to begin and end your day.
DiGirolamo and her husband, Pino, have made it their
business to create such spaces. The couple owns Ultimate
Bath Systems (www.ultimatebathsystems.com), a company
that renovates and remodels bathrooms, as well as National
Acrylics (nationalacrylics.com), a business that manufactures
acrylic shower and tub surrounds for contractors, renovators
and construction ﬁrms, as well as for use in installations by
Ultimate Bath.
According to DiGirolamo, the pandemic hasn't put much of

Julie DiGirolamo of Ultimate Bath Systems and National Acrylics

renovators, contractors and DIYers. The surge in demand has
created a need for more workers, and DiGirolamo is ﬁnding it
hard to ﬁll positions these days. " We've advertised and we're
doing lots of word-of-mouth hiring, " she says.
The DiGirolamos made the decision to expand into the
manufacturing side in 2011 as material costs for Ultimate
Bath started to skyrocket. " We used to get our shower and tub
surrounds from the States because nobody was making them
in Canada. But with the border fees and exchange rate, they
were getting really pricey, " explains
DiGirolamo. " So, we looked at what it
would take to make our own. "
They purchased equipment and
started producing wall panels
as Canadian Acrylics, selling to
-Julie DiGirolamo
contractors across Canada and eventually across the border. Initially, the
a dent in either side of operations. In fact, it's been particularly surrounds were manufactured in classic white, then a designer
busy for both businesses, which operate out of the same facility line was introduced offering a variety of colours and patterns.
on Leathorne Street. " We're doing a lot more tub to shower
With increasing sales in the U.S. and knowing there can
conversions, and also walk-in tubs and soaker tubs, mainly for be protectionist tendencies that favour American-made, the
people who are aging and want a safer environment to enable DiGirolamos decided on a name change to National Acrylics.
them to continue living in their home, " DiGirolamo says of the They also promote the products as being manufactured in
Ultimate Bath Systems operation. Ultimate Bath also does a North America.
fair bit of commercial work in apartment buildings and for
" When we ﬁrst started manufacturing, we did a lot of
property management companies.
door-knocking, promoting the product and marketing
In a year when people stayed home and turned their ourselves in Canada, " says DiGirolamo. " But the Americans
attention to home renovation projects, there's also been have mostly found us. They like our product - and the
an increased demand for National Acrylics' products by exchange rate on our dollar makes us attractive. " KYM WOLFE

" THE AMERICANS HAVE MOSTLY FOUND
US. THEY LIKE OUR PRODUCT - AND
THE EXCHANGE RATE ON OUR DOLLAR
MAKES US ATTRACTIVE "

28 | londonincmagazine.ca | WINTER 2021

http://www.ultimatebathsystems.com http://www.nationalacrylics.com http://www.londonincmagazine.ca

London Inc. Winter 2021

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