Hidden Gems: Meet Nathan Packard of Canvas Services

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Packard. 

Hi Nathan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My brother, Alex, and I were born and raised in San Diego. I have a background in nonprofit and tech, and Alex has worked in the marine canvas industry for several years . We bought Canvas Services in May 2021 after it had been in business since 1978. We build and repair custom marine and outdoor canvas and upholstery products (e.g., boat covers, sail covers, awnings, furniture covers, boat and home cushions). Since taking over the business, we have hired two employees, grown our monthly sales, and are excited about expanding our service area and products.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been more or less a smooth road, but we’re still new business owners who are learning along the way. Some challenges we’ve faced are navigating difficult customers, finding talent, affording workers’ compensation, and managing monthly expenses to ensure a profit. It’s been one year since we took over, and the last few months have been much smoother than last Fall, so I think we’ve learned a lot.

As you know, we’re big fans of Canvas Services. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Canvas Services, we build and repair custom canvas and upholstery for boats, homes, and businesses. For boats, we make covers, biminis, sail covers, enclosures, awnings, window covers, and cushions. For homes and business, we make awnings, furniture covers, shade sails, cushions, and BBQ island covers. The business has been in Point Loma since 1978 and has a great reputation. We’ve retained the entire staff, so we’re proud to uphold the name our business has and provide some of the best canvas and upholstery work around. Our team is friendly and pays extremely close attention to detail. We are more timely, reliable, and provide a superior product than our competitors. In an industry with lots of older business people running things, my brother, Alex, and I are taking a fresh approach to this kind of work.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
My brother, Alex, and I are extremely fortunate to have grown up in a loving family that had the resources to educate and prepare us for a successful life. We are aware of our privilege, both in terms of race and class, and we strive to help level the playing field by donating to causes that help underserved communities and voting for legislation and people who are fighting on behalf of those communities. Our business’ products are custom and expensive, so our clientele are privileged as well. As we grow our business and have more disposable income, we plan to give back more to help offset the luck and good fortune we ourselves have experienced.

Contact Info:

• Email: sales@canvasservices.com
• Website: https://www.canvasservices.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canvasservices/