Across north Durham, global innovation is taking shape in places you might not expect: inside backyard-born workshops, bustling food labs, and world‑class audio manufacturing floors. Meet three makers who prove that world‑leading ideas don’t necessarily require a downtown postal code.
Adamson (Port Perry): Heard Around the World
Sound travels. And in venues from Amsterdam’s Paradiso to Graceland Soundstage in Memphis, it’s being carried by Adamson, headquartered in Port Perry. Their loudspeakers are trusted by top touring acts and audio engineers worldwide, earning endorsements for their power, clarity, and musicality.
The company’s story began more than 40 years ago with founder Brock Adamson building loudspeakers in Vancouver before taking on major audio consulting roles, including at the 1986 Vancouver Expo. Two decades ago, Adamson moved to Durham Region – first Pickering, then Port Perry – where it has become one of Scugog’s largest employers with 100+ skilled craftspeople.
The company continues to evolve with a global footprint, including sales and support teams in the U.S., Germany, and Thailand, all the while remaining deeply rooted in north Durham.
Adamson’s innovations are shaping the professional audio industry as a local company whose influence can be heard around the world.
Woodland Mills (Port Perry): Built in a Backyard, Growing Worldwide
What began as two childhood friends tinkering behind a Port Perry home has become a global forestry‑equipment brand. Founded in 2009 by Josh Malcolm and Neil Bramley, Woodland Mills started with a single backyard‑built sawmill sold to neighbours and expanded to a business that soon outgrew the backyard.
Today, the company operates about 100,000 sq. ft. of warehousing and distribution across Canada and the U.S., anchored by its Port Perry global headquarters where engineering, R&D, sales, and operations all work under one roof. Despite opportunities to relocate, the founders chose to stay rooted: “Home is where the heart is,” says Bramley.
Innovation remains relentless as new products prepare for 2026 and 2027. The process is deeply collaborative; ideas sourced from customers, founders, and long-term strategy move through engineering, prototyping, testing, and training. Every staff member learns the products hands‑on: “When you call Woodland Mills, there’s a high likelihood the person on the phone has built and run the product,” says Head of Brand Jay Ennis.
A walk into their Port Perry showroom reveals towering sawmills and equipment that stop visitors in their tracks. With tens of thousands of customers worldwide, 13,000 five‑star reviews, and an online community of 80,000 members, Woodland Mills has grown from a backyard dream to a global maker movement – without ever losing its small‑town soul.
Hela Spice (Uxbridge): The Quiet Powerhouse Behind Everyday Flavour
Pick up almost any branded sauce, seasoning, or ready‑to‑cook meal in a grocery store and chances are something inside it was developed at Hela Spice in Uxbridge.
Hela Spice relocated from Scarborough in the early 1990s, choosing Uxbridge for its space, lifestyle, and growth potential. What began as a warehouse branded as “too big” quickly became the perfect home for a bustling R&D centre with customers travelling to north Durham to co‑develop products in person.
Every day is a blank canvas, according to Eric Nummelin, Director of Sales, Marketing and R&D.
The team develops 120 to 150 new ideas a month, only a few of which make it to market. Their work spans meat, dairy, bakery, snacks, spices, flavours, and specialized needs such as organic, halal, and kosher products.
The facility employs 65 to 75 people, surging past 80 in BBQ season, and supports more than 250 customers across Canada and the U.S. Growth has been steady, with added R&D labs, expanded warehouse space, and increased shipping capacity. Through it all, Hela Spice remains an anchor for talent drawn to north Durham’s quality of life — a reminder that food innovation thrives in unexpected places.
Three Makers, One Message
Downtown Uxbridge
Whether creating equipment for backyard builders, flavouring the foods Canadians love, or powering concerts heard across the globe, these north Durham‑based companies share a common thread: world‑class innovation can grow anywhere, and often begins right at home.
