An avid hunter and sportsman, Mark Zimmerman took up taxidermy in the early '80s. He bought Select Taxidermy Products Ltd. in 2000, and his talent as a businessman has helped establish the supply store into one of the largest in Canada.
One of the reasons for Select Taxidermy's success is the multitude of services the company provides. Mark not only supplies taxidermists of all levels — from the biggest companies to the recreational hunter — but he also expanded the company to include a taxidermy school, safari hunting tours, and his own taxidermy studio. “It keeps me multi-dimensional in a business that, if one part is slow I can earn money in another part,” says Mark. “The wildlife and the deer population, in particular, have taken a hit due to some heavy winters, so being able to diversify at certain times of the year keeps my shop busy where other shops have not survived.”
Select Taxidermy Products Ltd. is also a CFIA-certified disinfection facility. It is one of the few in Canada doing this specialized work. Mark never sits back, always keeping the company current by introducing new molds. “The mannequins have gotten so much better,” he says. “To compete with the US, we have to be able to build good stuff.”
