Meet Peter Voss
Not many people can say they have been a teacher, a Chief Financial Officer and an entrepreneur all in one lifetime. But Peter Voss, CEO of Shimco in Cambridge, can! With a stellar record as a savvy businessman, he has managed mergers and acquisitions for other companies. He grew his own company’s profits by 800 per cent, and in size from 20 employees in 2011 to 80! This will soon be 120 employees with the opening of Shimco’s Moroccan branch in Casablanca, and the expansion of the Cambridge plant to twice its current size in 2025. Amidst all these achievements, perhaps the most remarkable thing about Peter is his humility, sense of community and philanthropy.
Peter has been donating to charities and social initiatives for over 30 years, not just because it’s the socially responsible thing to do but because of his lived experiences. He shares, “I remember my life as a child, it was pretty tough, and I just want to give back. Canada has been good to us and it’s good to give back.” Peter’s family came to Canada from Germany, when he was three years old and settled in Hamilton before he later made Waterloo Region his home. His parents worked hard to ensure he and his two siblings were educated and motivated to achieve great things.
He has fought many adversities, both personal and professional, and empathizes with members of his community who are in need. This is why he supports organizations doing their part to empower vulnerable people in our society. For a long time, this manifested in donations to large or international charities however Peter found that his impact was not being felt as much as it would if he gave financial support to local non-profit organizations. In searching for a worthy cause, he found Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. After researching what our organization does, he found the perfect way to have his contributions felt in a meaningful way by empowering women and children to move beyond violence.
I don’t want personal recognition for what I do from any one person. My goal is help as many people as I can, and I hope to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.
— Peter Voss, WCSWR Donor
Once he decided where to give and why, he needed to decide how he wanted to give. His decades of experience in business played a role in this decision. After a few initial one-time donations, he signed up to become a monthly donor because he appreciates the need for consistent funding to maintain operations within an organization. He explains, “It’s all about cash flow. Having those one-time bumps is great but it’s hard to plan. It might come, it might not come, but with monthly donations, you can put that in your budget.”
Peter’s consistent support is valuable to the cause. It is also a reminder that we need more men supporting women and children to break the cycle of abuse. Peter urges his peers to empathize with the clients who benefit from our services and consider supporting however they can, offering this as consideration.
“Put yourself in their shoes. You have families… a wife and children. How would you feel if they were in that situation and what would you do to help them? You are likely to say, I would do anything….so why not do this? This is how you can help.”
As part of our Neighbourhood of monthly donors, Peter is pleased that he is making a difference in the lives of so many who depend on our services. With the escalation of domestic violence, resulting in increased femicides, there has never been a better time to make this difference. He is satisfied knowing that because of his help, women and children can live safer, happier, more empowered lives. “I don’t want personal recognition for what I do from any one person. My goal is help as many people as I can, and I hope to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.”
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