One Billion Can-Twist… And Counting — Ideal Canada Celebrates Milestone with Great Canadian Classics Contest!

Apr 11, 2019

The year was 2002: Jean Chrétien was Prime Minister, Avril Lavigne topped the charts, the Alouettes defeated the Eskimos 25-16 at the 90th Grey Cup, and Ideal Industries launched Canada’s greatest wire connector — Can-Twist.

Since 2002, over one-billion Can-Twist connectors have been installed across Canada.

It all began when Ideal asked a simple question: “How do we make the best wire connector?”

To get to the answer, Ideal needed to pose a different question. They asked Canadian electricians and contractors, “What are your biggest pain points with the connectors you’re using now?”

There were a wide range of responses — they were tired of having to carry multiple connector sizes to complete one job, of sore fingers and wrists from excessive twisting and awkward designs, of the extra time it took to pre-twist wire, and they were fed up with connectors that cracked with large diameter combinations, and second-rate springs that didn’t grip wire well or, worse, fell out of the connector altogether!

After listening to electricians to better understand their needs, challenges and frustrations, Ideal developed Can-Twist, a connector that

    • can accommodate a wide-range of sizes without being bulky
    • is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in the hand
    • is easy to twist with fast wire pick-up — fewer turns are needed to achieve torque, with no need to pre-twist
    • has the highest quality springs that firmly grip wire and don’t fall out
    • is engineered with materials that ensure superior flexibility and reliability

“Can-Twist was designed by the people who actually use the product — electricians rather than engineers,” says Bill Stephens, Ideal Canada’s National Sales and Marketing Manager. “The reason for their continued success is that they are just a better connector.”

Win a trip to the 2019 Grey Cup

When Can-Twist entered the market in 2002, they were immediately embraced by Canadian electricians, and quickly became the best-selling connectors in the country. Since that time, over one billion Can-Twist wire connectors have been manufactured at Ideal’s factory in Ajax, Ontario. One billion… and counting!

Ideal expects that sometime in 2019, they will have manufactured and shipped their 1.1 billionth Can-Twist connector. To celebrate this incredible milestone, and the electricians who told Ideal how to make the best wire connector, the company is holding a nation-wide contest, dubbed “Great Canadian Classics.” Electricians will have a chance to win the grand prize of a trip for two to the 2019 Grey Cup[1] game in Calgary, Alberta. To win the trip, contestants simply need to correctly guess the date that Ideal will ship that 1.1 billionth connector out of their Canadian warehouse[2].

The grand prize consists of a trip for two people to attend the 2019 Grey Cup game in Calgary, Alberta. The trip includes airfare, accommodations for three nights, spending money, and tickets to the big game, where the winner will be joined by a representative from their electrical distributor, as well as a representative from Ideal. During the promotional period, Ideal will also be giving out free mini-footballs in select jars of Can-Twist wire connectors.

The contest runs from April 2 to October 5, 2019, and ballots can be found at participating Canadian electrical distributors (or online by visiting www.surveymonkey.com/r/GreatCanadianClassics). The winner will be announced on October 21, 2019.

If you are interested in learning more about Ideal’s Great Canadian Classics contest, Can-Twist, or would like to request a sample, contact Ideal’s marketing manager, Erin Hawley at erin.hawley@idealindustries.com or 1-800-824-3325 x2242.

1 1. The contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Grey Cup, or the 2019 Grey Cup Festival.

2 2. The winner will be the person who correctly guesses the date (month and day) that Ideal (the Sponsor) will ship its 1.1 billionth (1,100,000,000) Can-Twist wire connector from the Ideal Canada warehouse. The date is estimated to be between July 5, 2019 and October 5, 2019. If there are no entries with the correct date guessed, the winner will be the person that guessed the closest date prior to the correct date. If more than one person guesses the winning date (or closest date), a single winner will be drawn from all entries with that date.