Indigenous Business series: Chase Office Interiors

The Indigenous business series brings together voices from majority-owned/controlled (51% or more) by Indigenous peoples’ businesses that have worked with UBC. The series is a short interview with the Indigenous Business to hear their experience and perspective with the procurement process and working with UBC.

The series intends to help increase supplier diversity opportunities for Indigenous businesses and improve inclusion of Indigenous suppliers in upcoming work at UBC.  

Chase Office Interiors, Indigenous (Mohawk) owned  

We had the opportunity to speak with Danny Chase, owner at Chase Office Interiors to hear his experience working with UBC.

Danny Chase, the visionary Founder of Chase Office Interiors recognized the importance of cultivating deeply satisfied clients and seized the chance to revolutionize the customer experience in the office furniture sector. Being a proud member of the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, Danny leads the sole 100% Indigenous-owned office furniture dealership in Canada. Chase embarked on its business journey by catering mainly to the federal government. Now with more than 20 years of experience, Chase Office Interiors has solidified its position as the fastest-growing furniture dealer in British Columbia.

Can you share your experience doing business with UBC?

Working with UBC has been a positive experience for several reasons. Whether it is working directly with the faculty and staff or UBC Properties Trust, UBC’s team is highly collaborative, ensuring that all stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process. This leads to well-rounded and carefully thought-out solutions that clients have been ridiculously happy with. The communication from UBC has been clear and consistent, which helps in setting the right expectations and timelines.

As a commercial furniture dealer, UBC’s commitment to quality is evident in their procurement processes. They prioritize high standards and ensure that the products and services meet their stringent requirements. And lastly, the support provided by UBC throughout the procurement process has been exceptional. They are always available to address any concerns or questions, making the process smooth and efficient.

How can UBC improve our Indigenous procurement process? Were there any challenges?

It is valuable to meet with and engage with the Indigenous businesses to better understand their capacity and abilities. The ones that meet the standards of UBC should be highly promoted to all UBC procurement teams so everyone knows they meet the standards and should be considered.

Do you have any advice for people at UBC who want to work with Indigenous Businesses?

I would pay attention to companies that have a 51/49% Indigenous partnership structure, and try to support Indigenous businesses that are 100% Indigenous owned and controlled,. Many non-Indigenous businesses have created “an Indigenous arm” to their business and may not be transparent about their operational structure. The decision making and operations may still be fully controlled by the non-Indigenous partner(s) and they often take advantage of the intent of the initiative..

I would suggest asking the business how long they have been in business and what they have done in the past to give back to the Indigenous people and communities. This will sort out companies that only provide a general response that they are in support of Indigenous businesses, yet have not done anything in the past to give back to the community; and businesses with curated stories about what they plan to do in the future, but have not moved forward with those plans.