A Lacombe businessman who turned his passion for vehicles, hockey trading cards and other collectibles into successful online businesses has received the 2024 Small Town Seller of the Year Award for Canada from eBay.
For nearly two decades, Rod Jamieson has been buying old cars and trucks to sell vehicle parts through his store TeamChevelle's Picks on eBay. In 2019, he started another eBay store One Hill Collectibles, sourcing inventory from local businesses and individuals to distribute to buyers around the world.
Previously a shop teacher and school vice principal, Jamieson has primarily been selling vehicle parts to markets in the southern United States with harsh conditions that damage vehicles.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched his second eBay store and quickly became a go-to person in the area for purchasing full trading card collections.
Beyond his business success, Jamieson actively supports his community through donations to local teams and clubs.
eBay's annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards have been presented for 20 years to celebrate the achievements of Canadian businesses on eBay's global marketplace, recognizing a diverse spectrum of sellers and the many paths to entrepreneurship.
This year eBay introduced the Small Town Seller of the Year category to recognize sellers based outside of major metropolitan areas and support the ecommerce presence of Canada's rural and small-town businesses.
Other 2024 award winners and categories included: Entrepreneur of the Year - Jessica Oman and Johann Furrer, of Storage Warrior, in Vancouver; Micro-Multinational of the Year - Angus Grant, of Double Duncan Treasures, in Toronto; and Emerging Ecommerce Entrepreneur Yannick Plante, Pascal Boutin, and Dominic Vaillancourt, of PMCtire, in Sherbrooke, Que.
"Our Entrepreneur of the Year award winners have harnessed eBay's global reach to thrive locally and connect with buyers worldwide, demonstrating the power of ecommerce to generate new opportunities and growth," said Garry Thaniel, general manager with eBay Canada, in a statement.
"I'm deeply impressed by the spirit of entrepreneurship I see amongst our Canadian seller community – the commitment to building strong relationships, to gaining a deep understanding of customers, and to strategically scaling their businesses is inspiring."
This year's award winners, selected from a record number of online submissions, will receive cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 to reinvest into their businesses.
