OECM recently joined Wintergreen Learning Materials (Wintergreen), an awarded supplier partner on OECM’s Special Education Equipment and Related Services agreement, for an educational tour at its facility. The visit offered a closer look at Wintergreen’s history, operations, showroom, and special education solutions.
For OECM customers, visits like this help bring an agreement to life by showing how a supplier partner’s products, planning support, and service model can support real classrooms, childcare environments, libraries, and community learning spaces.
“Partnerships like OECM allow us to simplify the purchasing process for our customers while ensuring they remain fully compliant. Our focus is on making it easier for educators and organizations to access the right solutions to support their spaces and the students they serve.“
– Barb Vanzante, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Wintergreen Learning Materials
The Story Behind the Wintergreen Name
The tour began with President and CEO Michael Hayward, who shared the history of the family business founded by his father, Joe Hayward, and business partner Hugh Morland in the 1970s. Before starting Wintergreen, the two founders worked together in education-focused film production. When that earlier business ended, Joe purchased the remaining inventory and built a new mail-order company from the ground up. Because they were running the new business from Hugh’s small hobby farm in Aurora, Ontario, they needed a name that would help mail and deliveries find them. The property already had an iron sign above the mailbox that read “Wintergreen,” so they kept it as the company name.
Today, that original sign still hangs in the front entrance.
“They needed a place to do business from, and Hugh had a small hobby farm in Aurora, ON. They were concerned that the person delivering and picking up the mail wouldn’t have any idea where to go, so they called the company Wintergreen because on Hugh’s farm, he had an iron sign attached to a tree that said Wintergreen above the mailbox.“
– Michael Hayward, President and CEO, Wintergreen Learning Materials
From those beginnings, Wintergreen has grown into a Canadian-owned company serving publicly funded customers across Canada. They note that they still work to reflect the values of a family business built on long-term relationships, service, and carefully curated products.
Behind the Scenes: Warehousing, Order Management, and Customer Delivery
Michael continued the tour through Wintergreen’s warehouse and operations areas, giving OECM a closer look at how orders move from receiving to storage, picking, packing, and shipment. He explained that the current Bradford facility opened in April 2008, replacing a much smaller site in Concord and giving the team room to grow into a more efficient high-bay racking model. The warehouse is organized by product offering rather than only by pick frequency, which keeps related classroom categories together and reflects the way many customers still browse and order.
The walkthrough also highlighted how Wintergreen supports projects that go well beyond a single carton shipment. Larger and more complex orders can involve coordination across delivery, assembly, and final setup, which is especially important for schools, childcare operators, and other organizations that need products to arrive ready-for-use.
“We have someone who project manages orders one by one, that can include coordinating delivery, arranging on-site assembly, and removing the cardboard and leftover packaging. Our customers are busy looking after students and kids, and they should not have to worry about those logistics once the order arrives.“
– Michael Hayward, President and CEO, Wintergreen Learning Materials
That behind-the-scenes coordination is a meaningful part of Wintergreen’s value to OECM customers. It shows how the company supports not only product supply, but also the service and delivery experience that helps classrooms and learning spaces come together more smoothly.
A Showroom Designed Around Real Classrooms and Customer Needs
Nicole Doyle, Sales Support Manager at Wintergreen Learning Materials, led OECM through the showroom and demonstrated how the company’s spaces are designed to reflect the way classrooms function. Rather than presenting furniture as a fixed set of products, she showed how tables, seating, and soft furnishings can be arranged and rearranged to support different activities, student needs, and room layouts throughout the day.
“Designing an inclusive classroom considers the needs of all students in the room. Everyone should be able to come in and find a spot where they feel comfortable and can focus on learning. We know that when classrooms adopt a flexible approach, students are more engaged, communication improves. There is also increased collaboration and enhanced academic performance, It’s all positive.“
– Nicole Doyle, Sales Support Manager, Wintergreen Learning Materials
Nicole also walked the group through Wintergreen’s flexible classroom furniture, explaining how mobility and ease of use are built into the design. The tables and seating on display were selected not only for durability, but for their ability to adapt as classroom needs change over time.
“As your group grows or changes – and the needs of your classroom change, your classroom furniture should change with it.“
– Nicole Doyle, Sales Support Manager, Wintergreen Learning Materials
Throughout the showroom, that philosophy was visible in flexible tables, mobile desks, wobble stools, soft seating, and classroom furniture designed to support movement, reconfiguration, and different learning styles. Together, the display reinforced how Wintergreen helps customers think beyond individual pieces and toward complete, student-centered environments.
A Special Education Room Designed to Support Regulation, Comfort, and Inclusion
Nicole then led us to Wintergreen’s special education room, where OECM saw how products can be brought together to create a space that supports movement, regulation, comfort, and choice. Rather than positioning the room as something separate from everyday learning, she described it as an extension of an inclusive classroom philosophy that gives students more ways to participate successfully throughout the day.
“Some schools have a separate space, similar to this. It may include some of the same elements – mats, sensory-rich experiences, a desk for students who need to write tests on their own or need extra time, and products that give students a chance to move and reset during the day. In many schools, spaces like this can make a meaningful difference in student success.“
– Nicole Doyle, Sales Support Manager, Wintergreen Learning Materials
Nicole also spoke to supporting students by providing opportunities for regulation through thoughtful spaces and intentional product choices. Providing the necessary tools, time and space to reset and refocus can better support students’ behaviour, emotional well‑being, and self‑regulation, and help them navigate through daily routines and expectations.
For OECM customers, this part of the tour made the agreement especially tangible. It showed how Wintergreen offerings can be used not just to furnish a room, but to help create spaces that are more responsive to a wider range of student needs.
Supporting Indigenous Learning and Community Partnerships
Another meaningful part of the tour was learning more about Wintergreen’s support for Indigenous communities and culturally grounded learning resources. In the production area, Michael spoke about Wintergreen’s work with the Métis Nation of Ontario, including special kits developed to support learning and engagement, along with other custom projects created for organizations serving children and families.
“In our production area, we prepare the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) kits, along with various Welcome bags for a number of organizations.“
– Michael Hayward, President and CEO, Wintergreen Learning Materials
This part of the tour showed another side of Wintergreen’s work – one that goes beyond supplying classroom products and speaks to community collaboration, inclusion, and responsive support. Through these partnerships, Wintergreen helps organizations access resources that are tailored to their audience and purpose, including culturally relevant materials that support Indigenous learning and early years engagement. For OECM customers, it was a strong example of how supplier support can extend beyond products alone and contribute to broader community and ESG priorities.
Supporting Customers Across Ontario and Beyond
Another useful takeaway from the tour was Wintergreen’s ability to support customers well beyond the Greater Toronto Area. The team spoke about their reach across provinces and territories, along with the logistics required for larger and more remote deliveries. From full room setups to custom orders, the discussion showed that Wintergreen is comfortable managing projects that require more planning than a standard parcel shipment.
In one case, Wintergreen supplied a childcare setup to Grise Fiord, a remote northern community where getting materials to site required careful coordination and multiple modes of transport. He also spoke about projects where timing is everything, with only a few weeks available to move goods before access routes close again. That kind of experience reinforces Wintergreen’s strength in logistics, project coordination, and supporting customers in a wide range of locations and circumstances.
“We have coverage, basically, in every province and territory. We’ve done full childcare setups in a town called Grise Fiord. Grise Fiord is about 1,085 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. It’s literally planes, trains and automobiles to get things there.“
– Michael Hayward, President and CEO, Wintergreen Learning Materials
As a Canadian-owned and operated company, Wintergreen walked OECM through how they prioritize partnerships and sourcing strategies that reflect the needs of Canadian classrooms and communities.
Popular Products from the Tour
Wintergreen highlighted several featured products that reflect growing interest in flexible seating, sensory supports, and more responsive learning environments.
Explore How Wintergreen Can Support Your Space
Whether you’re planning a classroom, childcare environment, or library space, explore ways Wintergreen can offer personalized support to help bring your vision to life.
Interested in Hosting an OECM Educational Tour?
OECM is always eager to learn more about our supplier partners and OEMs. If you are a supplier partner or OEM on one of our agreements and would like to host an OECM Educational Tour or event, please reach out to your OECM Supplier Relationship Manager.
