By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
Turns out he was a lot more than a pretty face with a whistle in his mouth.
He turned a piece of plastic into an international product that has shown some leading marketers what it means to extend a product into new markets.
Then he took a trucking company that was in trouble and turned it into a vibrant operation with a decent market share in the GTA market.
The content and value will surprise many.
This time he has turned his hand to sharing what he has learned as a successful business person. A lot of this kind of book is someone with a lot of money clapping himself on the back.
Foxcroft is tough on himself and is remarkably candid about his family. As you read through the “40 Ways of the Fox” you see some of your own shortcomings and realize that Foxcroft knew his limitations and overcame them.
I always thought Foxcroft stopped going to high school because he knew they were going to kick him out. Turns out he “negotiated” his leaving high school.
Foxcroft is a story teller – he needed help putting that story on a printed page – Mike Ulmer, a Dundas based free lancer put the stand-up speech into a book.
Queen Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, receives Colonel Ronald Foxcroft (Honorary Colonel) at Buckingham Palace in London.
The story Ron tells has been heard by Queen Elizabeth II, and of course he pulled a whistle out of his pocket and gave it to her.
He tells the same story to new Canadians when he is presiding at a Citizenship Court where he usually runs over the allotted time as he tells people how great a country they are becoming a part of.
Irrepressible, yes, not all that good at saying no when someone is putting the squeeze on him.
Member of the Order of Canada. Was the Honorary Colonel of the Argyll Sutherland Regiment in Hamilton which he thought was going to be fun on the occasions he got to wear a kilt.
The tragic death of Corporal Nathan Cirillo who was shot by a terrorist while doing sentry duty at the National War Memorial in Ottawa in 2014 required Ron to suddenly have to lead a regiment that was grieving the loss of one of their own.
Ron wasn’t a military person but he stood up and got that Regiment and the city of Hamilton through a very tough day that saw the biggest parade seen on the streets of Hamilton in some time. .
The parade through the streets of Hamilton was one of the largest the city had seen in time. Foxcroft was the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment at the time.
In one of the 40 Thoughts (and we aren’t going to take you through all of them) Foxcroft positions Santa Claus as a lesson at being on point all the time. That thought will teach you a lesson that will stay with you as long as you are a leader or want to be one.
Foxcroft was one of the very few Canadians that served as a basketball referee at every level of the NCAA men’s basketball and the NBA during a 23 year career and was awarded the Golden Whistle for his contribution that included an Olympic Men’s final game.
Foxcroft has been named the Citizen of the Year in Burlington and probably can’t tell you how many Boards he has served on in his career.
They include:
Chair of Tradeport International, Operators and Mangers of John C Munro Hamilton International Airport. The largest Cargo Express Overnight Airport in Canada. National Association of Sports Officials. Wisconsin, 29 years.
Arbeter Sports Inc., a sport technology company. Completed 400 million transactions in 2019.
Ontario Excavac Incorporated, a pneumatic excavation and environmental recycling company in Vaughan Ontario.
Board Member of Burlington Community Foundation and past Chair.
Board Member of The Hamilton Club, and past Chair.
Board Member of the Hamilton Board of Approved Basketball Officials.
Past Chair of the Argyll Regiment Senate and Foundation, and Past Honourary Colonel.
Board Member of the Canada Basketball Veterans Committee, currently vice chair.
The proceeds of the book are being donated to CityKids and Liberty for Youth
