Inflation Fighter
In 1983 inflation was extremely high and we were trying various methods to keep our manufacturing costs down. Northern Conversion Craft, our competitor in Rosthern SK, had purchased cabinets and other ambulance parts from the closed Wayne ambulance manufacturing facility in Ohio. And when Northern Conversion Craft went out of business we purchased the remaining Wayne cabinets and parts at auction prices and used them to manufacture approximately ten low priced ambulances which we named Inflation Fighter. It worked well in the short term but gave us grief over the long run. Buyers of Inflation Fighters initially were very happy they could buy at a lower price, but then during the following years their Medics would curse us for having built an inferior ambulance!
This particular ambulance was built as a stock unit and was sitting in our back yard when an ambulance war broke out between the two funeral homes in Westock Alberta. Apparently Pembina Funeral Home got an exclusive contract to supply ambulance service in the Town of Westlock, so the competition, Jones Funeral Home, decided to jump into the ambulance business and got an exclusive contract for the County of Westlock. But this was December 30th and he needed an ambulance immediately so he came to Saskatoon the next day and bought our Inflation Fighter and all other required medical equipment. For us it was a bonus - an unexpected sale to finish out the year.
