Wintergreen Learning Materials
Wintergreen Learning Materials, founded in 1977 and based in Bradford, Ontario, distributes educational furniture, classroom materials, and special-education equipment to K-12 schools, early learning centers, childcare operators, and Ontario broader public-sector buyers through its own e-commerce platform, OECM GPO contracts, and a dedicated YMCA portal.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersBradford, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wintergreen Learning Materials does
Wintergreen Learning Materials is a Canadian distributor, founded in 1977 and headquartered in Bradford, Ontario, that supplies educational furniture, classroom materials, and learning equipment to early learning centers, K-12 institutions, childcare operators, and broader public-sector buyers. The company's core product categories include classroom tables, chairs, stools, storage, flash cards, manipulatives, and special-education equipment, sourced from branded suppliers such as Lakeshore Learning Materials, Kids by Design, and its own Allora Collection. Wintergreen also offers bundled procurement under the Complete Classrooms® service mark and an unconditional satisfaction guarantee with no restocking fees.
The company monetizes primarily through unit-level e-commerce sales priced from roughly $26 to $390 per SKU, supplemented by quote-based institutional orders and pre-negotiated GPO contracts. Wintergreen holds awarded supplier status under OECM contract #2022-410-11 for Category D (Early Learning Furniture) and a separate OECM Special Education Agreement, alongside a partnership with Kinetic GPO and a dedicated YMCA customer portal at ymca.wintergreen.ca. Distribution is regional — focused on Ontario and Eastern Canada with shipping across most of Canada — through direct phone/online sales, the company's own wintergreen.ca storefront, and reseller/GPO channels. Additional partnerships with the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Métis Nation of Ontario, and Econo-Coop extend its reach into health-promoting, Indigenous-community, and cooperative procurement ecosystems.
The underlying commerce platform is k-ecommerce for Dynamics GP, a conventional Microsoft Dynamics GP-integrated storefront with no proprietary AI, data, or technology capabilities disclosed. Wintergreen has 11-50 employees, is privately held with no disclosed parent, funding, or M&A activity, and continues to refresh its catalog with 2026 furniture and Lakeshore product launches while maintaining a long-standing brand presence in the Canadian early-learning market.
Wintergreen Learning Materials firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wintergreen Learning Materials
- Legal name
- Wintergreen
- Website
- https://wintergreen.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wintergreen Learning Materials, founded in 1977 and based in Bradford, Ontario, distributes educational furniture, classroom materials, and special-education equipment to K-12 schools, early learning centers, childcare operators, and Ontario broader public-sector buyers through its own e-commerce platform, OECM GPO contracts, and a dedicated YMCA portal.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wintergreen Learning Materials industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Supplies and Furniture
- NAICS
- Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (459410), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941)
- SIC
- Retail-Furniture Stores (5712), Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020), Office Furniture (2520)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Classroom & Student Furniture (Desks, Chairs, Tables, Storage) (EDAEAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives) (EDAEAIAB), IT & AV Hardware Procurement (Computers, Displays, Projectors, Interactive Panels) (EDAEAIAD), Procurement Platforms, Catalogs & Contract Purchasing (Co-ops, GPOs, eProcurement) (EDAEAIAO), School Supplies Retail (CRALABAF), School Supplies Distribution (CRAOALAK)
Keywords
Where Wintergreen Learning Materials is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bradford
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Wintergreen Learning Materials business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual product purchases with varying prices |
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Wintergreen Learning Materials product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wintergreen Learning Materials distributes and retails educational furniture, classroom supplies, and learning materials sourced from multiple manufacturers (including Lakeshore, Kids by Design, and the Allora Collection) to Canadian educational institutions, childcare centers, and YMCA organizations. Sales are facilitated through an owned e-commerce platform, direct phone sales, and pre-negotiated GPO procurement contracts (OECM and Kinetic GPO) that simplify compliant purchasing for publicly funded organizations. The company also offers its branded Complete Classrooms® service for end-to-end classroom setup solutions.
Product overview
Wintergreen Learning Materials operates an e-commerce platform offering educational furniture, classroom supplies, and learning materials for institutional buyers in Ontario's education sector. The portfolio includes products from branded suppliers such as Lakeshore, Kids by Design, and the Allora Collection, alongside Wintergreen's own Complete Classrooms service and Virtual Catalogues. The company serves publicly funded educational organizations through procurement partnerships including OECM (Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace) contracts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Complete Classrooms®: A service offering by Wintergreen for complete classroom solutions.
Products and services
- Complete Classrooms® Service Wintergreen's branded end-to-end classroom setup service that bundles educational furniture, learning materials, and equipment into a complete solution for educational institutions, available through the company's e-commerce platform.
- Educational Furniture Classroom furniture including tables, chairs, stools, and storage solutions designed for early learning and educational environments, sourced from various manufacturers and offered under OECM contract #2022-410-11 (Category D - Early Learning Furniture and Related Accessories).
- Special Education Equipment Specialized equipment and resources for special education programs, available to Ontario publicly funded organizations through the OECM Special Education Agreement for compliant procurement.
- Learning Materials Educational supplies including flash cards, manipulatives, teaching aids, and classroom resources (e.g., Subtraction All Facts 0-12 Flash Cards at $32.95, Large Open Tub Kit at $26.95) for early learning and K-12 classroom use.
- Lakeshore Products Collection Products from Lakeshore Learning Materials, a major educational supplier offering classroom furnishings, teaching supplies, and learning resources, distributed by Wintergreen in Canada.
- Allora Collection Furniture collection showcased in Wintergreen's promotional materials representing the company's 2025-2026 furniture offerings for educational environments.
- Kids by Design Collection Outdoor educational and playground furniture collection designed for children, featured as a rotating banner product line on Wintergreen's storefront.
Quantifiable outcome
- Unconditional guarantee - returns accepted anytime for any reason with no restocking fees
Companies that use Wintergreen Learning Materials
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wintergreen Learning Materials technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wintergreen Learning Materials partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OECM (Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace)coreWintergreen is an awarded supplier partner under OECM contract #2022-410-11 for Educational Furniture and Related Accessories, specifically Category D - Early Learning Furniture and Related Accessories. OECM is a not-for-profit collaborative sourcing partner for Ontario's education, municipal, and Broader Public Sector customers. Their contracts are established through a rigorous procurement process focused on quality, compliance, and long-term value. This partnership enables Wintergreen to provide compliant, value-driven solutions that simplify purchasing for publicly funded organizations.
- Kinetic GPOcorePartnership with Kinetic GPO (Group Purchasing Organization) providing members with access to Wintergreen's educational products and furniture through pre-negotiated contracts. Kinetic GPO membership simplifies the procurement process for member organizations, offering time savings and cost efficiency through collective purchasing power.
- YMCAcoreDedicated partnership providing YMCA organizations with specialized access to Wintergreen's educational materials and furniture through a dedicated login portal at ymca.wintergreen.ca. This partnership serves YMCA's childcare programs, before/after school care, and family programming needs.
- Heart and Stroke PartnershipminorPartnership with Heart and Stroke Foundation aimed at promoting health and wellness in educational settings through appropriate furniture and learning materials.
- Métis Nation of OntariominorPartnership page exists for Métis Nation of Ontario, indicating a collaborative relationship focused on educational materials and resources for Métis communities.
- Econo-Coop PartnershipminorPartnership with Econo-Coop focused on cooperative purchasing arrangements for educational materials and furniture.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wintergreen Learning Materials competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lakeshore Learning Materials: Major U.S.-based manufacturer and direct-to-customer retailer of early-childhood classroom furniture, manipulatives, and learning materials. Wintergreen distributes Lakeshore products in Canada under a sub-brand, making them both a supplier partner and a direct competitive threat via cross-border e-commerce.
- Kaplan Early Learning Company: U.S. specialty retailer and distributor of early-childhood classroom furniture, learning materials, and play equipment. Directly comparable in target customer (early learning centers, preschool programs) and product mix to Wintergreen's early-learning assortment.
- Discount School Supply: Direct-to-customer retailer of school supplies, classroom furniture, art materials, and early-childhood products. Closely comparable business model to Wintergreen's e-commerce-first approach serving teachers, child-care centers, and schools.
- Nasco Education: Catalog and online distributor of educational supplies, instructional materials, and classroom equipment serving K–12 and early-learning markets. Highly comparable institutional sales motion and product categories to Wintergreen.
- ETA hand2mind: Manufacturer and retailer of hands-on learning materials, manipulatives, and classroom resources for K–8. Overlaps directly with Wintergreen's flash cards, manipulatives, and teaching-aids category.
- Children's Factory: Manufacturer of early-childhood and classroom furniture (cribs, cots, activity tables, chairs) sold through distributors like Wintergreen. Direct category competitor in the early-learning furniture segment Wintergreen sells through OECM Category D.
- Community Playthings: Manufacturer of high-quality wooden early-childhood classroom and playground furniture sold through specialty education distributors. Comparable in the durable, institutional-grade early-learning furniture Wintergreen supplies to Ontario schools.
Broad incumbents
- School Specialty: Large North American distributor of educational supplies, classroom furniture, and instructional materials to K–12 schools. Overlaps with Wintergreen's core categories (school supplies, early-learning furniture) but operates at much greater scale across the U.S. and Canada.
- Brodart Supplies & Furnishings: Long-established North American supplier of library and classroom furniture, supplies, and equipment to schools and libraries. Overlaps with Wintergreen's furniture and supplies categories through a broader institutional portfolio.
- Office Depot / OfficeMax Business Solutions: Mass-market office and school supplies retailer with a dedicated B2B education division. Competes with Wintergreen on consumable school supplies, stationery, and basic classroom items, though lacking the early-learning furniture specialty.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Wintergreen Learning Materials social profiles
Digital presenceWintergreen Learning Materials financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wintergreen Learning Materials leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Wintergreen Learning Materials funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wintergreen Learning Materials M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wintergreen Learning Materials
What does Wintergreen Learning Materials do?
Wintergreen Learning Materials distributes and retails educational furniture, classroom supplies, and learning materials sourced from multiple manufacturers (including Lakeshore, Kids by Design, and the Allora Collection) to Canadian educational institutions, childcare centers, and YMCA organizations. Sales are facilitated through an owned e-commerce platform, direct phone sales, and pre-negotiated GPO procurement contracts (OECM and Kinetic GPO) that simplify compliant purchasing for publicly funded organizations. The company also offers its branded Complete Classrooms® service for end-to-end classroom setup solutions.
Is Wintergreen Learning Materials a public or private company?
Wintergreen Learning Materials is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Wintergreen Learning Materials founded?
Wintergreen Learning Materials was founded in 1977. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wintergreen Learning Materials based?
Wintergreen Learning Materials is headquartered in Bradford, Canada, in the North America region.
Who are Wintergreen Learning Materials's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lakeshore Learning Materials, Kaplan Early Learning Company, Discount School Supply, Nasco Education, ETA hand2mind, Children's Factory and Community Playthings. Broad incumbents are School Specialty, Brodart Supplies & Furnishings and Office Depot / OfficeMax Business Solutions.
Does Wintergreen Learning Materials have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wintergreen Learning Materials.
What industry is Wintergreen Learning Materials in?
Wintergreen Learning Materials's product category is Educational Supplies and Furniture. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAIAA, Classroom & Student Furniture (Desks, Chairs, Tables, Storage), with a secondary code of EDAEAIAB, Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives). Its NAICS code is 459410 and its SIC code is 5712.