The story of immigration is often also the story of reinvention. Despite their comfort, stability, and professional success, Magali and Natal grew discontent with life in their country, Brazil. They arrived in Prince Edward Island through the Provincial Nominee Program, which required them to open a revenue-generating business as a condition for their migration.
Magali, with a background in management, owned and operated a successful business for over 23 years in Brazil and had 25 employees at the time she sold the company. Natal, a mechanical engineer, built new and innovative designs mostly involving internal combustion engines. He had also obtained the patent for the Low-Temperature Turbo Charger (LTTC), which enhances the efficiency of internal combustion engines and reduces the production of greenhouse gases.
Having had these successes, they thought that building a “boring business” would be the best way to ease into the unfamiliar environment in Canada. But fate had other plans. Once the officials at the Summerside City Hall got wind of Natal’s background and Magali’s skillset, they urged them to reconsider their plans to open a retail store. And with that, Upcycle Green Technology was born.
Upcycle Green Technology’s first assignment was to convert some of the light trucks in the city’s fleet to electric vehicles, but the costs were too high. Since then, the company has pivoted to creating small electric pickup trucks by converting used Toyota Corollas manufactured between 2009 and 2013. This model of consumption and production is a key part of the circular economy and attempts to make modern life less wasteful.
In doing this work, the couple are not only innovating but also educating customers. Upcycle, although based in PEI, is certainly building for the world and helping us all move towards a cleaner and greener future and tackle climate change, the most existential global challenge of our time.
Written by: Elizabeth Iwunwa
Photography: Greg Ellison, Ellison Media
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