Honorary Colonel Mark Phillips

Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron, Honorary Colonel

Originally from Lionel Town, Jamaica, HCol Phillips and his family originally settled in Ontario. Shortly after, he was looking to incite his adventursome spirit and sought opportunities on the west coast of Canada.  After over twnety years in the west, he moved back to Ontario in 2003 choosing Trenton as “home” and the place to raise his family. He began by opening a “Central Canada” distribution center for Mystical Distributing Company Ltd.  Today he is President of the company, having been involved in the fireworks business now for thirty-four years, building Mystical into the largest fireworks distributor in Canada, selling products from coast to coast. With a worldwide footprint and distribution network, his company also owns a manufacturing facility in Cambodia, South East Asia, a sales office in West Lothian Scotland, and a warehouse in Utah, United States. HCol Phillips entrepreneurship extends to several other local businesses, either as an owner or a partner, including; a home construction and land development company called Wooler Homes, a real estate company franchise called Property Guys, an online sales company called Shehlev Retail Brokers, and Trenton Self Storage, a company that builds and operates self-storage units.

A very active member of the community, HCol Phillips is a past Rotarian and a lifetime honorary member of the Kiwanis Club. He sits on the committee of the YMCA Strong Kids campaign and is a strong supporter of many local causes, including involvement with the local hospice, and both the Trenton and Belleville Hospital Foundations. HCol Phillips currently serves as a board member on the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation. Well known and highly respected throughout the local business community, in 2020 he was nominated, and subsequently received, Businessman of the Year, and was also awarded a lifetime membership to the local Chamber of Commerce. More recently he received the 'Guardian Angel' award, presented by the local Children's Foundation.

HCol Phillips likes keeping himself mentally and physically fit by spending the early part of his mornings at the YMCA working out and playing squash. In his spare time, he enjoys entertaining his friends and travelling with his family.