40 years.
It’s a milestone for a Lac La Biche business that two of its current owners have yet to reach themselves.
Devin Tardif turns 34 this year. His sister Andrea is also years shy of the benchmark that is being celebrated at their family-run Lac La Biche’s Home Hardware location. While the siblings are carrying on the family tradition, mom Louise was there on April 24, 1984 when her late husband Denis Tardif and his brother David opened Lac La Biche’s Home-All hardware store.
That family tradition started by the brothers is a foundation of the long-serving local business that’s as important today as customer service, selection, community involvement and great prices, says Louise.
“We see the community and our customers as extended family,” Louise said.
She loves the interactions with customers.
“Every day, I love seeing all the new faces … old ones too. I’m a real customer person - I like talking with everyone,” she said with a smile.
And a smile is one of the most important parts of a business that continues to grow and expand after 40 years. A smile is just as important, Louise says, for the customer as it is for the staff.
“Over the years we pride ourselves on having a friendly and welcoming staff. When customers know they are being helped by friendly and knowledgeable staff, they will come back,” she said.
Over those same years, she said, there have been many changes in the community, the store and in technology.
While online shopping has had an impact on the local retail market, she says customer service and a good selection of products continues to keep the Lac La Biche Home Hardware location busy.
“People want to go where they feel welcomed. They still want to look and touch the products, and they want that good customer service,” she said.
Devin agrees — and not just because his mom does. Devin has been part of the management team since 2011. He’s seen the ups and downs of the retail world and the community where he lives. He’s proud of the family tradition behind the local store.
“I think it’s great to be a part of the community. To offer services and local products to our neighbours and visitors — and to do it so well for so long — it’s a good feeling.”
Speaking to Devin on a busy Thursday afternoon at the local store, the interview is interrupted by the store speakers calling out stockroom and pickup orders.
“…Customer coming around for eight 4-by-8 seven-sixteenths OSB…”
Other customers come into Devin’s open-to-the-store office area, asking about prices on paint, sizes of specific bathtub fixtures and how long the sale will run on garden tools. He even gets a few questions about items they don’t stock — discontinued belts for long-discontinued lawnmowers — and the cost to pave a 70-foot driveway.
Devin scribbles down part numbers, phone numbers and details onto sticky notes for a couple of questions, promising to have answers back later that day. For others, he jumps on his phone to another Lac La Biche business, finding answers and if they can help, sending the customers there.
“If we don’t have it, we can get it,” he said, “But if I know it’s in town and the customer needs it, I’ll call another store — I’d rather have them shop in town than go look for it in the city or Amazon.”
Devin says it’s almost always this busy, going back to the construction of their current location — a move from the original store across the street — in 1999. Since his dad and uncle opened Lac La Biche Home-All in 1984, the customer base has continued — “… customer coming for 12 deck boards and four four-by-four eight foot browns…” — to grow, he said, tilting an ear up to the ceiling speaker as he continues, saying that home building and home renovations have been a constant through changing times and economies, “When times are good, people build, when times are tough, people build and repair.”
The family-run store has also grown with that demand, Devin said.
In 1984, Lac La Biche Home-All opened with 1,660 square feet of retail hardware space and 3,500 square feet of building material. In 1992, they boosted the hardware side to 4,400 square feet. The move to the new building in 1999 came with the Home Hardware branding and saw a retail space of 5,000 square feet. In addition, the new store offered more than 15,000 square feet of outdoor lumber and stock storage spread over two locations.
The increased retail space has also meant increases in the local workforce.
“Our staff has gone from just a few to a dozen — and now we’re up to 30,” he said, explaining that — “… Customer pickup on a Chelini dual-flush toilet- white… Chelini dual flush white …” called the cashier, the third announcement of a toilet sale in just 20 minutes.
The staff must know a lot about toilets?
“We have to know a bit about a lot of things, and we learn something new every day,” said Devin who puts power tools as his favourite section in the store.
Louise likes the greenhouse in the summer, and Christmas decorations in the winter.
Andrea is more about the office administration, the books and HR.
They all agree that staff who work at the Lac La Biche Home Hardware — and there have been many over the 40 years, including several current, red-shirted helpers who have been there for more than 15 years — must all have one important attribute to keep up with a family tradition that continues to grow.
“They have to be energetic,” says Devin.
It’s the same attribute shared by the late Denis and David Tardif when they opened the doors and looked to the future 40 years ago.
Community appreciation and anniversary sale
The special anniversary, the family tradition and community appreciation will all be celebrated this weekend as the Lac La Biche Home Hardware officially celebrates 40 years serving the community. The celebration will feature free food, some entertainment, great sales, and lots of smiles.
“We’ve got some great sales for this anniversary,” said Devin, grabbing his advance copy of the next Home Hardware flyer made specially for the occasion. “I shouldn’t show you this- but you’ll be saving 70 per cent on th –“
“I need …10 lengths of the 10-inch white vinyl eavestrough, customer coming around …”
Devin gets up. He’s got work to do.
