operation. His mother Lise co- owns the business with him and contributes to the direction of the business. “My parents instilled the values of community and service in me from my early childhood. This is a family venture through-and-through,” he says. “My mother has stepped back a lot from the day to day, because she worked hard for so many years but she’s always checking in. The store keeps us together and busy, and I love that we continue to work together.” Buote loves what he does and takes pride in helping his clients achieve their renovation and building goals. It is not at all uncommon to find Buote or the store’s General Manager Jim Clark on the sales floor assisting customers. “Home Hardware emphasizes service, and I just feel good coming to work. A lot of people think of owners being out of sight, but I love being out on the floor. My days aren’t always typical and at the heart of what I do is buying and selling. We pride ourselves on dealing directly with people every day,” he says. Buote considers his customers and suppliers to be partners in business. “We do a lot of contractor sales and finding solutions for our
contractors motivates me every day,” Buote shares. “It’s also a busy retail store, even though we don’t experience the same walk-in traffic that you would expect in an urban location. Like the rest of the Island, we have really been growing a lot over the last number of years. The population growth on the north shore and across PEI has resulted in significant increases in traffic and sales.” Buote credits the talent and commitment of his employees with the stellar reputation and growth of the North Rustico operation. He highlights the contribution of Sandra MacGillivray, a new employee serving as the resident interior designer and says that she has recently brought a new service to the store. “Sandra is a terrific asset and is able to enhance our service offering with her expertise in design. We have also hired Lais Robinson as a drafts person to help with home design and construction plans.” “People used to think that we couldn’t compete with big-box stores like Walmart or Canadian Tire but the brand has come a long way nationally, especially in terms of image,” Buote reflects.
The work they put in to know and service the needs of customers individually is where they shine. “Our focus is on the customer, plain and simple. I’m not an invisible owner off-site, I love dealing with customers and that really distinguishes our store’s shopping experience. We have the products; we have the service and we can hold our own against any larger retailer in the country.” Buote adds. “I am proud to be a part of the Home Hardware family and we look forward to what the future holds for the brand and our humble operation on PEI’s north shore.”
North Rustico Home Hardware Building Centre 7381 Cavendish Rd, North Rustico 902.963.2040 www.nrhc.ca
SPRING 2022 www.pei-living.ca
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