Fifteen years ago, Éric Deslongchamps left St-Lin in Lanaudière to become the owner-merchant of the RONA in Mont-Laurier. Three years later, he became the owner of the RONA in Rivière-Rouge and, in 2019, the RONA in Maniwaki. Those are choices he certainly doesn’t regret making. Quite the opposite is true!
“I grew up in the hardware field with my father and grandfather. I have always liked serving customers and resolving their problems. When you manage to do so, it’s quite gratifying. So when an opportunity came my way at age 32 to buy the RONA in Mont-Laurier, I jumped at the chance. The RONA stores in Rivière-Rouge and Maniwaki create a synergy that benefits both our regions, the Gatineau Valley and the Upper Laurentians, both in terms of inventory and services we can provide. Our savings are interrelated.”
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The regional service offering is still growing
The RONA in Maniwaki is in the same building where a RONA was located in the 1990s. It was therefore the ideal choice to set up a new business in the Gatineau Valley. To add to his service offering, Deslongchamps acquired Briques et Pierres Laurentides-Outaouais in Notre-Dame-du-Laus in late 2020. It specialized in landscaping and masonry.
“That company offers a wider range of products than what is available in RONA stores. Our customers are located in the Gatineau Valley, Upper Laurentians and Gatineau. I’m always looking for opportunities to find companies or projects that make sense with the main business, which focuses on construction and renovation. My objective is to do likewise in our regions. They’re great regions where you can prosper in business.”
“QUALITY OF LIFE IS BETTER THAN IN THE MAJOR URBAN CENTRES, NOT TO MENTION MORE AFFORDABLE AND LESS STRESSFUL.”
Internet access in the region provides many opportunities
Deslongchamps doesn’t hesitate to say that people are proud of their region. “Those in urban centres have a false perception of people living in regions. The way I see it, they love their region and don’t hesitate to invest in their businesses to keep up with the major centres. More and more services are being offered, which makes it easier to hang on to customers.”
As a nature and water enthusiast, Deslongchamps describes a quality of life that is better than in the major urban centres, not to mention more affordable and especially less stressful. With the pandemic, he reports he saw many residents winterize their cottages or simply rebuild them to make it easier to telework. “The unavailability of high-speed Internet was an impediment in the past, but that’s no longer true today.”
“THOSE IN URBAN CENTRES HAVE A FALSE PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE LIVING IN REGIONS”
Business successions provide attractive opportunities
Éric Deslongchamps credits his team for the great success his businesses have had. “When you go into business, you have to like what you’re doing. That’s applies to me. You’ve got to be passionate, work hard and surround yourself with good people. The 150 employees I have are the most important asset in my business, and I’m lucky to be able to rely on a tremendous team.”
With a reconstituted family, he has four children, and two work in his businesses. “Succession is very important in business. It’s too early to say whether they’d be willing to take on more responsibilities. You know, I acquired the RONA stores in Mont-Laurier and Rivière-Rouge because the former owners, the Constantineau and Daudelin families, did not have any successors. That often happens with businesses, and they’re great opportunities for someone wanting to go into business without having to start from scratch.”
“YOU’VE GOT TO BE PASSIONATE, WORK HARD AND SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GOOD PEOPLE”
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