Proving that small-town doesn't mean small-time, Dalas Forget's MEDIchair Ltd. franchise in New Liskeard is turning heads across Canada as his humble location rolls onto the national stage.
Specializing in wheelchairs and related products, the Northern Ontario home medical equipment supplier has drawn accolades and interest from its peers, vaulting Forget to a position of national prominence.
"I tend to want to see the bigger picture beyond just my store and into the community and I think that's helped the business grow," says Forget, who serves on the board of directors for MEDIchair's national advisory council's, and is one of just two representatives from Ontario.
"You can only do this with the right people involved, and I think that's been a big part of my success."
It's a far cry from his previous life teaching at a mountaineering school in India and working as an investigator for a local law firm.
In 2003, Forget saw the opportunity to be his own boss and purchased the regional MediChair franchise from its previous owner. His coverage area now reaches just north of Kirkland Lake, to Temagami to the south, east to the Quebec border and west to Matachewan.
It soon became clear that this career shift was more appropriate than he could have expected. Forget's prior experience in heli-biking and outdoor recreation put him ahead of the curve within his current industry, where mobility technology is several years behind the cycling world.
Using his newfound expertise, he built up his clientele, using 900 square feet of space scattered across offices and warehouses throughout town.
Business grew until July 2008, when Forget decided to purchase a single centralized facility, a 6,300-square-foot site encompassing his showroom, administration, service and warehousing. As part of the move, he also purchased a local footcare business, also located under his new roof and working in tandem with his MEDIchair business to handle customers.
The move increased staffing levels to nine full-time positions, spread across service, sales and his new division.
"Before, if clients wanted to see a piece of equipment, we'd have to go and fetch it from the warehouse and bring it to the store. Now, everything's right here, and with our new offices, we can interact with clients in a much more private and personal setting."
The move has also improved his standing among his peers, who in January gave him the 2008 Harry Mykolaishyn Best Dressed Store Award. Forget's store beat out more than 60 other stores from large national centres in Toronto and Calgary, largely as a result of his focus on his store's appearance as well as consistent advertising and branding .
The award also served to recognize Forget's efforts above and beyond mere appearances, as he places a strong focus on staff education. Staff members are regularly sent to week-long training sessions at Okonomowok, Wisconsin and Magog, Quebec in order to keep up to date on the latest industry trends and technologies, such as vehicle lifts and porch lifts.
These efforts are important, Forget says, as costs are relatively uniform across the industry thanks to government involvement. This means that one of the only areas in which a business can truly differentiate itself is service, which can often involve client education as well.
"The big challenge in this industry is that it's really a needs business. People often don't consider it until much later than they should have, usually when they have an urgent need, when they could reduced their future needs just be being better informed."
