By NICK STEWART
Creating a successful business often means being willing to take a wild leap into the unknown.
It’s a strategy that has certainly paid off for Michelle and Denis Duquette.
The two co-owners of the Timmins-based EnviroStructure Systems took a chance seven years ago when they both retired from their jobs to create their greenhouse and shelter construction business, and they’ve never looked back.
“It was quite the change, but it’s been very enjoyable,” Denis says with a laugh.
“I think everybody should have two careers in their lives.”
After building a small greenhouse in their backyard to grow their own fruits and vegetables, the pair started seeing more and more requests from friends and neighbors to have greenhouses built for them. Interest grew to the point where a small business seemed viable, leading Denis to leave a management position with NorthernTel after 25 years, while Michelle left behind a 26-year career as a registered nurse.
Using local materials alongside special plastics from Quebec-based Harnois Industries, the Duquettes began to build greenhouses and boat shelters throughout the Timmins area until Harnois invited them to begin selling the company’s custom-design car shelters.
Rapid success over the course of just one year found them being asked to act as the Northern Ontario representative for the company’s industrial-use MegaDomes.
These special domes, which can reach up to 125 feet wide and 60 feet high, are made of galvanized steel frames and covered with a special UV-resistant fabric. Although the parts are shipped from Montreal to EnviroStructures’ warehouse facilities in Timmins via transport, it’s up to the Duquettes and their staff to assemble them, a process which can take up to 10 days.
While a variety of industries have made use of this particular product, Denis says business from the mining industry currently accounts for a quarter of their livelihood. Clients range from Xstrata to Dumas Mining Contractors. They use the product to cover anything from ore piles to specialized equipment. Part of the appeal, Denis says, stems from the fact that these tent-like structures aren’t taxed at the same rate as a traditional building.
The company also services private residents, and regularly builds large-scale shelters for various levels of government. These include various arena complexes for the city of Timmins, as well as a two-acre greenhouse complex at the Wabigoon First Nation, near Dryden.
Business has been so brisk that during the summer months Denis is on the road more often than not. The company’s coverage area reaches anywhere north of Toronto and between the Quebec and Manitoba borders.
This steady, seven-day-a-week business has allowed EnviroStructures to grow from a two-person partnership to a staff of eight, mostly consisting of family and former high school friends.
They’ve even hired their two sons -- Pat, 28, and Robert, 25 -- who Denis hopes will take over the company some day.
However, the road to small business success hasn’t been without its share of challenges.
Michelle says that, in the early days, she found herself encountering a lot of resistance from customers who perceived her to be less knowledgeable about industrial shelter products, solely because she was a woman in a male-dominated industry. Over time, people have come to appreciate her expertise, as she has built up a reputation, which has since melted away prejudices, she says.
“It was a learning curve, but now we’ve got the respect, I think,” Michelle says. “Most men are appreciative once they understand we do know what the hell we’re talking about.”
Transportation has also been a significant hurdle for the firm. As the coverage area expands across the entire North, the financial burden of transporting parts to the south or out of province can be quite expensive, he says.
To help mitigate costs, the couple have developed a dealer network through 22 communities in the North to distribute their products.
The Duquettes are looking to expand their product line with their own engineered designs. A variety of new items are being designed in-house at EnviroStructures, including fully enclosed all-season gazebos. Denis says the company is also developing low-cost shelters for small aircraft; where many people will spend upwards of $30,000 to house a $25,000 plane, the new shelter is anticipated to cost roughly $5,000.
“More and more people are waking up to the benefits of these kinds of products,” Denis says. “We’re just glad that so many people are asking us to help them.”
