AMS Building Centre in Daajing Giids is now part of RONA rather than Ace Hardware.
The Daajing Giids store has been serving Haida Gwaii for over 35 years, providing hardware and building supplies for new construction, renovations, and repairs.
Owner Mark Goetzinger worked alongside his parents for years, helping the business grow before assuming full ownership of Aaron-Mark Services Ltd. this year.
“Joining RONA made the most sense for us, and we believe it makes the most sense for Haida Gwaii as well,” Goetzinger told Haida Gwaii News.
Joining the RONA Buying Group will allow the store to supply more products and at consistently excellent quality, Goetzinger said in a press release. Choosing to become a Rona dealer means AMS can do that and still be 100 per cent locally owned, he added.
The store and its sales strategy will be slightly redefined to offer more than 350 new products.
“As part of the RONA Buying Group, we can now provide a much greater and consistent selection to island residents, and they can view a huge selection of items online,” Goetzinger said.
Anyone who shops online and has things shipped to Daajing Giids store won’t be surprised by shocking shipping charges.
“There is always a cost for shipping items to Haida Gwaii, but we have worked with RONA and freight companies to keep the costs as low as possible,” Goetzinger said, adding that the website pricing will reflect the landed cost for most items.
RONA Haida Gwaii currently operates a 5,000 square-foot retail space and 2.5-acre lumber yard. They plan to use all that space for the new product options.
“We are also confident that RONA’s outstanding distribution network and business development support will place us in a great position to grow our business in the future and gain market share,” Gotezinger said.
Gotezinger hopes to eventually have the store open six days a week, but says it completely depends on staffing and his priority is the wellbeing of current staff. Goetzinger added he is always looking for more people to join the diverse team at the store.
Started outside Montreal and named after co-founders Rolland Dansereau and Napoleon Piotte, RONA now supplies 425 stores across Canada. It is owned by the U.S.-based Sycamore Partners, and last year acquired stores formerly branded as Lowe’s.