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Thursday, November 26, 2009
HUNTLEY ADDIE: 329: It's a bigger number tahn you think, really
posted by BOFarrell at 9h29
by Huntley Addie
Three hundred and twenty-nine, he said.
Stumped, we paused in our conversation, which, at this point, had been rolling along without a hitch. We were at a barbecue celebrating the graduation from university of my wife’s cousin and her best friend. The guy I was talking to was Marc Mercier, the best friend’s father. He and I were sitting on a swinging chair. I was rocking my baby to sleep.
The fact that I have chosen to take a year off work to spend with my daughter had been the initial impetus for our conversation.
“How’s business?” I asked.
Three hundred and twenty-nine was his reply. He then sipped his drink, the glass lingering at his lips for a few extra seconds before he continued.
“That’s the number of families counting on me to make the right business decisions to ensure their paycheques go out every two weeks.
“Interestingly enough, for this year, and maybe even the next few, that number 329 is all that really matters.”
He had me at three.
Mercier is a West Island boy who has made good and is working very hard to keep it that way for everyone who depends on him. Born in Pointe Claire, he went to St. Bernard’s Elementary and then to St. Thomas High School.
A government position offered to his father brought his family to Africa, and he to Geneva to finish school. He returned to Africa to stay for a few years after his parents returned to Canada. It was, of course, because of a girl he had met, and eventually married.
“Cost me two chickens and a duck,” he smiled, “but it was well worth the investment. We’ll be celebrating 28 years of marriage in December.”
Mercier now lives in Kirkland and has been the president, CEO and owner of Dumoulin Electronics for the last 13 years.
In 1996, he left his very secure position at Sony that he had occupied for 17 years and bought three Dumoulin outlets.
“I took a big jump to being my own boss, so to speak, in the very insecure world of retail. I wanted to be an entrepreneur – and to play golf, to be honest. And, to this point, it’s worked out quite well.”
His decision was initially a relatively small business decision. Thirteen years ago, Dumoulin was just three locations and 17 million in sales. Now, with 137 locations from coast to coast and commercial divisions in the U.S., the total company sales exceed $400 million.
Small business or big, these are still, to steal a little from a Chinese curse and Robert Kennedy, “interesting” economic times.
Today is American Thanksgiving. It is not only a day to watch football games from Detroit and Dallas, but also the official start of the Christmas shopping season.
The Friday following Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, as businesses try to climb out of the red into the black ink of profits. In theory, it’s all supposed to be earnings from tomorrow through Christmas. The massive sales happen because of over stock, presumably paid for already. Selling everything from here on in makes it a harvest, so to speak, of sales to get everyone through the bleak mid-winter that follows hard on the heels of red and green lights, jingles, tinsel and reindeer.
Mercier understands this out-of-the-red concept very clearly. It’s directly linked to the number 329. Whatever is happening in our neighbour’s backyard cuts into our landscape.
“This year has been a challenge due to the economic climate, but we have managed to keep our people and cut in other not-flesh-and-blood areas.”
In my opinion, stopping any blood loss closest to home is the best way to stay out of the red.