Christine Grouhel doesn’t just build fences; she builds relationships with her community and customers. Since 2014 her business, Fence 'N More Supplies Ltd has been helping her neighbours in the Interior and Okanagan build fences that give them security, peace of mind, and add to the beauty of their property.
What first started as a side gig, quickly turned into a full-time family business for Christine and her husband, a retired RCMP officer, to keep up with demand. With the support of their small community behind them, they continued to grow, finding new ways to expand their business.
“Logan Lake has become our extended family. We wanted to be able to offer an exceptional service, with premium products our community deserved, and by a trusted source, at a fair price. I am grateful for the support everyone has shown to enable us to grow and expand. Our business has allowed us to make many new friends along the way. We protect what’s important to you.”
Inspired by the opportunity to connect with other like-minded women and build a network to support each other, Christine joined the WEC Mentoring program.
“The company is growing fast, and I wanted to hear how other women were able to make the transition. What worked for them, what didn’t and why? I wanted to learn from others how to be able to make better, informed decisions moving forward.”
“Through WEC’s mentoring program I gained confidence in myself as a successful businesswoman. I also learned there is no ONE right way; If something does not work, go back and try again, and again, until you find what works for you and your business.”
After her experience, she noticed tremendous growth in herself and her business. When affected by external obstacles, she was able to successfully revisit the company’s direction.
“With the pandemic putting a damper on businesses and everyone trying to figure things out, it forced me to look at our business to see what we could control, what we could implement, and how to move forward, one step at a time.”
"As it turned out, folks were wanting to beautify the surroundings that they were now confined to. Rather than a trip or extracurricular activities, they invested in a fence, which not only protected what was important to them; it gave them a private oasis, curb appeal, and added to their property value!”
The pandemic also opened opportunities to expand her knowledge through WEC webinars and online courses. She learned how to work ON her business, rather than IN her business. Despite the hardships of the past couple of years Christine believes in seizing every opportunity because hard work does pay off.
“We started to come out of the pandemic and the fires hit! Things slowed down as fencing was understandably not top of mind, until now. The damage is still being assessed and folks are starting to re-build, but another stumbling block is supply and shipping.
Finding suitable staff with our same values has proven to be a challenge this year; however, we won’t give up and continue to do what needs to be done to help where we can.
We are forever grateful for the understanding and most importantly, the support of our community to keep our local business moving in the right direction.”
Fence 'N More Supplies Ltd, services all of BC and is currently expanding. Over the next 5 years, Christine hopes to pass the reins of the business to her daughter to manage. By then, the company will have a solid foundation in BC and beyond.
To connect with Fence 'N More Supplies Ltd:
Facebook - @fencenmore
Instagram - @fencenmoresupplies
Address:
10520 Hwy 97D, Old Meadow Creek Road, Logan Lake, BC, V0K 1W0
Between Kamloops and Merritt, in the interior of BC, at Exit 336, just 5kms toward Logan Lake
