Owner: Gary Thulin
Location:  Campbell River, BC

The Business

Campbell River, BC’s Pioneer Home Hardware has been in business since 1937. The family-run retail hardware store and building centre has enjoyed great success, and has expanded three times since 1988.

Pioneer is part of the Home Hardware Stores Ltd. organization, which is a Canadian dealer-owned group with approximately 1050 stores across the country.  The business was recently named the local Chamber of Commerce’s Large Business of the Year and also received the Environmental Sustainability Business award.

The Founders

Pictured here are Glen, Dean and Gary Thulin. The store has collected numerous awards in the past year, including: Large Business of the Year, Environmentally Sustainable Business of the Year, Proud of my Home Achievement Award and the Paul Straus Public Relations Award.  Gary is also the recipient of the local Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leader of the Year award.

Gary Thulin and his brothers, Glen and Dean are third generation owners of Pioneer Home Hardware, with Gary’s daughter Allison recently joining the team.  The family has had a long history of running businesses in Campbell River, starting with Gary’s great-grandfather who opened The Willows Hotel in 1905.

The Small Business BC Connection

Pioneer Home Hardware receives tremendous support from the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce, and Gary has been a board member for several years.  The business also receives support from its local BNI group and Rotary Club.

Businesses like Pioneer can also benefit from getting involved with organizations like Small Business BC, which offers support in the form of seminars with other local business owners.  Gary believes this type of involvement is important for staying on top of new trends and ensuring business success, whether your business is just starting up, or is already well established.

Entrepreneurial Advice

Gary believes his business is able to grow and compete with big box hardware stores partly thanks to support received from local organizations like the Chamber of Commerce.  He also found that becoming part of the Home Hardware network provided many opportunities to enhance the business and educate staff.

He highly recommends starting a business in the Campbell River area, which offers an incredible lifestyle for anyone interested in outdoor recreation, arts and culture.