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Richard's Building Center celebrated 22 years as a Sexton Member this November. We asked Owner, Richard Jonasson, to look back on his time with Sexton and he has many memories of how his membership started, and the things he has experienced since that time.
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Richard learned about Sexton Group 22 years ago, in conversation with a business associate about Steel Roofing and Siding who recommended to Richard he look into joining the group. Richard learned about what Sexton had to offer, and how they leveraged group volume buys to get their members competitive prices. Shortly after, Richard's Building Center became a member of Sexton Group.
Like many of Sexton's long-term members, Richard has gotten to know many of the individuals on the Sexton Group team from both the early days of the business to the present day and is uniquely connected to the history of the business through its people. Bob Mondy, who was the first General Manager at Sexton Group beginning in Sexton's founding year of 1985, was the one who first connected with Richard when he was looking into joining the group.
"Good people" is one thing Richard names as a reason he has remained with the group for over two decades. He has felt supported throughout the years by the different team members he has interacted with. He names Bob Mondy, Joe Collerone, Steve Buckle, Eric Palmer and Dave Leonzio as just a few of the many team members he has worked with over the years.
When caring for a family member who was in a serious accident took up Richard's time and attention, Richard says Sexton was respectful of his shifting of priorities, which relieved some of the business pressures he felt he was balancing while also trying to be there for his family.
Another factor in Richard's decision to stick with Sexton Group was that Sexton was an advocate for him as a new business.
"It's a competitive industry, and I was a new business with competitors in the area who may not have been so happy I was there. Sexton was always supportive of our success as the new kid on the block."
A lot of memories have stemmed over 22 years, but for Richard some of the most memorable have been the in-person events that this industry is famous for. The WRLA Showcase is one event that Richard has attended, and having the show nearby in Winnipeg has allowed him to travel up for the full length of the showcase the past few years, allowing more opportunities for him to do business.
Sexton Member Conferences have also been a highlight for Richard.
"I would recommend the trips to anyone, the opportunity to connect with some of these Vendors one on one at these events I feel can make the difference. The more support for our businesses the better."
Aside from the business benefits of the trip, Richard has also had a lot of fun with other members, exploring the different locations of the Bi-Annual Conference. When Richard attended the 2022 Conference in Riviera Maya, Him and now wife Josie had a great experience, and decided to return to the same location for their wedding one year later.
Richard's Building Center is not only a Sexton Member of 22 years but as a long-standing business of 42 years. We asked Richard what advice he can give for those coming into retail business ownership in the industry.
"My advice to any business owner in this industry would be to find your niche. Find the things that you can do that make your business stand out from the rest. There will always be commonalities between the competition, but if you can expand into a service your competitors don't offer, it will draw people in, and then you have the chance to keep them coming to you for everything else."
Thank you, Richard's Building Center, for 22 years of membership! Here's to many more years of business success.
