Newly-opened Chimo Building Centre topped off a week of grand opening celebrations in Carlyle with a “board cutting” ceremony, Friday, June 8 with Carlyle Chamber of Commerce President, Nicole Currie doing the honours.
“We're excited to welcome this well-respected, customer service-oriented and community-minded business to Carlyle,” said Currie. “And we wish them every success.”
Owners Don and Brenda Horvath are no strangers to the building business. The couple also own and operate a Chimo location in Wawota, which has served that community and beyond for 40 years.
“It's our 40th year in Wawota and our first year in Carlyle,” says Don Horvath. “We assist our customers with all building needs, large or small. We are continually introducing new products with the aid of our very helpful and loyal vendors.”
“Our staff are a big part of that, too,” he says. “We try to treat our staff properly, but at the same time, we expect a high level of customer service from them - which we're proud to say translates into loyal, long-term staff who take pride in learning and serving our customers, whatever their building needs. Right now in Wawota, our staff member who has been there the shortest length of time has been there for five years and the longest has been there 15 years.”
“Our son Dean also works with us doing the books and our daughter Delaine, her husband and our grandaughter are in Regina,” adds Horvath. “So we're a longstanding business who serve customers from throughout Saskatchewan.”
The opening of Chimo's Carlyle location featured a week of grand opening festivities, starting with an on-location live broadcast with Estevan's CJ 1150 Radio, as well as visits by manufacturers' representatives throughout the week, in-store specials, and numerous door prize draws.
The Horvaths also invited volunteers from Crescent Point Leisure Centre to the final day of Chimo Carlyle's grand opening week to host a barbeque lunch in support of the pool.
“We are happy and proud to be a part of this vibrant business community,” says Don. “And we hope to continue to do our share and to contribute in that respect.”
Former Carlyle mayor Ron Paul was in attendance at the board cutting. Paul and his wife Lois Paul built the current Chimo building in 1999 and ran a lumber business there until 2006.
Longtime friends of the Horvaths, the Pauls were delighted to see Chimo come to Carlyle.
“We'd both like to congratulate them,” says Lois. “And it's wonderful to see their commitment to the business and to see it go from strength to strength.”
“It's really gratifying to see them in the building we built,” adds Ron. “They've been friends of ours for a long time. We belonged to the same buying group and we always got along. It's great that they've brought their business to Carlyle.”
Horvath says his goal as a new business owner in Carlyle is simple.
“Our vision is to improve customer service and selection - that the people of Carlyle and area deserve,” says Horvath. “We're here for the long haul and we want to make things better - as a business and as a supporter of the community.”
