Retail Merchandiser Volume 63, Issue 4 | Page 65

_______________________________________________________________________________________________ Lee
Valley Tools
Job satisfaction
“ We understand the journey of creating a positive commercial experience is just as exciting as the end product ,” asserts Gord . “ To that end , we have developed a valuable e-commerce business , which is complimented by a network of 18 physical stores across Canada .
“ We service our stores and fulfil the majority of our e-commerce orders from our facilities in Ottawa , while western US online orders are supported by a facility in Reno , Nevada .
“ To give you an idea of the scale we ’ re talking about ,” he adds , “ we stock and support more than 20,000 products and employ more than 850 people . All while maintaining a reputation for quality and service excellence that any company would envy !”
Gord ’ s passion radiates from his words . Then again , he has a lot to be passionate about . For him , two particular areas stand out .
We understand the journey of creating a positive commercial experience is just as exciting as the end product
“ First , there ’ s people ,” he says . “ One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is the fact I ’ m able to work with so many different and talented people , sharing my experiences with them while also watching them grow and develop into the leaders of the future .
“ Second , there ’ s the satisfaction that comes with bringing about change and creating outcomes that otherwise would not happen . Working with great people leads to great teams , and the reward of knowing I contributed to the accomplishments of the team is always a pleasure .
“ The process of identifying opportunities and developing strategies to capitalize on them is something that has energized me throughout my career ,” he goes on . “ When opportunities are translated into initiatives and actions and you begin to see amazing results … there is nothing quite like it !”
E-commerce explosion Having joined Lee Valley Tools during the pandemic , Gord proves that jumping into the deep end can indeed pay dividends . One thing he ’ s keen to recall is the e-commerce explosion induced by the pandemic .
In his estimation , the e-commerce world advanced more than ten years in the space of eight months during 2020 . Fulfilment centers were overrun with high volumes and customers had to wait days or weeks for parcels to arrive .
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