This summer, the owners of Pontiac’s own homegrown hardware and building materials store are passing the torch to the next generation.
In June, ownership of Materiaux JLS officially transferred from its founders, Jean-Guy LaSalle and Connie Gutoski to their son and daughter-in-law, Patrick LaSalle and Ashley Pasch.
LaSalle and Gutoski started the business 32 years ago, opening their first location on Highway 148 in Bryson. Since then, they have grown their business to include a second location in Mansfield.
The new owners have been involved in managing the business for many years already, but as of June 1 are officially behind its steering wheel, which will enable its now former owners to assume less involved roles and ease into retirement.
Gutoski said the young couple is taking on the business with a large bag of tools, LaSalle being a civil engineer and Pasch having a communications degree and experience in digital development.
Pasch said that years ago she and her husband Patrick had a decision to make: to continue with their respective government and engineer careers they had established for themselves in Ottawa and Montreal, or to move back to the area where they grew up and commit to the business.
“We thought about it a lot,” she said, explaining they ultimately chose the life they believed would make them happiest – taking on the family business.
“If people don’t move back to invest in infrastructure and business [in the Pontiac], you know, there won’t be much in the area.” Pasch said.
When Pasch joined the business eight years ago, the busy back office she and Patrick now share was empty, testament to the business’s growth, she said.
“We’re expanding, we’re busting at the seams. But it’s good, it means things are rolling,” she said.
Pasch assured day-to-day operations will remain the same going forward, but that she and Patrick are not afraid to make additions.
“Patrick and I’s goals going forward are definitely very adventurous,” she said.
Some of these additions include digitalization efforts such as adding online shopping features to their new website, which will launch on July 16.
“We live in a very demanding world now, where when people dream of their project, they don’t want to wait a week,” Pasch said, explaining an online store will make it possible for people to start planning their projects.
“We’re excited for them,” Gutoski said about the launch of the online shopping feature, noting this is the right direction for the business, as an online option is now the expectation of the average consumer.
Pasch said the new initiatives they are planning are welcomed by her parents-in-law.
“At this point in their careers, they’re super satisfied and proud of the business they’ve built. And they enjoy seeing us have the spark to try these new, invigorating things.”
Gutoski said in retirement she and her husband will be around to be available to Pasch and LaSalle if needed, but they’re also going to do some travelling, starting with a trip to Ireland this fall.
“We’re still here to support them should they need it, but that’s about it. It’s time for somebody else to have a vision and an idea. We had our vision when we started all those years ago. [ . . . ] Now that’s exactly what we wish for them,” Gutoski said.
“We’re super excited that it’s being passed on to family, but also that both naturally have ingrained in them the kind of community activism and support that we have done throughout the years. [. . . ] And I think that’s probably what makes us the proudest is, you know, that they’re fighting to make a good offering here, to the people right here.”
