Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Bringing business to the mountains
AFTER a half-century of serving outdoor enthusiasts with their sporting gear in Winnipeg, the owners of Gord's Ski and Bike have decided to expand where much of that equipment is actually used.
"Many of our customers buy stuff from us in Winnipeg and go play with it elsewhere," said JF Ravenelle, the president and general manager of Gord's.
Elsewhere, in many cases, is the Rocky Mountains, so Ravenelle and crew are about to open the doors to their first location in Banff. The 2,100-square-foot store on Banff Avenue in the Cascade Plaza will cater to Winnipeggers on ski and snowboard trips to Lake Louise, Sunshine and Mount Norquay as well as the mountain dwellers, a surprising number of whom need no introduction to Gord's.
"We talked to hairdressers, businesses and other locals (before we decided to come here). It's amazing how many people know this brand," Ravenelle said.
Gary Silbernagel, vice-president of leasing at MDC Property Services, a Calgary-based real estate development boutique that handles the 100,000-square-foot Cascade Plaza, said he was eager to find another ski retailer after Banff Mountain Wear closed down this summer. Gord's name, brand and brand recognition were already very strong in Banff, he said.
"We looked at their track record and liked what they had done. They have a long history in the business, a very successful clientele and business in Winnipeg and a big clientele that skis in the Banff region who could avail themselves to a new location," he said.
"It's a very risky business with a high failure rate these days. Gord's believes in the Banff-Lake Louise area and we thought they'd be a good fit."
Saturday's official opening of the Banff store ends a remarkable run after nearly hitting business rock bottom three years ago.
In the fall of 2008, the previous ownership filed for bankruptcy protection and its two locations, on Donald Street and Kenaston Boulevard, were shut down for two weeks. Ravenelle and a group of enthusiastic, not to mention well-heeled, customers then bought the company out of receivership and reopened it.
And while the market responded enthusiastically, the new owners were saddled with an overabundance of real estate. The Kenaston store's 9,000-sq.-ft. floor plate was far too big for its model and this past April, it moved into a 4,000-sq.-ft. space down the street. The new location not only makes far more sense financially, but the boutique environment enables its employees to provide the kind of service on which Gord's built its reputation.
"We don't sell party hats, napkins or trinkets at giant margins. The things we sell aren't super high-margin items. (The old Kenaston store) was a very expensive proposition from an inventory perspective," Ravenelle said.
Ravenelle has taken on a new partner in the new store, too. Stephen Strachan, who runs The Hardwear Company in Kenora, a similar concept to Gord's, has come on board and brings Hardwear's focus on paddle sports, such as kayaking and canoeing, to Banff.
geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca
Who is Gord?
Gord Reid founded the store bearing his name in 1961 in the basement of the Winnipeg Ski Club on Osborne Street. A member of the Manitoba Alpine Ski Hall of Fame for his contributions to skiing in central Canada, he sold the business in 1988 but stayed involved for more than a decade after. He died following a stroke in 2006.
One of his disciples, current president J.F. Ravenelle, said the current group of employees live by the values he set forward.
"He would say, 'Don't sell crap. Let the other guys sell crap,' " Ravenelle said with a laugh.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 2, 2011 B2
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 19 articles for today)
Stunning cop-shop confession in Charleswood double killing
5:52 AM 0Poll
Most Popular Local
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Two women face rare charges of harbouring alleged murderer
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Li granted additional day passes
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Fight for gay rights a long one
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- RRC hub late, over budget
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Winning 6/49 ticket purchased in Winnipeg
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Restaurant Dubrovnik demolished
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Missing woman's remains found in Point Douglas home
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Bethania CEO put on leave during investigation
- Newly minted MD a beacon for kids in youth program
- They'll be fiddling around
- RRC hub late, over budget
- Paisley tour hitting city in October
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Eardrops and dogs recipe for maiming
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Ochre Beach residents are 'thankful everybody got out'
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- She leads an underwear revolution for African girls
- Ask, don't grab, your partner in old-tyme dance
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google












You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.