Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Bringing business to the mountains
JF Ravenelle
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
Most Popular Local
- Thieves strip $20K worth of copper wiring from gravel pit
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- Pukatawagan RCMP looking for two dangerous suspects
- Gang members get lengthy sentences for jailhouse beating
- Ex-Bomber sued for $4.8M
- WWE's Jericho breaks code in Brazil
- Every year 4,000 children reported missing in Manitoba
- Ex-Hydro boss slams closure
- Union Station to receive $6.5-million makeover
- Man hit before fatal blow, friend testifies
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Cyclist killed in collision on Higgins identified
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- A SHED is not enough
- Football star's fatal punch probed at manslaughter trail
- Cyclist killed in Higgins Avenue crash
- Sex-scandal inquiry to be heard in city
- Winnipeg man recovering after campground bear attack
- Severe storm warning issued
- Man hit before fatal blow, friend testifies
- Boozy night out, lying cost city man big bucks
- Neighbours shaken by two deaths
- Teen hit by vehicle on Pembina
- Rapid buses rattling homes
- Severe storm warning issued
- Has Gimli gone to pot?
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Cyclist killed in collision on Higgins identified
- Triple whammy hits homes
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- Pukatawagan RCMP looking for two dangerous suspects
- Ex-Hydro boss slams closure
- His life made our world a better place
- Cyclist killed on Higgins Avenue was passionate mentor, volunteer
- At 100, she's still winning friends and winning at bridge
- Band, council defy feds on aid
- Hydro headquarters named Canada's greenest office tower
- Katz ponders sanity of new rules
- Ex-Bomber sued for $4.8M
- Prairies top preventable deaths list
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Pooch paradise, where champion beagles run free
- His life made our world a better place
- Winnipeg man recovering after campground bear attack
- Scientists lash Harper government for pulling plug on Experimental Lakes Area
- He was enjoying view, bear came out of blue
- Weeding out the chemicals
- Diplomat saved thousands from Hitler
- U of W rejects copyright deal as 'money grab'
- Chemicals not par for the course
- Bear pulls camper from outhouse, before being shot
- Has Gimli gone to pot?
- Pooch paradise, where champion beagles run free
- His life made our world a better place
- Scientists lash Harper government for pulling plug on Experimental Lakes Area
- RRC's old gem a beauty
- Attack on hockey ref nets jail time
- Our Village is as good as it gets
- Judge faces second complaint
- Winnipeg man recovering after campground bear attack
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.
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; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.