Peggy Dingreville and Bill Ullman
Lundbreck, Alberta
"The force of his own merit makes his way" – Shakespeare
What Willie is saying in the above quote is - You have to be good at what you do!
Owners, Peggy Dingreville and Bill Ullman, of Obies General Mercantile Ltd. in Lundbreck, have been good at providing great products, pricing and service to the local people since taking the reins of the business in 2008.
They provide gas, grocery and general items, prepared foods and an ice cream station, as well as being the local Post Office.'
Obies employs a staff of eight for most of the year but in the busy summer months, as the local camp grounds get busy, two seasonal employees are added. Anne Molnar serves as the manager and keeps the staff and store working smoothly year round.
Sometimes sudden opportunities emerge in the business world, and if you are good at what you do, you seize those opportunities.
Bill and Peggy saw the paving crews and the fleet of trucks supplying the crews working on the regional roads, and realized that Obies General Mercantile could provide fuel and food for those crews. Such an increase in business requires capital and that is where Community Futures Alberta Southwest was able to help.
Peggy and Bill put together a good business plan that modeled increases in inventory and sales for the duration of the road paving crew’s work assignment. The crews were fueled and fed, and were able to pick up the items that make being away from home less of a burden.
Sometimes opportunity knocks, other times it just drives up and down the roads and you have to pay attention to notice. If you are good at what you do as an entrepreneur, you listen for the knock by paying attention to regional activity.
When you perceive the opportunity, as Obies General Mercantile did, and come up with a plan, Community Futures is ready to help
