‘Full steam ahead’

Sherwood Timber Mart growing more quickly than expected

Sherwood Timber Mart has been hammering away at early success.

The store opened May 23 after purchasing the assets of the struggling Sherwood BMR.

Chief operating officer Jillian Sexton says her summer has been frenzied, but in a good way.

“The thought was always to get the store back to being successful,’’ she says.

“Things are moving full steam ahead. Business has picked up more quickly than expected.’’

Sexton says when she took charge of the property there was not so much as a two-byfour in the lumber yard.

A strong construction season has certainly helped Sherwood Timber Mart get off to a good start with 75 per cent of the business coming from selling lumber to contractors.

“The Island is booming, which is great,’’ says Sexton.

“It’s really almost hard to believe the construction going on in P.E.I.’’

Sherwood Timber Mart has the buying power of Timber Mart, which is the largest national member-owned building supply-buying group in Canada.

Still, Sexton has had a difficult balancing act in trying to get her new business off the ground while keeping watch on two Nova Scotia stores – Hector Building Supplies in Stellarton and Pictou – where she also serves as chief operating officer.

“It’s been the craziest summer of my life,’’ she says.

“The hope is that we will continue to grow, to prosper and need more people, but you want to do it (expand) in a smart way.’’

Not only did she manage to save all 18 jobs that were in jeopardy of disappearing when Shaw’s company, Sherwood Building Supplies Ltd. filed for bankruptcy, she is set to fill two additional full-time positions within a month.

Renovations and reconfiguration continues in the store with a grand opening set for Oct. 14.

“We wanted a fresh look for a fresh, new business,’’ she says.

“We wanted things to be settled and organized before having the grand opening.’’

“The thought was always to get the store back to being successful. Things are moving full steam ahead. Business has picked up more quickly than expected.’’ Jillian Sexton

JIM DAY/THE GUARDIAN Jillian Sexton, the chief operating officer of Sherwood Timber Mart, carted her sidekick Bo to work all summer as she worked to grow her new business. The business opened in late May after the assets of the struggling Sherwood BMR were purchased from a...