2404 BOUL. ST. JOSEPH BLVD. ORLEANS, ONTARIO (613) 837-1567 Denis Hébert (prop.)

VENTE ET SERVICE DE BICYCLE BICYCLE SALES & SERVICE QUALITY CROSS COUNTRY SKI PACKAGE PROFESSIONAL SKATE SHARPENING

FOR ALL YOUR CYCLING NEEDS!

When Denis Hébert opened his first bicycle shop in Orleans 16 years ago this month, Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister. The New York Islanders were about to win their second of four consecutive Stanley Cups, led by local boy Denis Potvin. Orleans was a small town. Today, Trudeau is long gone from Parliament Hill, the Islanders are awful and Orleans is a bustling community of 60,000 people. And Denis Hébert, owner of Orleans Cycles on St. Joseph Boulevard, is selling more bicycles than ever. It's a long way from the day Denis, after graduating from university with a marketing degree, decided to open a business with a loan from his dad. "When we started, there were practically no businesses in Orleans” says Denis. "There was an opportunity to open a bicycle shop, so I did. Every year we grew and grew and business got better and better. We’ve been very happy with how things have turned out." Of course, as Orleans grew, so did the number of places that sold bicycles. The competition today is tough, Denis says, but even so, he had his best year ever in 1995, selling more than 1,000 bikes.

Denis says it all comes down to treating customers right. He and his wife Carole regularly put in 16-hour days at the store, making sure people are happy and repairs are done properly. "Service after sale is very important," he says. "We sell a good product and our customers are treated like they should be. Honesty is very important. If you tell customers the truth right away, they'll always come back. Denis deals in all kinds of bikes, from BMX cycles to mountain bikes and hybrids, ranging from $100 to $1,300. He and his staff do all repairs on the premises and offer a full range of parts and accessories, from helmets to locks. Summer is the busy season in the store, and Denis has as many as nine employees in the peak months. In winter, the store sells cross-country skis and does ski tune-ups and skate sharpening. The business has changed a lot in 16 years, but one thing has always remained constant - Denis' commitment to serving his customers. "I’m always here," he says with a smile. It's nice to know some things never change.

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