Callbecks Home Hardware Building Center Dealer-Owners, Duane and Dave McDonald

Hardlines Associate Editor Geoff McLarney and President, Michael McLarney, interview Duane and Dave McDonald, Dealer-Owners of Callbecks Home Hardware Building Centre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island about the 125-year history of Callbecks, how Ron McDonald and now his sons, Duane and Dave have taken over and expanded by adding the banner of Leon’s Furniture. They speak of how they fit into the community on Prince Edward Island.

Listen in for a story of a family offering hardware and furniture under two of Canada’s most familiar banners.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

[:31] Geoff McLarney and Michael McLarney welcome Duane and Dave McDonald, Dealer-Owners at Callbecks Home Hardware Building Centre in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

 

[:55] Callbecks is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. It went through three generations of the Callbeck family. Duane and Dave’s father Ron started with Callbecks over 52 years ago and worked his way up into acquiring the business. Duane and Dave joined him over the years.

 

[1:28] Duane and Dave have worked in the family business for over 25 years. About 10 years ago, Ron started stepping back to retire. Duane and Dave are in charge now. Ron stays available to advise them and to look at the numbers. He has a lot of irreplaceable knowledge.

 

[2:19] The Callbecks owned a Callbecks Furniture store in Bedeque. In 1988 or ’89, Callbecks Furniture went to the Leon’s Furniture banner and then moved to Charlottetown in 1990. About 10 years ago, they sold it to the Murphy Group.

 

[3:16] In 2008, Ron had an opportunity to put a furniture store in Summerside. The Callbecks owned the Leon’s Furniture store while Ron owned the Callbecks Hardware Store. Ron couldn’t put a Leon’s store into the market, so he put up a Home Furniture Store, which the McDonalds kept under that name for 15 years.

 

[4:01] On February 1st, 2024, Home Furniture went to the Leon’s Furniture banner, after the Murphy Group exited the furniture business. Leon’s approached Home Furniture to take over the franchise in the market.

 

[4:59] When the Murphys exited the furniture business, they sold the property they had been using for Leon’s so that location was unavailable. Duane and Dave converted their existing Home Furniture Store to Leon’s Furniture in Summerside. They flipped the store from the Home Furniture banner to the Leon’s Furniture banner.

 

[6:18] Leon’s is the biggest furniture group in Canada. That gives the McDonalds lots of opportunities for growth and more access to more products for their customers.

 

[7:04] You’re listening to What’s In Store, a podcast from the Hardlines Information Network. This episode is brought to you by Jeld-Wen.

 

[7:24] Duane and Dave closed the Home Furniture location as of January 31st and they were closed until February 28th. They had to change signage and change their computer system to Leon’s computer system. Staff training was the biggest thing. It was a new way of doing things.

 

[7:58] Besides rebranding, they remerchandised the store and trained staff to get ready for the transformation. They opened on February 28th as Leon’s Summerside. They had just completed an expansion of the store before rebranding to Leon’s.

 

[9:01] Leon’s opened up a lot more vendors they weren’t able to access before. Leon’s is the biggest furniture group in Canada, and with the Home Hardware business, Duane and Dave feel they have the best of both worlds with the two best banners in the businesses they operate.

 

[9:59] With switching to Leon’s, Duan and Dave have seen an influx of customers that they didn’t see before. Leon’s advertising is helping. The furniture and hardware businesses complement each other. “From foundations to furnishings,” they can help you with everything you need.

 

[11:13] They run the stores independently, in separate buildings. They do their advertising and marketing together as the Callbecks Group. The stores are side by side, separated by a street.

 

[12:27] The stores go hand-in-hand. There’s nobody else on Prince Edward Island with such a complete offering. This is modeled after what Bill Callbeck and his family originally did with their hardware and furniture stores. The McDonald’s are carrying on the Callbecks tradition.

 

[13:37] Callbecks is not a box store. They have their name, Callbecks Home Hardware, and marketing, and it means something in the community, having been around so long. Callbecks is known on the island.

 

[14:17] Geoff and Michael thank Duane and Dave for taking the time to share their story with What’s In Store. Geoff thanks you, the listener, for joining us at Hardlines for this episode.

 

About Us: 

What’s in Store is a podcast series of the Hardlines Information Network. Today’s episode is brought to you by Jeld-Wen.

Resources:

Hardlines.ca

Geoff McLarney

Michael McLarney

Guests: Duane McDonald, Dave McDonald

Callbecks Home Hardware Building Centre

Leon’s Summerside

Sponsor: Jeld-Wen

 

Quotes:

Callbecks is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. — Duane McDonald

 

In 1988 or ’88 Callbecks Furniture switched over to the Leon’s banner and they were in the Bedeque location as Leon’s until 1990. — Dave McDonald

 

We were able to join Leon’s. Leon’s is the biggest furniture group in Canada so that gives us lots of opportunities for growth. — Duane McDonald

 

We just basically rebranded. We were here for 15 years; at this location where we are now for the last 10 years, so we just flipped it from one banner to the Leon’s banner. — Dave McDonald

 

With switching to Leon’s, we have seen an influx of customers that we didn’t see before, which is great! — Dave McDonald

 

We’re not a box store, right? So we have our own way of marketing and we’re Callbecks Home Hardware, same as other stores are their own name and it means something to the community, especially since we’ve been around so long. — Duane McDonald