McArthurs 75 Years Strong

75

Years Strong

By Mary Savage

“We don’t want satisfied customers … we want happy customers.” ~ Darin Pound, third-generation owner McArthur Fine Furniture and Interior Design

W

hen Darin and Robert Pound sat down to talk about their family business, it was in the office that had once been their grandfather’s, Ernest (Ernie) Sissons. In 1961, Ernie bought a small furniture company from Gerry McArthur and laid the foundation for what it has become today: McArthur Fine Furniture and Interior Design.

Seventy-five years later, Darin and Robert are third-generation owners – they purchased the business from their mother. And as they talk about McArthur’s, an undercurrent of excitement fills the office. They are passionate, focused and hard working – and they are determined to operate with the same ‘standards of excellence’ that their grandfather and parents possessed.

As the oldest, independent family-run furniture businesses in Calgary, it is a proud accomplishment to see the third generation holding the reins. Transitioning a family business to

Robert and Darin Pound, third-generation owners of McArthur Fine Furniture. Photo by Mary Savage.

McArthur Fine Furniture | 75th Anniversary

Robert and Darin in their Calgary location. Photo by Ewan Nicholson Photography.

the second generation has a success rate of about 30 per cent, and when that same business is transitioned to the third generation, only nine per cent succeed.

Darin and Robert are young, ambitious and driven, and as the astute businessmen reflect on the family operation, they feel as though they’ve been involved with McArthur’s for a lifetime – and perhaps this has contributed to their success.

“We grew up around the business – it’s never really felt like we’ve been away from it,” says Robert Pound, general manager, Calgary store.

In 1980, when Sarcee Trail marked the southwest edge of town, Ernie and his wife Caroline built the massive twostorey Georgian-style building that spoke to their love of ‘grand old architecture.’ At the time, Darin was four and Robert was two, and their earliest memories recall the carefree days of playing ‘hide-and-seek’ in their grandparent’s larger-than-life store.

After high school, both Darin and Robert attended postsecondary education. Darin pursued his carpenter’s ticket and then enrolled at ACAD – combining his two passions: wood and art. Robert earned his degree in public relations and after working in their respective industries for several years, both men eventually found their way back to the family business.

By the early 2000s, the economy was on an upswing and business was strong. Their mother, Theresa (Sissons) Pound, had just opened a new store in Airdrie along with running the Baby Boutique in Okotoks – and they needed some help.

“We could have continued with our careers or returned to a business that we knew and loved,” remarks Robert. “To contribute to the business and execute our ideas was an exciting proposition. Both Darin and I had been away from it for several years and coming back, we looked at it with new eyes.”

However, shortly after taking over the business, the economy took a nosedive and 2008 is a year the brothers will never forget. “We took over the company on the brink of the recession. Our mother had just opened the new store in Airdrie when they handed over the keys … and she said to us, ‘if you can survive the recession, then everything else should be a little easier’ and we learned how to survive … even though it felt like trial-by-fire some days,” recalls Robert.

It’s been nearly a decade since the brothers returned to the company full time and although many things have changed, there are a few things that remain the same.

“Our level of service has never changed and that’s always ‘priority one.’ We are very proud of what we sell and we want the customers to be proud of what they’ve purchased.

Our customer service mantra is simple: we will take care of you – period. And in 75 years, that has never changed,” says Darin Pound, general manager, Airdrie store.

“We have third-generation customers: their grandparents bought from our grandparents, their parents purchased from our mother and now the third generation is purchasing from us,” notes Darin.

“We like to think our name stands for quality and that our customers share this mentality, but we are much larger than

McArthur Fine Furniture | 75th Anniversary

“Our customer service mantra is simple: we will take care of you – period.

And in 75 years, that has never changed.” ~ Darin Pound just a furniture store,” adds Robert. “We understand the different phases of a customer’s life cycle – from being newly married and starting a family to empty nesters. Regardless of their budget, we strive to offer a merchandising mix of ‘good, better, best’ and it’s easily incorporated into their lifestyle and budget.”

But McArthur’s is also a ‘design house’ wherein you will find in-house interior designers ready to assist with the selection of styles, textures, colours and sizing. McArthur’s provides a comprehensive palette of different styles, trends and looks, but it also reflects a range of price points too.

As Robert has observed, furniture trends and styles are always changing – it’s a fashion business. “All of the things going on in the world influence furniture and we carry over 50 vendors, but we only showcase about one per cent of what’s actually available,” he notes. “There is so much available to our customers – thus being a design house – so when a customer conveys a specific look, we make that happen.”

For McArthur’s to be a leader in quality furnishings, it means ensuring their best sellers are on the floor. “We are ‘catering to demand’ and people want to see, touch and feel the furniture. There are numerous finishing options – fabric, leather, wood … you name it. As well you can customize the height and size,” adds Darin. “We encourage our customers to let their imaginations run wild and then we help define their ideas.”

For Calgarians, there is a greater emphasis on transitional to contemporary designs and many customers want a younger and fresher look. McArthur’s is finding success with traditional forms that offer a transitional design – the legs and arms are a little straighter and it’s a cleaner look, but it’s steeped in traditional design.

“At the turn of the century when mission furniture first hit the scene, it was considered contemporary – for its time. It’s very sleek and its foundations are rooted in contemporary design, but it’s always changing and that’s also very exciting,” says Robert.

“Years ago, customers needed to be educated, but today our customers are very savvy. They have found the merchandise in magazines, clicked on the web pages and they know what they want,” he continues. “We have moved away from being the purveyor of knowledge – now we are reaffirming, educating a bit more, filling in the gaps and our job is to be more of an advocate for the consumer.”

In turn, one of the strongest traits you will find among McArthur’s salespeople is the ability to listen. “It’s understanding how the customer lives – and that’s our job. The

customers are far more active, so the job of sales is far more important today than ever before,” adds Darin.

“When a customer purchases a sofa, it becomes a part of that person’s home. They purchase the sofa because they love it and when that customer is ready to buy again, they are not going to think about the sofa, they are going to recall the experience – and that’s what pulls them back. We sell quality furnishings, but more than that it’s the service we provide,” Darin notes.

And that level of service is something that both Robert and Darin are very proud of – they strive to be service leaders with their customers.

“What makes us different?” asks Darin. “It’s called ‘Selling 101’ which means you take care of your customers,” he continues. “Products come and go, but the foundation of our business is our compass. It may sound old and tired, but it’s truly about the relationships you build with your customers and our customers have peace of mind because they know they will be looked after – and that’s what matters.”

And as Robert notes, the level of customer service goes hand-in-hand with the job they do every day. “We are turning someone’s house into a home and that’s pretty cool.

With the experience and skill set we provide, we are doing something that’s profoundly unique and that has to be taken with care,” he asserts.

“We are helping people create a space that is comfortable and relaxing, but it’s also a space where they are going to raise a family and have all these significant events – and we have to cherish the opportunity to help them. And when we talk about being a leader in Western Canada, it’s this philosophy that is going to help us get there,” he adds.

Looking forward, both Darin and Robert have big dreams and as they so eloquently observed, you have to have a ‘great big goal’ in order to continually grow. “Our goal is to be the western Canadian leader, even if that goal doesn’t feel attainable today – it’s still on the horizon,” says Robert with a smile.

As McArthur Fine Furniture and Interior Design celebrates their 75th anniversary, they would like to take a moment to extend a note of gratitude to all the customers, employees, business partners and the community at large who has helped them achieve this milestone.

“We’ve been very lucky to have worked with so many great people! We have inherited some great relationships and we have worked hard to cultivate new ones – and we are proud of all those relationships,” adds Darin with a hint of excitement. •

McArthur Fine Furniture | 75th Anniversary

67 Glenbrook Place SW, Calgary 403-246-6266

75

Years

141 Gateway Dr. NE, Airdrie 403-960-1030

mcarthurfurniture.com

www.hurstconstruction.ca

Proud to have constructed your 11 Avenue facility after the fire, and now the Airdrie sales and distribution center!

Congratulations to McArthur Fine Furniture on 75 Years of success!

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Congratulations on 75 years!

200, 2107 Sirocco Drive SW, Calgary AB T3H 5P1 403.229.0947 • whaag@telus.net

The Hooker Family of Companies

We gratefully appreciate our partnership.

www.arthomefurnishings.com

Congratulations on achieving 75 years!

From all of us at Lane Quinn Benefit Consultants Ltd.

congratulates

McArthur Fine Furniture on Phone: 403.261.6084 | Fax: 403.264.1027 www.lanequinn.com

75 years

of serving the Calgary community

McArthur Fine Furniture | 75th Anniversary