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Monday, November 21, 2005 ❑ Santa Monica Daily Press
LOCAL COMMUNITYPROFILES PROFILES, from page 1
Bourget, 68, was born in Santa Monica in 1937. For the first years of his life, he lived in a house at 1820 15th St. Bourget’s father, August, a gardener, moved in 1921 with his wife Salina and their children from Canada in search of a better life. “He wanted to find gold,” Bourget said, smiling. “They came down here with another French family, looking for better prospects.” August worked hard as a gardener and became successful. Bourget said history also played a hand in his father’s good fortune. During World War II, Japanese families living in Southern California — some of whom supported themselves by gardening — were interned at camps for the duration of war. Due to a lack of gardeners in the market, August managed to expand his own operation. Upon the Allied victory, the Japanese Americans were released and many of them returned to Santa Monica to work as gardeners. Looking to expand his opportunities, August used his savings from gardening and opened his lumber store in 1947. August bought a small building — from which the rest of the Bourget family business expanded — from the Swanson company for $300. A friendly man with a hands-on attitude, Bourget works in an office in the rear corner of the family’s lumber store, located at 1636 11th St. A dedicated businessman throughout most of his adult life, Bourget attended a parochial elementary school and St. Anne’s Church growing up. He went from John Adams Middle School to Santa Monica High School, where he graduated, and spent one year studying at Santa Monica College before throwing himself into the family business. He hasn’t looked back since, until a few years ago, when he took a breather from his operation. When he did, however, the store’s success began to slip. “So, I went back to work,” Bourget said.
What kind of community work have you done? “I was involved with the Boys & Girls Club for years. It was great. One of my big duties was organizing the annual Halibut Derby for Santa Monica Bay. All of the proceeds went to charity. “I still hold the world record from one of the halibut I caught, a 50-pounder on a 15-pound fishing line. Organizing the Derby was hard work, though, kind of like a full time job. I think the 16 years I organized it was enough. “I still like halibut fishing, but it’s not the same. There are less halibut out there, and it’s from all of the over-fishing. We tried to
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do something about it years ago, but Fish and Game didn’t listen. “It’s a terrible thing that’s happening out there in those ocean waters.” What other business are you up to? “I’m expanding my lumber lot and stone lot. I’m trying to make it easier for our contractors to get in and out. I have a few properties around here that I’m trying to make the most use of, but it isn’t easy. Because of the limited space, building is tough in Santa Monica. A lot of regulations. I’m trying to re-work my properties so that those closest to the freeway are where the deliveries and pick-ups occur. I’d like all my employee parking to be closer to the store and office. But it takes years to get projects approved and moving through the city, so I have to take it one step at a time.” Is it easy to work with the city? “Let’s just say that in Santa Monica it’s great to have friends who have friends who have friends. It’s taken me three years to get my (stone lot) approved. It’s a great city, but the planning department can be slow. There are a lot of regulations, and some of it doesn’t make sense. “When I was working with the city (to get my stone lot approved), they kept wanting me to put in green landscaping around the perimeter of the lot. I told them I was willing to put in brick next to the sidewalk, because it would look nice, but no one would have to take care of it. They said they didn’t want brick, but I told them brick would be better than nothing. So, I took pictures of the areas around my lots that (don’t have anything) next to the sidewalks. It looks terrible. Weeds, trash. So, they finally agreed on the brick.” What do you think about the day laborers hanging around your store? “As long as they are there to find work, I don’t mind them. The city approved some port-a-potties a few years ago, but we have yet to have seen them. The problem is that some of these day laborers aren’t actually waiting around to work. They’re drunk, pissing on the sidewalk, some of them selling stuff they are not supposed to be selling. A lot of them are there to work, and that’s great. My customers pick them up
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and it’s good for everyone. But those who are there by the afternoon, it’s clear they’re not going to be working. “I suggest the city set up an enforcement program whereby the day laborers are welcomed between, say, 7 and 11 a.m. Those who have not found work for the day by then likely will not. They will more likely get into trouble. Those who loiter after lunch should be subject to fines. I think that would do a lot to remedy the situation.” Why are you closing the jewelry department? “We decided we could serve most of our customers better if we used the space to sell more building supplies. Right now, we have a lot of contractors who come here. They pick up a cart and barrel though the store. They know exactly what they have to get, and they know exactly where to get it. They’re in and out of here really fast, and it makes for good turnaround. It helps them as contractors and us as a business. “The problem with the jewelry department is that it’s a slightly different market and different customer base. A lot of them are long-time customers, and I’ve appreciated and respected their business over the years. I know a lot of them well. But it’s a different kind of business, and we are growing, we may not be suited for it. The customers at the jewelry department come in and take their time looking for the materials they need for their jewelry and crafts. It’s a smaller profit margin with a longer turnaround time. So, we decided it was time to make more of our limited space. “But, it’s been a good business, and I regret in many ways what this will mean for these (jewelry) customers. There are not a lot of stores like ours in the area which have been able to serve all of their needs. You see all of that jewelry in there? It’s a one-stop shop. A lot of these customers can’t find all the stuff they are looking for in one place. Now that the department is closing, they will have to go to five different stores to find what they’ve been able to find here. It’s a bit of an inconvenience. But I’m offering this liquidation so my oldest, loyal customers can have first pick at what they want.”
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The changes Bourget has made to his lumber store in the past two years have been good for business, but some decisions — such as to close his jewelry department — will likely disappoint some of his customers. Bourget recently decided to close the Jewelry Craft Supply Department — established within the lumber store in 1961 — in order to create more room for his mainstay business, building materials. The shop has been considered a great source for buying bulk jewelry-making supplies, and in some ways Bourget said he is sorry to let that portion of his business go. “We considered it a great privilege to have served local jewelry, craft and rock hound enthusiasts for so many years,” he said. To help make the transition as smooth as possible, Bourget is liquidating his entire jewelry stock. The goal is to close shop by Dec. 31. With one loss, however, comes another gain. “We’ll be able to better stock our builders with more of the products they need,” Bourget said. Outside work, Bourget leads a full life too. Bourget’s wife’s name is Deborah. It’s his third marriage, and he has 10 children. He continues to work full time and has also been active in the community. He served as a board member for the Boys & Girls Club for 16 years. He enjoys fishing and for years organized the annual Halibut Derby. His golf game’s good and he says it will be getting better. “I plan on getting to the golf course at least one day a week,” he said. “I’m a 14. Soon to be 12.”
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