A painter varnishes some trim on the exterior of the new Westcoast Home Hardware Building Centre in the Alberni Mall, Tuesday afternoon.

A painter varnishes some trim on the exterior of the new Westcoast Home Hardware Building Centre in the Alberni Mall, Tuesday afternoon.

Help from close to home

When the new Home Hardware opens at Alberni Mall this week, owner Jan Lavertu can say the interior was built entirely with local contractors

Westcoast Home Hardware owner Jan Lavertu takes his company’s motto, “help is close to home”, to heart. So much so that when the new Home Hardware opens at Alberni Mall on Johnston Road this week, Lavertu can say the interior was built entirely with local contractors.

“We didn’t go outside of town looking for people,” Lavertu said. He used 12 independent businesses in the Alberni Valley, including West Beaufort Contracting as general contractors.

“What’s ironic is some of them were cheaper than the guys out of town,” he added.

Home Hardware has tripled in size and Lavertu said now they will be able to display items like kitchen cabinets, so people can see how they will look.

editor@albernivalleynews.com

Alberni Valley News