When Réal Thériault founded Matelas Dauphin 53 years ago, he and his wife didn’t have much time to sleep.
In the first few years they worked 364 days a year, only taking a break at Christmas to bring a beautiful, large family into the world, whose children now help take over the family.
“We will take the torch soon. “Réal’s retirement is planned for December,” says Steven Thériault, who serves as managing director and has worked full-time in the family business since 1992.
When he arrived after studying industrial relations at university, Quebec was in recession and the only job available was as a delivery man. There were only three or four mattress stores back then, nine times fewer than there are today.
“I always wanted to work for the company and told my father about it at a very early age. Réal told me that if I wanted that, I would have to go to university and get at least a high school diploma. He did well, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have studied!” trusts his son.
From door to door in the countryside
Réal Thériault himself entered the world of commerce while studying industrial design. One of his brothers-in-law owned a mattress company. Réal started buying him some. He filled a truck and went door to door in the countryside to resell them.
After his marriage, as a young father, he decided to open his own production factory.
“I told my wife that we would make our own mattresses. I rented premises in Charny. From Thursday to Sunday we made mattresses. On Sunday evening I picked up the truck and set off again towards New Brunswick or Lac-Saint-Jean to sell them,” he recalls.
It took a dozen years and a team of about ten traveling salesmen traveled the streets of the province with their supplies of Dauphin mattresses.
“In 1968-69 the women were at home a lot and we were well received. “After that, in the 1980s, they went into the job market and since there weren’t many people at home, we had to think differently,” the entrepreneur remembers.
Open shops
This is how Matelas Dauphin entered the retail sector with its first store on Saint-Joseph Street. Today there are 27 across Quebec and two factories produce the goods. The company also sells mattresses to hospitals, hotels and the trucking industry.
“The world often tells us that where we are is beautiful, but it gets better from one day to the next. Did we think how far we would go? “It just happened when I was trying to move forward from one day to the next,” philosophizes Réal Thériault and also thinks that the loyalty of several employees helped.
“It’s like a family. We have an employee who will be celebrating his 50th anniversary with us! Many have 30 years of service,” emphasizes Steven.
The secret? “You should never see us as bosses, but as friends, friends, coaches! We all know them, are interested in them and appreciate them,” says Réal, who likes to start his day with joy.
MUCH
Is entrepreneurship for you…?
Réal: “Start a project and invest the energy in its implementation. If you want to do something, you have to put in the hours, and if you overanalyze, you’ll never get into business.”
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be…?
Réal: “See more young, passionate people who enjoy working.”
What are your biggest passions outside of work?
Direction: “Collecting works of art, hunting, fishing, forest.”
Steven: “The forest, fishing, motorcycles and travel. My partner and I travel a lot as a family.”
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