BUSINESS. The GJ gas station has been part of the landscape of the municipality of Saint-Cyprien for 27 years. The owners, Ghislain Lapierre and Julie Morissette, hope their local business, the last in the area, will survive into the future as it is up for sale.
“We are proud of what we have built over the last 27 years. “We hope to find a mechanic who is interested in buying the business and taking it over from us,” said the couple, who opened the business on August 27, 1997.
Entrepreneurs at heart, Ms. Morissette and Mr. Lapierre purchased the property on which they built their garage in April 1997. There was a snack bar there that was bankrupt at the time. Ms. Morissette operated on it until the garage opened.
“We had four children aged 3 to 7 at the time and it was now costing us an income. After the garage opened, the snack bar was torn down because we couldn't have two stores on the same property. We started from scratch,” says Ms. Morissette, adding that their great adventure continued 27 years later, they always worked together in the family business.
Business was always good, the couple remembers, even though the city of Saint-Cyprien is not the most populous. “A lot of people encourage us even though we are in a small community. “To this day, we still place a lot of emphasis on rust protection, alignment and automotive certification because there aren’t many of us who do that,” Ms. Morissette continues.
Julie Morissette and Ghislain Lapierre indicate that the sales process is initiated with a real estate agent, with the aim of keeping the garage in excellent condition and having an active clientele that will allow the buyer to make his payments without any problems. “If he works, he will earn money and live well. We have a core customer base that is established and loyal, and I stay with the person for as long as it takes to transition and introduce them to the new buyer,” says Mr. Lapierre.
They have reduced their opening hours slightly in recent years to think about their health. “We decided a few years ago to close at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays so that Ghislain could continue because he has back problems from years of working as a forestry worker,” says his wife.
Start from scratch
When Ghislain Lapierre opened his workshop in 1997, he had no training as a car mechanic. However, he had acquired some basic knowledge by regularly servicing the forestry machines he had previously worked on.
“I also worked for several years at Réal Racine in Sainte-Justine, where I maintained the plows and compressors. In the first few years I worked 7 days a week in the workshop and, in addition to the online training, attended car mechanic courses in Lévis or Montmagny, then at CIMIC. This gave me time to seek out the knowledge I was missing,” he explains.
The couple says they have worked hard all these years. “We lived a good life, we were able to pay for our four children's education, we paid for the cars so they could go to school, we did everything we could for them, now it's time for ours “To think about life,” he continues.
“We want the buyer who comes forward to be as proud as we are because we have invested a lot in this business. We would be disappointed if the business closed after the sale because we started from scratch. In the first few years we worked 7 days a week. We would enter here at 7:30am and stay until 8 or 9pm depending on the day. We didn’t count the hours,” says Ms. Morissette, adding that there was even a kitchen above the main entrance that her father had set up.
“We raised our children here. They came here for dinner and came back here after school. We did our homework upstairs and even had dinner here some nights. They saw us working through the window, even on weekends. They learned everything here, everyone spent gas and worked in the evenings. They still thank us today for everything we showed them because they all have good jobs and enjoy working. They gave us nine grandchildren, that is our pride,” the couple mentions.
People's support is needed
Julie Morissette recognizes that gasoline sales could be better if they are good, because many Saint-Cyprien residents fill up where they work. “Gasoline is good, but it could be better if everyone joined in. It's a question of volume. The residents of Saint-Cyprien come less for the petrol than for the mechanics. For aesthetic reasons, we have a lot of outside and also serve them petrol,” she adds cautiously.
“It makes us proud to see that our business is still operating and is the only truly local business in the community. People's priority is to save gas. It's social and we help people who need it. Everyone uses the service they need. If we were to close it would be sad because we no longer have a school or a grocery store. »
The couple mentions that the arrival of newcomers taking French courses in Saint-Cyprien has also been very beneficial for them, as they make up a significant part of their clientele. “We have developed a good bond with them, but you have to take the time to listen to them. They ask a lot of questions and you have to take the time necessary for them to understand what is being explained to them, because you have to remember that they are learning French. They have learned to trust us. If necessary, we use the mobile phone,” explains Mr. Lapierre.
Development potential
Julie Morissette and Ghislain Lapierre believe their company offers development potential that would allow two people to work together and make a good living. “People would rather repair their cars than buy a new one. This helps companies like ours because people want to keep their cars,” says Ms. Morissette.
The couple added that their property is large enough to even allow a supermarket to be added to the current building. “Until that happens, more people will be needed in Saint-Cyprien,” concludes Mr. Lapierre.
Julie Morissette and Ghislain Lapierre are happy to have been able to continue their business in Saint-Cyprien for 27 years. (Photo La Voix du Sud – Serge Lamontagne)
