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windsor plywood

Windsor Plywood of Surrey will be leasing the retail space formerly used by Garibaldi Building Supplies under a five-year agreement announced Wednesday.

Windsor Plywood of Surrey will be leasing the retail space formerly used by Garibaldi Building Supplies under a five-year agreement announced Wednesday. According to Windsor's operations manager Al Wightman, the Function Junction store will primarily focus on providing interior finishing items such as doors, molding, exotic wood and cabinetry. There will be a small supply of building materials, such as 2X4 lumber, available. "This store will not be like Garibaldi Building Supplies or Mountain Building Centre," Wightman says. "It will not be a building supply store. The GBS lumber yard is not part of the lease agreement." He believes the store will appeal to those finishing new homes and anyone wanting to spruce up an older home or condo. "We'll have pine and oak doors in many colours, not just all-white steel doors, but we will carry those, too." A staff of six will be hired initially to operate the store seven days per week. Wightman says some former GBS employees are being approached by Windsor owner Randle Jones to work with Windsor employees relocating to Whistler. Windsor Plywood is not unionized, but Wightman says the former GBS employees they hire who wish to remain members of the International Woodworkers Association can do so if the IWA lets them. In business since 1969, Windsor Plywood is a Canadian-owned and B.C.-based company with 66 stores in B.C. and Washington State. Most of the stores are franchises, but 17 are still operated by the company. The Whistler location will be operated by the company, but Wightman says it could be franchised to the right person at the right time. For now, Wightman expects to operate on the lease for five years plus another five. "We're looking to be here for a long time. We're not really trend-tied," he says.