Phil Woolcocks has been a business owner for about a decade now.
After leaving his young career position as a firefighter and paramedic, his first business adventure was UpNorth Nutrition which, at a new location downtown, soon became Gym 906/UpNorth Nutrition in 2015.
Woolcocks continues to expand his footprint in the Sault Ste. Marie by recently purchasing Barish's Footwear and Apparel which is conveniently located next to Gym 906/UpNorth Nutrition. The deal was closed on Aug. 1.
"I had an opportunity to work at Barish's for about a year before I ended up purchasing it. I had an understanding of the boots and the types of leather and how to break in leather. I stay up long nights learning, trying to study that stuff but I think my success is more about just talking to people. It's huge. If you are going to sell somebody a pair of boots or some work clothes and you can't have a conversation with them about what they are doing, then it's going to be a hard transition. I love to talk so it's very second nature for me that if somebody comes in I talk to them, ask them exactly what are they looking for," Woolcocks explained.
Woolcocks and his wife Caity are co-owners in the new adventure. They have already added new apparel lines to the store.
"The first couple months were like a rollercoaster because I was trying to rebuild all these relationships to let people know that Barish's is here to stay. It's not going anywhere. We were here back then. We were here for the meet and greet. And we will be here for the future," Woolcocks continued.
Their oldest child, who is only 11, is anxious to help at the new store.
"She told me 'Dad, I don't want to work the gym anymore. I want to work Barish's'. So I am hoping that we can transition her to working here. She already told us that she is coming to work here next summer. It will be super cool to see this continue down the road for many years to come," Woolcocks said.
Woolcocks believes the key to success is product selection and, even more so, excellent customer service that will keep Barish's around for years to come.
"Barish's has always been a staple in our downtown and I didn't want that staple to disappear. I didn't want it to end up like the 'House of Bargains'. It was a staple in this community and before you knew it, poof, it was gone. There was no fighting for it. It was just gone. We feared that was going to happen to Barish's. You walk out the door and see this concrete stamper that says 'Barish's 1913'. It strikes you. Unfortunately, these stores across the United States are dying and if I knew if there was something I could do to prevent that, I would. I want to see that footprint for many more years," Woolcocks concluded.
Woolcocks also recently opened up an arm of Gym 906 in Pickford. Not completely satisfied with only offering gym services to the Pickford area, he is planning on opening a smoothie bar and eventually a roller rink in the 8,000-square-foot building he owns.
For more information on Barish's and the specials they offer, click here.
