The Ultimate Deck Shop opens a second location in Saskatoon.

July 08, 2020

In these uncertain times, it is great to hear that many of our members are doing well. The Ultimate Deck Shop, for example, opened a second location in Saskatoon on April 27, 2020.

Shane Chapman and Wade Laurent had kicked around the idea of going into business together for a couple of years before their dream became a reality. At the time, Wade was already his own boss as a finish carpenter, and Shane was a full-time Marketing Analyst at SaskTel and a part-time deck builder on the evenings and weekends under his company Fresh Decks.

“I was passionate about the decking industry, but frustrated by the lack of new decking products being brought into our market at the time,” says Shane. “I also felt there was an opportunity to provide a new and unique shopping experience for customers that they wouldn't get at a box store. So I pitched the opportunity in the market to Wade, who in turn provided the ‘Let's Do It!’ attitude, and we were off to the races to figure out how the heck we were going to pull this off.”

The Ultimate Deck Shop opened its doors in Regina on April 2, 2016. Before they opened, Shane and Wade remember it being a whirlwind of learning, late nights, and just trying to do all that they had to do to open a lumber yard in a few months. The Ultimate Deck Shop sells outdoor living and building materials to homeowners, do-it-yourselfers, contractors, home builders, commercial projects, and anyone looking for high-quality materials at guaranteed low prices and with quality service.

A second location was always in the plans

he Ultimate Deck Shop focused on the success of their first location in Regina, which has now outgrown not one but two locations. They felt there was another opportunity awaiting in Saskatoon, and knew that if they waited until they were 100% ready, that it would never happen. “I just sat down with Wade one day, and we began the process of opening a second location. Little did we know that we would find ourselves in the situation of trying to move to a new location in Regina at the same time. As crazy as a decision that was to try and tackle both in the same winter, I'm happy that we did it,” says Shane.

Sexton Group offers value

The Ultimate Deck Shop values the support Sexton Group has given them over the years, especially in the beginning. “In our first year, Sexton was pivotal in helping us figure out the industry,” says Shane. “We were GREEN.  I didn't even know where lumber yards bought lumber from, and I hadn't heard of a "Taiga" before. Wade's dad told us we should join the Sexton Group, and we said: "the what now?" One of the first formal meetings we had was with Dave Leonzio to learn about what Sexton could do for a little startup like us. The value we found in the group right away was Dave.  We had confidence after that meeting that Dave was going to be our navigator.  We knew we could call Dave, and he would have or would get an answer for us. I would say at this point, the value we get from Sexton has changed. We no longer necessarily need that industry insider to lean on, but it's still an excellent relationship to have in our back pocket.”