- Words by Tess Van Straaten Photography by Lia Crowe

Buying not just one, but two businesses, and moving countries during a pandemic might seem like a lot to take on, but for Peter and Lori Stofko, it害羞草研究所檚 a dream come true.

害羞草研究所淭he whole thing just feels like it was meant to be,害羞草研究所� says Peter of their January purchase of and the July 2020 acquisition of .

The couple, who lived in Denver with their two young children and ran a successful real estate business, fell in love with Victoria on a visit several years ago.

害羞草研究所淲e came back from that first trip and we booked our flights to come back, and we were coming here on basically every break that we got,害羞草研究所� laughs Peter, who害羞草研究所檚 originally from Slovakia. 害羞草研究所淲e couldn害羞草研究所檛 get enough!害羞草研究所�

After deciding to move to Victoria so they could have a better life for their family, Peter and Lori started looking for a business to buy. Pacific Rollshutters was for sale and when they came to see it for the first time, they didn害羞草研究所檛 realize it shared a showroom with Ruffell & Brown害羞草研究所攂ut that turned out to be a selling feature.

害羞草研究所淚 walked in and saw Ruffell & Brown and Hunter Douglas blinds everywhere and Lori had been working for Hunter Douglas for six years at that point,害羞草研究所� Peter explains. 害羞草研究所淚t just seemed like a sign.害羞草研究所�

They害羞草研究所檇 done their due diligence, agreed on a price, and were about to move ahead with the purchase when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

害羞草研究所淓arly on, it was scary because people didn害羞草研究所檛 know if a business was still going to exist, so we kind of put everything on hold and everyone was locked at home,害羞草研究所� Peter says. 害羞草研究所淏ut they were busy and they were able to work through it. Customers kept calling and basically, the business grew because of the pandemic and that害羞草研究所檚 really been the trend the last two years. It害羞草研究所檚 just been continuous.害羞草研究所�

In addition to the pandemic bump, they害羞草研究所檝e successfully grown the business by expanding product lines and set down roots, so when Debra Ruffell and Nigel Brown recently approached them to see if they害羞草研究所檇 be interested in buying their well-known Victoria business so that they could retire, it was a no-brainer.

害羞草研究所淚t was one of those 害羞草研究所榓ha moments,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 says Lori, who was an IT director for Hunter Douglas until this year and consulted for Ruffell & Brown after moving to Victoria. 害羞草研究所淣ot only was it Hunter Douglas, and I have a lot of familiarity with the products and customers, but the whole process flow is very similar and complementary in many ways.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淟ori害羞草研究所檚 background really drove part of the interest from Debra and Nigel,害羞草研究所� adds Peter. 害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 very experienced in process improvements and technology implementation, and that害羞草研究所檚 one of the aspects where Ruffell & Brown has been really struggling in, so it was meant to be and a perfect fit.害羞草研究所�

But taking over two businesses during a pandemic hasn害羞草研究所檛 been easy. In addition to the supply chain issues plaguing companies everywhere, COVID restrictions have made it harder to bond with staff.

害羞草研究所淲hen we bought Pacific, we couldn害羞草研究所檛 even get the employees together for a lunch,害羞草研究所� Lori points out.

害羞草研究所淭he human connection and building relationships is really important and it helps make it more enjoyable for people to come to work,害羞草研究所� Peter adds. 害羞草研究所淲hen it害羞草研究所檚 always work, I think it strains the relationship.害羞草研究所�

Recognizing employees are their biggest asset, Peter and Lori say they害羞草研究所檙e always open to hearing about opportunities for improvement.

害羞草研究所淲e very much encourage that,害羞草研究所� says Lori. 害羞草研究所淲e can害羞草研究所檛 fix things we don害羞草研究所檛 know about and it might take us time to even realize what害羞草研究所檚 going on, so someone coming and telling us is so important. We害羞草研究所檝e spent a lot of time just learning a great deal from everybody.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚f you treat people right, they will do a good job for you,害羞草研究所� adds Peter. 害羞草研究所淲e also believe in paying people [well]. If you offer a higher wage, people will show up. It害羞草研究所檚 what you have to do (in this tight labour market), but I also feel like it害羞草研究所檚 the right thing to do. We believe in sharing the success.害羞草研究所�

The couple isn害羞草研究所檛 afraid of hard work but when you work with your spouse, Lori and Peter agree, finding the right work-life balance can be the biggest challenge.

害羞草研究所淲e basically talk about the business 24 hours a day,害羞草研究所� Peter says, only half-jokingly. 害羞草研究所淵ou could be having breakfast on Sunday morning and you think of something and you can basically have a senior management meeting and make a decision. But at the same time, the kids look at us and ask, 害羞草研究所楧o you ever not talk about work?害羞草研究所� so we害羞草研究所檙e very conscious of that and it害羞草研究所檚 something we害羞草研究所檙e going to work on. We want to have our business, we want to do well, but we don害羞草研究所檛 want to work around the clock. Work-life balance is what it害羞草研究所檚 all about.害羞草研究所�

For Lori, the best advice she害羞草研究所檚 received is to not sweat the small things.

害羞草研究所淭here will always be problems and you have to kind of put things in perspective and prioritize,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e not going to solve all the problems in a day or in a week or even in a year. You just have to keep working towards a goal and chipping away at what you need to do to get to that place. It害羞草研究所檚 never perfect害羞草研究所攖hat害羞草研究所檚 just not the way it is.害羞草研究所�

As long-time entrepreneurs, they also see mistakes as learning experiences and try to break down what went wrong so they can fix it going forward.

害羞草研究所淥ur first real estate property was a giant failure, but instead of scaring us, and making us decide not to do it anymore, we learned from it, moved forward and we were very successful. Looking back, if we害羞草研究所檇 given up at step one, we wouldn害羞草研究所檛 have seen the success that came afterwards.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 think that害羞草研究所檚 something that害羞草研究所檚 really important in entrepreneurship害羞草研究所攜ou don害羞草研究所檛 just give up,害羞草研究所� adds Lori. 害羞草研究所淵ou try different things to make it work. There害羞草研究所檚 always a different way to do it.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 clear what they害羞草研究所檙e doing is working and even taking on a home reno at the same time hasn害羞草研究所檛 fazed this busy couple.

害羞草研究所淚 think people look at us and think we害羞草研究所檙e crazy!害羞草研究所� Lori laughs. 害羞草研究所淏ut this has been our goal for so long. This is where we want to be and everything just fell into place.害羞草研究所�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on