Red River Glass & Hardware celebrated its spacious new building in Altona’s industrial park with a ribbon cutting and community lunch June 4.
The business, which had been in Altona’s downtown area for decades, moved into a new build at 531 2nd St. NE this spring.
“We went from right around 3,000 square feet to right around 8,400 here,” shared owner and president Jesse Voth.
Red River Glass & Hardware bills itself as the area’s top source for window and door hardware and a one-stop shop for residential and commercia renovation, repair, and general contracting needs.
The company has seen steady growth in recent years, making the larger facility a necessity.
“I started purchasing the business in 2014 and the first thing we did was add seven or eight hundred square feet in the back of that one to try to make it semi-functional,” Voth said. “We outgrew it immediately, and it just took a long time to actually take this next step.”
Red River Glass & Hardware got its start in Altona in 1977. Voth took over the business from his father, Conrad.
“I don’t take lightly the history and the legacy that builds these businesses and makes them successful long term,” Voth said, noting he came on board with a vision for growth, “but those visions don’t work if you don’t have a foundation to build from.”
Today the company has nearly a dozen staff members and works on projects all across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.
“We really want to focus on being the best in the market that we’re in,” Voth said of his hopes for the company’s future. “Diversification isn’t really what we’re after—we’re after continuing to set the standard in the industry that we’re already in, gain more customers within industry. But we have to be able to grow to do that.”
Seeing the community come out to last week’s ribbon cutting celebration—which also included a coffee cart from Co-op and lunch served up by Youth for Christ—was heartening for Voth.
“It’s a big deal for me that everybody shows up. Community is important to me,” he said. “Small startup businesses don’t succeed without relationships in the community.
“I’m a hometown kid. Community is huge to me as an individual. It’s huge to me as a business owner and as an employer,” Voth said. “That’s why we do so much for the community. I’m a big believer in businesses getting behind initiatives in the community, whether it’s having our name on something or whether it’s quietly supporting stuff. We do both, and I want my employees to also see us do that because I want them to be proud of what our business is doing in the community.”
He also thanked his staff for all their hard work and dedication.
“We’ve got an absolutely amazing team of staff. Nothing could make me prouder than the fact that I’ve got guys, numerous guys, that have been here for 10, 12, 15, 16 years. Guys that started in their teens. Guys that now own homes, have wives, have kids. That’s probably my biggest joy is seeing the family within the family grow.”
