Charmaine Reiber and her husband Mike are the newest owners of Garage Living’s first Canadian franchise in Calgary and the couple couldn’t be more excited about it.
“We jumped in with both feet and it’s been a blur ever since we signed the deal,” Charmaine said.
Before buying the franchise, Mike, a carpenter by trade, and Charmaine had both spent the majority of their careers in the oil and gas industry, where Charmaine worked in recruiting and payroll and Mike worked as a petroleum technologist.
The couple enjoyed the work but always had a goal of owning their own business one day. They researched several different companies and purchasing a Garage Living franchise offered the greatest appeal. “It just really dialed in for us,” Charmaine said.
The couple signed the deal in January and attended their first trade show at the end of February. While they were there, Charmaine said she was overcome by the positive reaction she and her husband received from trade show attendees. “One fellow, a luxury real estate developer, came up to us and said ‘You guys are going to nail it.’ We were so happy. I thought I would have to network more with home builders but they were coming to us.”
The trade show circuit shows no signs of slowing down for them either, as Mike and Charmaine will attend the Okotoks Chamber of Commerce Trade and Lifestyle Show April 17-18 and the Okotoks Collector Car Auction May 22-24.
Charmaine said she is excited to make new contacts at each show. “It’s not just products,” she said. “People appreciate the value of the investment. They know they are getting a quality product. We don’t have to sell. They want to buy.”
The Reiber’s Garage Living franchise is open for business. The showroom, located in Calgary at 3532 114th Avenue S. E., (near the couple’s home in Okotoks) will open very soon. Learn more about their business and how Garage Living can makeover your garage space.