Founded in 1867

Second Hand Coffin

As a family owned business dating from 1867, you may well imagine that we have a rich history.  '

One of the most interesting artifacts in our historical collection is our coffin.  Now it's not just any old coffin... this particular one is second hand... it's been used.  

Back in the late 1800's and early 1900's our woodworking mill produced a number of the wooden caskets. And we are very fortunate that one still survives as a testament to the many that were built. 

We are a fifth generation company at UJ Robichaud TIMBR Mart.  The original founder was Jean Pierre Robichaud, way back at conferation.  

In 1912, his wife Margarite Robichaud fell into a coma.  Now - whether the rest of the story is real or legend, we may never know, but this is the lore that has been passed down to us.

For a number of weeks, she remained in a coma.  They would check by bringing a piece of glass (or mirror) and putting it next to her mouth.  If it condenses, it meant she was still alive (Very similar to coming in with glasses during the winter).  

The doctor of the area was a protestant and thus not permitted into this catholic household. 

After several weeks, the priest finally confirmed her death and arrangements were being made for her funeral.  One of her sons had worked in the states and done well and was surprised to see his mother in a plain wooden box, so he went out and bought a fancier, nicer coffin.  The body was transfered from one coffin to the other and she was buried.

And that is how UJ Robichaud became the owner of a second hand coffin. 

 (This is a picture of the coffin taken in the 1990's with fourth generation, Camille Robichaud.)

Kohler Windows and Doors Winter Sale extended

We are pleased to announce that we've extended our Peter Kohler Windows and Doors sale event until April 15th.  

Best time to buy your new windows and doors. 

Renovating?  Talk to our experts on how we can sign you up for the EcoEnergy grant program, which can make you eligible for $70.00 per window (for NS residents).  Our Energrade experts know the EcoEnergy program inside and out and will be pleased to arrange a home energy audit for you.  Get up to $6500 in rebates ($5000 Federal, $1500 Nova Scotia) for making your home more energy efficient.  

Building a new home?  Our experts know all about the recent improvements to the NS Building Code and can help you choose windows that meet or exceed the new requirements. 

Building a garage or shed?  We carry a stock line of TIMBR Mart branded windows, for when the lowest priced window is the issue. We've got lots of windows in our stock room and we always have great deals. 

View more information on Peter Kohler Windows and Doors

Peter Kohler Window and Entrance System showroom!

 

You say: "I'd like a window.  Red on the outside.  Oak woodgrain on the inside.  Pencil line grills in a Queen Anne pattern. LO E Argon. With Antique Brass casement hardware.  A wide exterior brickmold with sill to match historic homes.  With tinted glass and with a half round with a double sunburst grill on top." We say, "No problem."  

At UJ Robichaud TIM-BR Mart in Meteghan Center, NS, we've just completed one of the nicest window and door showrooms in the area. Come see the myriad of options that you can get for your windows.  

Tired of white vinyl windows - we can do brown, green, burgundy, even blues and greys.  Want stained glass effects?  Our DGI glass inserts can make any window the showpiece of your home. 

Not sure what type of windows to get?  On display are casements, single hungs, double hungs, sliders, awnings, and tilt-n-turns windows. See the difference between Supreme, Belmont and Estate Series.  View additional options such as stainless steel or antique brass hardware.  See various grill types, from colonial grills, to georgian grills, pencil grills, queen anne Patterns and even brass grills. See for yourself the difference between clear glass, Lo E Argon, tinted and obscure glass. 

If you want to finish your home with a truly historic touch on the inside without compromising the performance on the outside, you'll love our Estate Series. These feature a PVC exterior and a wood interior. 

And doors?  Featuring a full range of door options.  Did you know you have a choice of frame? - Wood, wood clad with vinyl, wood foiled with a woodgrain vinyl, and all PVC frames.  Did you know you have a choice of hinge color?  We've also arranged it so that we can show you the various glass kit sizes, from 2236, 2248 and 2264. And don't leave without seeing our fiberglass entrance systems!  

 

 

We are very proud of the showroom we have built and we invite you to come and visit.  Contractors are also always welcome to use our showroom with their customers as well. 

Come see why UJ Robichaud TIM-BR Mart really does talk windows. 

For additional information on our Peter Kohler series of windows, please click here.

Hot item - Introducing the Gorilla Gripper!

If you're in the construction industry, this is a MUST watch video on the Gorilla Gripper. 

This is .. a safe, easy way to grip, lift and carry drywall, plywood and cumbersome sheet goods!

Save your back and neck.  Why strain to lift heavy sheet goods or plywood panels?  This is the safe and easy way to move drywall, MDF, melamine, OSB or other panel goods. 

The manufacturer says that the Gorilla Gripper is an essential new gripping hand tool designed for lifting, carrying and moving a variety of building materials that are large, unwieldy and heavy... such as panels of plywoof, particle board, wallboard, melamine, glass, granite, marble and more..  all with surprising ease!  - And we agree! Having tried this tool ourselves, we think every contractor in Canada and the USA should have one of these in their toolbox. 

The Gorilla Gripper can handle sheet goods from 3/8" inch to 1-1/8" inch thick

A cute commercial by Gorilla Gripper - Again, very neat to watch. 

If you are at all interested in the Gorilla Gripper, we'd like to sell one to you. 
Click on this link to reach our main website where you can order your very own Gorilla Gripper. 

A reminder also that the Gorilla Gripper makes an awesome birthday or Christmas gift for that home handyman you know that has everything.  Keep us in mind when it comes time to finding the one gift for your favorite contractor. 

Are you a job foreman or have a construction crew?  Consider contacting us for bulk buys or purchasing more then one unit.  You know when you show up on the jobsite with a Gorilla Gripper that everyone on your crew is going to want their own.  Let us know and we will see what we can do for combined shipping for you. 

And if you are in Canada, don't forget to give your Air Miles card number at time of ordering.  Yes - that's right, earn Air Miles Reward Miles on your online purchases at www.ujr.ca.  

Introducing Live Support on www.ujr.ca

Today we introduce Online Live Support for www.ujr.ca. Simply visit our website and you can click on the Live Support  icon to chat with one of our operators for any questions relating to the products or services that we offer. 

Have a question on a product on our website? Not sure how to place an online order? Have an question on shipping charges or combining multiple purchases to save on shipping? Have a question on our Ebay Storefront? Online help is there to help you. Speak to a real person who can guide you through the purchase on our website or find the information you are looking for. 

Use it to request a quote or order material for delivery. Or use it if you are having difficulty finding a product on our website. 

Ultimately, Live Support will allow our organization to engage our website visitors in new and exciting ways. We are turning your website into a live environment where we can build real relationships with our customers. 

Founded in 1867, and 143 years later, still leading the way. 
UJ Robichaud TIM-BR Mart. Let's go shopping today and save... 

 

UJ Robichaud TIM-BR Mart's Ebay Storefront

Many visitors to our website www.ujr.ca comment on the link to our Ebay Storefront and we are pleased to announce that we are an Ebay Powerseller. 

 

Ebay, as many of us know, is one of the world's largest online marketplaces.  While you can still find auction items, Ebay has evolved to Buy-It-Now items.  Our Ebay strategy was twofold - to have Buy-It-Now items and to offer auction items to clear out obsolete or overstocked inventory.  

Auction items can also serve to get potential customers into your Ebay Store where they may buy other items.  One thing to remember for auctions is that although Ebay may encourage auctions to start at $1, Ebay is your landlord, not your friend. That being said, never start auctions at a price lower than you can accept for that item to sell for.. it is not uncommon to have single bids on items, hence the risk of selling for the starting amount.  If you list items with bids starting at $1, be prepared to sell your item for $1.  

Tips for selling on Ebay - 
- If you are new, spend some time buying several items to learn how it all works.  Read the forums, go over the online help features. 

- Get a postal scale. 

- Get a Venture One Account with Canada Post.  (Free to setup, but you get Expediated Parcel for the same price as Regular Parcel.  And a small extra discount for doing your own shipping labels online). 

- Understand how DSRs (Detailed Seller Ratings) work.  DSRs refers to Ebay's rating system for customer satisfaction.  You will be rated for every transaction you do.  You will be rated on Item as Described, Communication, Shipping Time and Shipping and Handling Charges. And to a big surprise, this is when you find out that satisfactory (a 4 out of 5 rating) is not good enough. Selling on Ebay means going out of your way with customer service, competitive pricing and attractive shipping so that every one of your customers leave you 5 out of 5 on every one of the DSR ratings.  

- Sell what you know.  Look for being original and creative in your offerings rather then simply copying other sellers.  If you search on an item and see hundreds already featured on Ebay, I would recommend trying other items in an attempt to find a niche. 

- Make sure you account for Ebay and Paypal transaction fees (which can run as high as 18% of the selling price.  For store items, remember that you are paying a store fee to Ebay of several cents per item every month, even if the item does not sell.  

- Did I mention the fees?  Fees are a part of life on Ebay. Expect listing fees to list your items (whether or not they sell). Expect final value fees if the item does sell. Expect fees for extras such as additional visibility for your listing or adding extra pictures.  And expect Paypal fees on top of the Ebay fees. 

 - When linking to your store from off-Ebay, always use the =refid parameter in your html link.  This will slightly reduce the amount of fees paid to Ebay if bought using that link. 

For example to visit our ebay store, click on:http://stores.ebay.ca/UJ-Robichaud-TIMBR-Mart?refid=UJ-Robichaud-TIMBR-Mart

- Have a Paypal account and understand Paypal's rules for delivery confirmation and seller protection.  Accepting Paypal is a requirement for all Ebay sellers now.  (You can still accept Cash, Money Orders or Checks, but you can't ask for these in your postings) Paypal allows for seller protection (provided you understand and follow the rules - shipping with delivery confirmation and shipping to confirmed addresses.)  Beyond that, the Paypal charges are roughly equivalent to what VISA or Mastercard charges would be for our company anyway. 

Reaching Powerseller status comes with time and lots of hard work.  This status is awarded to sellers who have met sales plateaus (selling x number of items in a certain time period or selling x dollar amount of product within a certain time period), as well as having met some pretty stringent ratings requirements on DSRs.  Ebay sets the bar high for its Powersellers and this helps ensure Ebay buyers have a good buying experience and come back for more online sales. 

And with that, I welcome you to visit our Ebay Storefront.  (Below you will find a snapshot into our Ebay Storefront. The HTML script is coded to view newly listed items for this applet so items displayed here may change depending your visit to this blog.) You are encouraged to click through and to view our entire Ebay Storefront.   

 

 

 

UJ Robichaud TIM-BR Mart - Official blog site

 

Hey there and welcome to our blog.

UJ Robichaud TIM-BR Mart is a family owned, fifth generation company located in Meteghan Center, Nova Scotia.  We were founded in 1867, the same year as Canada.  The Robichaud's have always been honest, hardworking and very dedicated.  As such, we believe in old fashioned values such as customer service and that our clients are people, not numbers.  

We may not be the big box stores with large cavernous stores that require an hour to get a pound of nails, but we are the little store that could.  We've survived many hard times and have adapted, grown and prospered.  Our inventory is one of the largest of the area and and we are known for our very competitive pricing, in many cases, better then you will find at the big box stores.  We are a member of TIM-BR Mart, the largest buying group for independent building supply stores in Canada. 

Come into our store and you will likely be greeted by your name, and we may even ask how things are going and what project you are working on today.  

We also believe great employees make great companies.  Our staff includes some of the most knowledgeable and best people we've been able to find.  Working as a team, we think we have all the pieces to help you build a new home or renovate an existing one. 

We've grown lots in the last 143 years and have become of the leading retailers in the building supply industry in South West Nova Scotia. But we've done this one customer at a time, earning respect and business from one generation to the next. 

Thank you for viewing our blog.  Come back often to read interesting stories about new projects, new products, to reminiscence on our history, or to find the latest bit of information on the home renovation and construction industry.