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When loved ones go to work every day, it’s important to know that they’ll be safe on the job with the proper equipment and training. By providing both, the staff and owners of Soucie Salo Safety (Timmins) are keenly aware of the role that a safe workplace plays in every aspect of a person’s life. “When you’re laid up, you have less time with your family,” said co-owner Helene Poirier. “When a worker gets hurt, the whole family gets hurt.” Being able to help to prevent these kinds of costly and draining workplace injuries played a big part in Poirier’s decision to operate this still-young company, she said. Born and raised in the Timmins area, Helene and her husband Ray Poirier always wanted to own a business. When the opportunity came along to partner locally with the Sudbury-based Soucie Salo Safety, “it was a perfect fit,” said Poirier. With Helene’s background as an HR/operations manager and a health and safety professional, and Ray’s experience as an industrial sales specialist, the pair were well positioned to take a leap into the business of owning a business. With this, the two founded Soucie Salo Safety (Timmins) in 2010. To help provide excellent customer service, the store carries a large amount of inventory. As such, customers don’t have to wait on a special product to be ordered in, and can have all of their safety needs filled at this one-stop shop. In order to enhance the customer’s experience, Soucie Salo Safety employees undergo extensive training to help them become health and safety professionals. Having a knowledgeable staff is key, said Poirier, meaning that each employee learns the legislated safety requirements as well as the ins and outs of each product on the shelf. “They aren’t only sales clerks, they’re safety specialists. We offer our employees not only a job, but an education.” With a staff of just seven, Poirier acknowledged that finding the time to provide this heightened level of training can be a challenge. However, having a team well versed in how each product is best used has had a tangible effect on Soucie Salo Safety (Timmins)’s business success. The value in having such a knowledgeable staff is especially strong in the customer service industry. Customers notice and appreciate the level of service and expertise they are met with each time they stop by the store, said Poirier. The company’s focus on education is one it also extends to its customers and clients. The company offers a full gamut of workshops, run by certified trainers, to which employers can send their employees. Training and certification courses offered through Soucie Salo include: fall protection, WHMIS, CPR/First Aid, safety performance and leadership, and sprain and strain prevention. The company also offers legislative compliance services to help businesses ensure they are adhering to occupational health and safety regulations at all times. This involves a wide range of technical services, ranging from the development of specific safety programs, to training in fall arrest equipment and procedures. Through these efforts, the specialized safety store has wasted no time in making a name for itself through above-and-beyond customer service, a firm commitment to safety education, and a wide selection of stock fit for any and every worker, regardless of industry. “Everybody works somewhere, and we try to find ways to keep everyone safe.” To learn more about Soucie Salo Safety (Timmins), call them at (705) 360-7233, visit them in person at 993 Riverside Drive, or visit them online at www.souciesalosafety.com. Click here to see the full-sized image.