To operate a successful business takes a lot of elbow grease, products and services that solve people’s problems, and — perhaps most importantly — an understanding of Customer Service. Don Barnhouse gets it. Spending more than 35 years in a family-run grocery industry, working several different positions and managing a variety of groups means he has a lengthy, proven track record of treating people with respect.

“I’d say customer service is why we’ve done as well as we have,” he comments. “Be honest, upfront. If you say you’re going to do something, do it.”

Fibrenew Edmonton has been a thriving franchise for over 20 years, and with Barnhouse’s leadership since 2010, has secured a leading spot in the area’s leather, plastic and vinyl restoration and repair market. Serving a region of well over a million people leaves no room for slacking.  

 With such a diverse demographic — from downtown apartment dwellers to acreage owners an hour past city limits — Barnhouse appreciates each atypical day and does the quoting and scheduling himself, allowing his two technicians the best opportunity to service the franchise’s territory most efficiently. To assist with Fibrenew Edmonton’s Service Calls, Barnhouse also has a reliable upholstery tech who pitches in when needed, and a skilled contractor who provides his expertise for siding service calls. Throwing another dynamic into the mix: Barnhouse’s wife Karin is a costume designer for a local theatre company, so really knows her way around a sewing machine... read more!