The business has become a local institution, beginning when founder Gerald Duquemin started importing fireplaces and building supplies for islanders in the wake of the Occupation, and growing to become a central hub for everything home improvement – from tiling to paving to bathroom design.
‘When I started, it was almost like an old shed,’ said managing director Steve Le Flem, who has served at the company for 24 years.
‘We’ve tripled the size of the showroom, we’ve made it all very customer-friendly, and we’ve brought products in from all around the world to offer to islanders.’
While it has undergone a significant transformation from its early days, the store remains a locally-run enterprise closely connected with its historic roots.
The longest-serving member of staff on the team, Peter Le Flem, began working for Mr Duquemin 62 years ago. At the time, he lived only three houses down from the then-small store, and later built his first home with his wife, Margaret, just down the road.
‘I’ve only been late once in 62 years, and I’ve only taken three and a half weeks of sick leave,’ he said.
Some 35 years into his tenure, the business was put up for sale, and, shortly thereafter, Peter made the decision to take out a loan and buy the store himself, envisioning it with an extended showroom and an increased range of products to offer to islanders.
‘It was really when Steve came in that we started making all the changes,’ he said.
‘It works very well, and the boys are taking the business forward.’
‘We value customer service and we try to make sure that all the staff treat every customer like a king or queen, that’s what we value above everything, really.’
Steve, one of Peter’s sons, joined the company shortly after his father purchased it, ceasing a career in finance and a life of travel to come and assist his father. His brother, Andy, followed the same path, beginning a career in accountancy and a life exploring the world before joining the business a few years after his brother, who he works side-by-side with as a fellow managing director.
‘It works quite well – we’re brothers who get on really well, and we’ve got different skill sets that really complement each other,’ Andy said.
The Le Flem family are not the only people on the team who have been working for the business for many years. Many members of staff have worked 30 to 40 years at the business, including 97-year-old Frank Marquis, who joined the business 40 years ago after a career as a mechanic, and who continues to come into work on the regular to do stove repairs – and to scour the office for the occasional free doughnut.
Capelles’ staff are not alone in their loyalty to the business, as many islanders have become loyal clients of the business – something that the Le Flem family attribute to their emphasis on positive customer service.
‘We value customer service and we try to make sure that all the staff treat every customer like a king or queen, that’s what we value above everything, really,’ Andy said.
‘I think that’s why we’ve been successful for so long.’
Steve added that he and his family also take pride in their work, and in keeping the long-standing local business alive and thriving.
‘We’re proud of who we are and what we’ve done,’ he said.
‘We’re both local Guernsey lads, and our parents were Guernsey born and brought up here too, so we’re a proper, traditional local family running a local business. That’s something we’re really proud of.’
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