MEET YOUR HOST: Home improvement expert takes you inside the job, in SPACES

Meet the host of the Sault’s Home improvement space: Chris Beilhartz.

Soo SPACES is Village Media’s social network, where folks gather, exchange information and chat about a variety of interests near and dear to those living in this tight-knit community. Other Village Media spaces are rapidly becoming a reality throughout Ontario. 

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Beilhartz is a fantastic choice to be the host of the Home Improvement space, being the generational owner of a family business that has been steeped in the construction industry in this area since 1917.

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“I grew up helping out and working in the family business, Bruce Station Lumber & Supply Co. Limited (Heritage Home Hardware Building Centre Bruce Mines, today),” explained Beilhartz. 

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“Currently, with my wife, I own and operate Heritage Home Hardware Building Centres in Sault Ste. Marie, Echo Bay, and Bruce Mines. My main office is at the Sault store where I spend most of my time.”

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In addition to owning the stores, Beilhartz has built a number of houses, cottages and garages for himself over the years, as well as assisting hundreds of other families be successful in building theirs. 

“Growing up in and around the industry, and being the fourth generation in this family business, it just became a part of me. I love being able to help people improve their quality of life by improving and maintaining their homes or realizing their dream of building a new home or cottage,” said Beilhartz. 

Beilhartz is excited about the opportunity of being a SPACES host. “My whole team is getting into it, including my wife, they are all posting in the space. We take turns, and have already posted about getting ready for spring gardening, tool care, lawn care and much more,” he said enthusiastically.

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Beilhartz also wants to use the Home improvement space to educate and inform community members about building and renovating pitfalls. 

He recently saw a story in SooToday about an Elliott Lake woman who lost $20,000 to a contractor who ghosted her. 

This prompted Beilhartz to write a post in spaces for homeowners about how to vet a contractor, what to look for, and what to ask for, to protect themselves. 

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“We have all heard similar stories. There will always be a few bad apples that tarnish the reputation of our industry. The truth of the matter is however, that most contractors are hard working, honest, business people. It is important that both the homeowner and the contractor are protected,” he reflected. 

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Beilhartz took finance and accounting at university, and had thoughts about going into business, but not necessarily the family business. 

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Thankfully for Saultites, he changed his mind, and now, two of his grown children are working full-time in the family business as well. “Looks like there might be a fifth generation to continue on,” he said happily.

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In addition to posting in Home improvement, Beilhartz is enjoying other spaces. “I liked the host profile for Chris Cooper, in Small Business,” he said. “It was interesting to hear his story. I went to high school with him, and have been a member of his gym for many years.”

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Beilhartz enjoys just scrolling through the SPACES feed and seeing what pops up, rather than following and joining in on particular spaces. 

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“It’s great to see all the information coming up, all based in the Soo,” he said. “It’s wonderful for the community to have this safe space to come together. I’m really impressed with SPACES. I am very happy to be contributing to it, and being able to help my community in a different way.”