Olivier Doleyres doesn’t want to be called “boss.” At 33, he is on his third business takeover and has doubled the sales of his last company in two years. His most recent success: becoming president of one of Quebec’s flagship construction industry companies. To get there, this rising star of entrepreneurship doesn’t just put up fences. He breaks down barriers.
The Laval resident started from nothing and last June became the head of the largest fence supplier in Quebec, the Inter Clôtures group, a cooperative with 13 members whose turnover exceeds one hundred million dollars per year.
Before reaching this summit, there was “the culture of breaking the fence,” he says in an interview. “When I arrived here, people told me that I didn’t know about this, the fence, because I didn’t install one. It was: ‘Look at the black guy who’s coming. He’s the one who’s going to be the boss. Oh shit…” There were cultural barriers, but also the ideology that if I’ve been around longer than you, I’m putting you down. The knowledge transfer just wasn’t there. One of the first things I wanted to do was break that, the crushing of others.”
Nothing to discourage the descendant of the pearl of the Antilles with modest origins. After growing up in Laval, studying in Montreal and climbing the ranks of call centers, he went out on his own, taking over for about $13,000 the small business of a garage located in Deux-Montagnes spotted on a classified ads site. He had no knowledge of mechanics at the time. “When [l’ancien propriétaire] saw me arrive with my little European-style shirt, tight little pants, he kind of froze,” he says, laughing. “Listen, he was an army veteran. He said to me: “Do you know what you’re doing here?” I told him no. No, I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I know where I’m going! As soon as I told him that, he understood.”
He managed to grow this company enough to be able to sell it, buy back shares in a first fencing company, then a second, Inter Clôtures Sentinelle (a member of Inter Clôtures). He became its chairman and CEO last December. “When I returned [dans l’entreprise]there were 4 teams of us [d’installateurs]. Today, there are 18 of us.
The importance of surrounding yourself well
Olivier Doleyres claims to have a “100% retention rate” among his employees since he took over. A visit to the company confirms his claims.
For example, the one nicknamed Tonton has been employed by Inter Clôtures for 27 years. The welder of Guinean origin was ready to throw in the towel when faced with the management style of the former bosses. Too much disrespect and too many arguments over unjustified mistakes were wearing on his patience. “Everyone called me by my first name. And then, he comes along. He calls me Tonton [une marque de respect, NDLR]. I was surprised. Really surprised. Everyone calls me Uncle now.”
Here, it is “the heart, the will, the responsibilities” which dictate the value of an employee, says Olivier Doleyres, never the color of his skin, the tone of his accent or the criminal past that some carry with them.
This “break” in this culture from the construction industry is good for everyone, say all the employees with whom The duty has spoken. Sincere and loyal workers prevent anything that might resemble embezzlement. Changing the way things are done has not been to everyone’s taste, confides the one who supervises the storage yard, Roberto Carius. “I have argued with friends. But they are not the ones who make my pay!”
He is one of a handful of employees who have seen the before and after Olivier Doleyres. “Before, I would arrive here at 7 a.m., all sleepy. He managed to get me to start working at 6 a.m.… He’s strong.”
The dozens of employees from diverse backgrounds do not, however, uproot the Laval company outside of Quebec. Against the Asian or American “giants”, Inter Clôtures relies on local know-how and a manufacturing plant in Trois-Rivières, maintains the business leader. “The management is Quebecois. Everything is done here. […] We want to keep the experience and the guarantee of Quebec quality.”
Start from scratch
Olivier Doleyres had never installed fences before embarking on this adventure. Nor had he installed a single tire before buying Pneu Express, his first company. The importance of sound advice has proven crucial. Long-time friends who have become his partners, mentors, and above all an “openness” allow him to stay upright and move forward.
“To continue to create value, to be relevant and dominant over time, you must always evolve, continue to train, be a student of life and be open,” he advises those who would like to follow in his footsteps.
His success is starting to be noticed. He won an award at the Quebec Black Entrepreneur Recognition Gala last spring, in the Entrepreneurship and Young Entrepreneur category.
And he won’t stop anytime soon. Taking over other businesses, exporting his products and maybe even opening a factory in Haiti are projects simmering in the mind of this entrepreneur, who remains a rare case.
This story is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.