Downtown Nanaimo Family Firm Marks 55 Years In Business
NANAIMO – Ajac’s Equipment Inc. is in its 55th year in business, and has plugged in a new line of electric power tools as it adapts to a changing world.
The long-time downtown Nanaimo landmark at 160 Cliff Street was started by Jack Halsall with two lines of power tools and providing repair services. Jack’s son, current owner/operator Tom Halsall, has added numerous other brands, explains his son, Rob, who manages the customer service and front end of the family business.
“My grandfather Jack started with two brands: Bolens and Stihl,” recounts Rob. “Since then, he and my father acquired additional reputable brands, including Honda, Tohatsu, John Deere and Toro.
Other handheld brands include Echo, Shindaiwa and Husqvarna, while pressure washers are under various names, including Landa and BE, with walk-behind garden tractors under the BCS name.
“More recently, we brought in outdoor power equipment and generators from Generac and DR Power, and kept up with the electrification revolution by taking on the Ego and Cub Cadet battery product lineup,” Rob adds. “All of our current brands are also making the same transition. Stihl, Husqvarna, Echo, Toro, and Cub Cadet have made huge strides transitioning from a primarily gas-powered industry to bring us electric line trimmers, hedge trimmers, lawn mowers, lawn tractors, zero turns, and even inverter power generators.”
Change is a constant in their business.
“We have to be perpetually keeping up with, or ahead of, the changing Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) industry and a changing world,” he adds. “We’re looking forward to see what the next changes will be.”
Rob grew up in the business, working Saturdays throughout high school and university, and he’s been full time since 2013. Most of his time is spent in the store, where he maintains inventory and is involved in hiring staff, but he also does most of the lawn tractor pick-ups and after hour deliveries. He also chips in with other team members who are busy building chainsaw chains, repairing 2-stroke and 4-stroke equipment, installing, monitoring and repairing robotic lawnmowers.
Having such a diverse offering of product brands and services has helped Ajac’s to navigate the tumultuous pandemic of the past two years.
“With supply chain imbalances, many of our suppliers have been out of key items since the beginning of the pandemic,” he says. “Since we have a very diverse selection of suppliers and brands, we’ve very rarely been completely out of a particular product. Selection hasn’t been what we like it to be, but we’ve done a great job of keeping some product on the shelves.”
Customer service has always been a hallmark of Ajac’s.
“Keeping customers satisfied, happy, and serviced quickly and politely is what we do,” Rob states, adding much of their business is with repeat customers.
“As the world changes, you have to either change with it, or create your own change. Otherwise you can get left behind,” he adds. “Be it entering the outboard game, becoming pressure washer experts, or transitioning a gas-powered business model to battery, we have transitioned with the landscape time and time again.