Our history
From toy design to furniture manufacturing.
The beginnings
In 1940, after losing his job as a journalist, Eugène Laflamme bought a small wooden toy company on the outskirts of Québec City: les Ateliers Paul et Jean and hired a team of three to help him make the toys. A few years later, when his business was doing well, he learned that a sawmill in Sainte-Croix had gone bankrupt. This was an opportunity for him to grow his business. He decided to borrow $2,000 from one of his uncles to buy back the sawmill.
1940
The Rise from Ashes
Eugène’s business was soon up and running in his new location. An unfortunate event, however, was to slow him down. In 1941, a few months after the purchase, a fire destroyed the mill. Fortunately, the community of Sainte-Croix decided to get together and help him rebuild.
1941
Expanding your horizons : furniture-making
In the years that followed, the manufacture of wooden toys continued apace, but Eugène wanted to broaden his horizons and, on the advice of his brother-in-law, began making furniture. In a post-war context, it was a very interesting and in-demand market. He began manufacturing kitchen sets, chairs, tables, sideboards and more. Slowly, the business grew, creating many jobs in the community.
Ravaged by fire a second time
In 1951, the transition to home furnishings was officially complete. Wooden toys were a thing of the past, and furniture design was now the company's core business. It was then that the factory was ravaged by fire for a second time. Once again, the community stepped in to rebuild.
1951
Innovation and growth
In 1963, Guy Laflamme, Eugène Laflamme's son, took over as General Manager of what is known today as South Shore Furniture. From then on, the company experienced strong growth.
First, through the purchase of Morissette et frères in Laurierville, which enabled the launch of a 2nd factory and increased production capacity. Then, in 1978, with the acquisition of J.W Kilgour Ltd, another furniture manufacturing factory in Coaticook.
The 1980s marked a turning point in our history. In 1986, Jean Laflamme, son of Guy Laflamme, joined the company, representing the third generation. He was appointed president 13 years later.
In 1987, we began manufacturing ready-to-assemble furniture, a first in Canada.
This type of furniture is a way of democratizing furniture and making it affordable for families. It's easier to assemble and transport than the solid wood furniture of the time.
Consumers can easily make their choice via a catalog, and the furniture is then delivered to their home. In those days, our furniture was sold all over the province of Québec.
1963
The beginning of our online journey
Always on the lookout for trends, it was in 2004 that we shipped our first Web order via direct delivery.
As the Web giants begin to carve out an important place for themselves in the market, we seize this opportunity to introduce our products to even more consumers across Canada and the United States.
2004
The United States, a major market
In 2008, we inaugurate a new factory in Mexico and a distribution center in El Paso (USA) to better serve the American market. With this same objective in mind, we inaugurated two new distribution centers in the United States in 2016, in Salt Lake City and Nashville.
2008
Today
Massive investments in robotization and automation are running their course. Our factories are at the cutting edge of technology, and our teams work hard to innovate and produce furniture for families across North America.
Closed-knitted
As of today, the Laflamme family is actively involved in various positions within the company, from information technology and sales to marketing and innovation. Jean Laflamme is now Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.