Twin Bridge Lighting
Twin Bridge LightingGary Burdett started Burdett Electric Ltd. in 1973 and has installed lighting fixtures in countless homes and businesses throughout Lambton County. However, the builders that he worked for found that there were never enough lighting options available locally. Burdett saw this opening and started Twin Bridge Lighting in Point Edward to service this market. His daughter Cheryle Williams manages the retail store. "A lot of builders were going out of town to purchase lighting for their new construction projects at the time," says Williams. Burdett had run his business from the family home for many years and was thrilled to purchase the piece of property in Point Edward to build the Burdett Electric shop and Williams' retail store. Twin Bridge Lighting is located at 116 Michigan Avenue.
There are five generations of the Burdett family working in the electrical trade. Burdett's father Ernest and his grandfather Bill both worked as electricians. Bill began his career in 1928 establishing Imperial Electric. Burdett's two sons, Rick and Derek; his two daughters, Cheryle and Wendy; and two grandsons, Bryan and Tyler, now work for the company. Burdett's cousin Dave Robertson has worked with him for more than 40 years. Burdett presently employs fourteen people.
Twin Bridges Lighting supplies fixtures to display in the Bluewater Health Foundation Dream Home each year; they have been a supporter since its inception. "Style and colour preferences change and we use this opportunity to show off a wide variety of lighting options," Williams explains. The store has four full-time staff that are all knowledgeable about the vast array of products they sell. The local builder business is a large part of their success. "We can help right from the blueprints. We make suggestions to help customers decide where it is most important to have lighting in their new home." There are many different lighting options to choose from when considering a new build or a major renovation.
Clients go out of their way to commend the expertise of the staff. "We provide a personal service and I get a lot of compliments about how friendly and helpful the staff is," Williams says. She also receives messages via email. "People will quite often send pictures to show us what their updated dining room looks like. We love to see people happy." Cheryle, Lori, Siobhan and Melissa are always ready to help. Over the years, Twin Bridge Lighting has attracted more business from out of town. "Our local customers have kids that live out of town and when they come home to the area, they will often bring them in to buy from us." Some customers have relocated for work or have vacation homes elsewhere and will order their lighting to be shipped to them. One unique situation involved an interior decorator, originally from London, who purchased all the lighting fixtures for a restaurant that they were opening in the Bahamas. "I've always thought I should take a trip to see how the restaurant looks," says Williams, with a smile.
Related Stories
John's Resturant
John's Restaurant has been a local tradition since 1964. Known for being one of southwestern Ontario's busiest family restaurants, it's the great food, great people and great value that keep customers coming back. While they're famous for their breakfast, and the Canadian peameal they serve wi
Rayjon Share Care of Sarnia Inc.
Rayjon Share Care was founded in 1986 when Sarnia residents John Barnfield and the late Ray Wyrzykowski returned home from their first visit to Haiti. Heather Smith, Executive Director for Rayjon Share Care in Canada, explains that the original goals were simple. They wanted to raise awareness of
The Bicycle Shop
When Bob Robinson opened The Bicycle Shop in 1993, he was looking to help people find a nice bike. He saw a gap in the market for mid-range and high-end bicycles. Robinson took a two-week bicycle repair course in West Virginia, wh...
Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce
When the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce first opened in 1905, it was formalizing the informal network of business owners that had already been working together to bolster trade and economic growth in the city. The Sarnia Board of Trade, as it was called, originally included thirty-three local bu
Related Stories
Home & Cottage Interiors
Nicole Breyer believes in destiny and is convinced she was meant to own and operate Home & Cottage Interiors in Sarnia. I used to come to the store to buy my paint and I got to know the previous owner, Diane Galvin, Nicole says. On a visit to the shop last fall, Diane shared that she was g
Brush Strokes Interiors
A large 'S' is carved into the glass on the door at Brush Strokes Interiors at 301 Christina Street North. The door remains as an homage to the original store located there, Scott's Distinctive Men's Wear, established in 1947. It adds to the character. I even have a copy of one of the dra
Coffee Lodge
When he first established Coffee Lodge, Leo Stathakis was inspired by trips he had made to small coffee houses in Seattle, Vancouver and Michigan. I've always loved coffee and coffee houses. I would often venture out in Detroit to visit all the old coffee houses. I loved the coffee and the atmo
The Cobbler Shop
Don Nesbit bought The Cobbler Shop, located at 1143 Confederation Street, from his father, Don Nesbit Sr., in 2011. The original shop opened in 1991 and was located right across from our current location. He started out by repairing shoes, luggage and sports equipment and selling shoe care products.
Own a local business in Sarnia-Lambton?
Your customers, your link, your revenue. We do the rest.
Become a #local Partner and we pay you 100% of every gift card members spend with you. It costs you nothing to join.
Free. Takes about three minutes.
