EDMONTON -- One man just east of Edmonton is mixing his love of hockey and woodworking and turning it into a business opportunity.
Chris Roy began making customized lockers after the pandemic began.
“If this pandemic didn’t happen I don’t think I would have sat back and asked, ‘What can I do to earn my family a little extra money in case something happened to my day job?’” said Roy.
Roy, from Tofield, works in the oil and gas industry, now he also runs ROYS Custom Sports Lockers.
In December, he turned his garage into a paint shop and created his first locker.
“I was hoping to sell one or two to friends and family,” said Roy. “I definitely didn’t think I would have sold this many this quick.”
So far, Roy has sold 18 of the lockers at $500 apiece. They each take around a month to make.
“If it’s a darker colour, you can get away with two to three coats. If it’s lighter, like the Oilers orange, you need three or four, so it’s time consuming,” said Roy.
Roy’s lockers have gotten attention from across the prairies. He is hoping to be able to expand his business soon.
“I have very limited space working out of a garage. I’d like a shop where I can build and paint.”
In addition to hockey equipment lockers, Roy has also made a golf equipment locker.
He said he originally used sports team logos on the lockers, but due to copyright laws, he had to stop using them.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Touria Izri.
