Oshawa - In last month's blog, we previewed our newest monthly feature, the Durham Business of the Month (D-BOM).  At the beginning of each month we will feature one of the community's greatest businesses and/or entrepreneurs from Oshawa, Whitby, Clarington, Ajax, Pickering and across all of Durham Region.

For our inaugural feature, we wanted to spotlight a business with longevity that was privately owned and a staple of our community for many years.  Not an easy task.  In this day and age, corporations with global reach are the mainstay, and the "mom and pop shop" is holding an ever decreasing role. This month's enterprise has been conducting its business consistently and in the same location since 1922.  We are proud to announce as our first Durham Business of the Month, Wilson & Lee.

Wilson & Lee Ltd. - Music Store

Wilson & Lee, Ltd. is a music store located at 87 Simcoe St. N in Oshawa at the southeast corner of Simcoe St. and William St.  The storefront is an eye-catcher with a vast array of guitars shining in the main window which draws you inside.  Just two steps in, you are overwhelmed with a feeling of retro-comfort.  The store itself is welcoming and intentionally mirrored by the sales staff as you wander from department to department.

Wilson & Lee, along with their selection of musical instruments, also sells sheet music, music books (both instructional and pleasure), compact discs, and a huge collection of vinyl LPs.  Wilson & Lee also caters to its clients with a huge special-order business for the items it does not carry in-store.

As mentioned earlier, Wilson & Lee began in 1922.  The enterprise started when William George Wilson and his sister-in-law, Mary Lee decided a business venture together.  The business today is co-owned by brothers Bill and David Wilson, grandsons to William George.

While perusing the storefront, I had the privilege of speaking to current owner Bill Wilson.  He began working in the store in 1953 by sweeping floors and doing all the jobs no one else wanted to.  In 1989, Bill and David bought into the business and have been operating the business ever since.  Their success, he believes, is the genuine and sincere connection the staff has with each of their clients.  In fact, they have been successful in this modern, "online" world without a website, Facebook, Twitter, or even a computer!  Although Bill did mention that a computer was on the horizon for the near future.

Bill Wilson - co/owner, Wilson & Lee

Although primarily a music store, Mina Gibson, an employee for over 25 years, introduced the idea of diversifying the business into selling VHS movies, including difficult-to-find limited releases of films not often found.  That idea was adopted and been modernized for today's technologies including a collection of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs.

Wilson & Lee - since 1922

Wilson & Lee is a business that deserves special recognition for its longevity and they manner they connect with their customer base.  We get the impression that each customer is on a first-name basis with the staff and makes for a pleasant experience over and over again.  We are proud to name Wilson & Lee as our first Durham Business of the Month.

• Business:  Wilson & Lee Ltd.
• Address:  87 Simcoe N., Oshawa, ON L1G4S3
• Phone:  905-725-4706
• Owners:  Bill and David Wilson

• Year Opened:  1922
• Business Type:  Musical Instruments, Sheet Music, Music Books, Compact Discs, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, Vinyl LPs
• Number of Employees:  6

• Website:  N/A
• Facebook:  N/A
• Twitter:  N/A
• Google+:  N/A
• Pinterest:  N/A
• Linked In:  N/A

Durham Region - In 2012, real estate in Durham Region proved to be a good investment with an average price increase of 7.37% across the region.  Whitby (including Brooklin) enjoyed the largest growth with an 8.50% increase in home price from 2011.

In total, 10,521 homes were sold in all of Durham region which includes:  Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge, and Whitby.  In 2011 there were 9,799 homes sold; an increase of 7.37% in volume.
The average price in Durham region now stands at $336,968.11, up from the average price of $317,272.73 in 2011.
Another record was set in Durham region in 2012; the value of all real estate transactions.  Over $3.5 billion in real estate value was traded in 2012, surpassing the previous record of $3.1 billion the year previous.
Low interest rates and a strong economy are accredited for much of the success the real estate industry has enjoyed in recent history.

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Durham Region Average Real Estate Prices

Statistics provided by:  Toronto Real Estate Board
Statistics interpreted by:  Stephen Young, Realtor, Keller Williams Energy, Brokerage

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