XX Files: Marlene Turcotte, Owner Of Performance Fire Protection And Partner With The Tax Expert, 839 Media, And Silver Crick Farms

By Julianna Bonnett Marlene Turcotte

A Wonder Woman With Four Businesses And Five Kids

Since 2017, it has been entrepreneur Marlene Turcotte’s goal to provide her customers with quality services to make sure her community is in good hands.

Considering herself more as a business consultant pure entrepreneur, Turcotte is currently the Owner/Operator of Performance Fire Protection (PerformanceFire.ca) while also being a partner with The Tax Expert (TheTaxExpert.ca) and 839 Media (839media.ca), which all operate out of the same office on 950 Tecumseh Road West in Windsor. In addition, she is a partner with Silver Crick Farms, 2911 Lakeshore Road 243 in Ruscom Station (SilverCrickFarms.ca).

Born in Leamington and raised in Tilbury, Turcotte has always been passionate about the organization process of the bookkeeping systems and enjoys the process of creating businesses and watching them grow beyond expectation.

“I have been an entrepreneur my entire life, starting at 18,” she says. “I was one of the top 20 consultants in all of Canada for Tupperware sales. I have been employed with companies throughout my life, but always left to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity.”

Graduating from St. Clair College with an Accounting Diploma, as well as being certified in QuickBooks and a Sage Consultant, Turcotte has also successfully passed and obtained many National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) courses, keeping her up to date with the ever-changing Ontario Fire Code and NFPA regulations.

“In 2014 my common law spouse unexpectedly passed away, which left me with five children and an automotive repair facility,” she shares. “I continued to run my bookkeeping and accounting business that I had, as well as

Making sure all members of your family (including any furry friends) are protected and safe is important to Performance Fire Protection owner, Marlene Turcotte, pictured with her dog, Sam. Turcotte is also a partner with The Tax Expert, 839 Media, and Silver Crick Farms. Photo courtesy of Marlene Turcotte.

taking over the operating for Nael Automotive until 2016 when I sold it to one of the employees,” she explains.

When Nael Automotive was sold, Turcotte assisted Allied Fire & Safety in the start-up of their business.

“After leaving Allied Fire and Safety, I opened Performance Fire Protection in August of 2017 and have been running it alongside my other businesses ever since,” she points out.

Performance Fire Protection provides professional fire extinguisher testing and inspections of commercial buildings, government buildings, high rise apartments and across many critical industries/sectors throughout Windsor/ Essex County and Chatham Kent.

With Performance Fire Protection handling inspections, sales, and fire safety business (for residential customers too), as previously mentioned, Turcotte is a partner in three other businesses offering a variety of services.

“The Tax Expert provides income tax and bookkeeping services to individuals and businesses, whereas 839 Media provides local businesses with videography, photography, social media management and graphic design,” she explains. “At Silver Cricks Farm, we sell locally raised cattle, lambs, chickens and freerange eggs, as well as house many miniature animals such as pigs, goats, ponies, donkeys and we always welcome families to come visit our farm.”

Turcotte expressed that 2020 was such an interesting year for her as a businessperson, but she also experienced some personal challenges that made her year even harder.

“In March 2020, the week before the first pandemic shutdown I had major surgery, then in June our family cattle barn burnt to the ground,” she shares. “Next, in July, my house flooded causing thousands of dollars in damage.”

To say that 2020 has been a bit of rollercoaster for her is an understatement. She explains it more like being stuck in the eye of a hurricane!

“I am looking forward to continued changes in the way we communicate with customers in 2021,” she says. “I want to continue to grow my businesses and possibly even explore new business ventures if the opportunity arises to further my resume and my success as an entrepreneur.”

With all her businesses, Turcotte’s advice to anyone thinking about starting their own business is to be confident and do it.

“A lot of women miss opportunities because they have the mindset they can’t do it, or they look at all the things that can go wrong,” she comments. “They need to look at it from a different perspective, develop their idea and have the confidence to see it through.”

Words to live by for us all!