Ask The Experts: Beyond The Box, For All Your Assembly Needs

When The Situation Requires Beyond The Box Expertise

By Dave Halliday

A Beyond the Box assembled jungle gym is shown as completed for Creative Homescapes, 2619 County Road 42 in Windsor. As well, Lucier and his team assembled the 12X20 Yardistry Cedar Gazebo for Tommy’s Bar-B-Q in The Roundhouse Centre on Howard Avenue. Photos courtesy of Joe Lucier.

We have all been there.

In the store, the new addition to your home looks so sturdy and well constructed as you review the floor model. Your wife, without realizing it, challenges your ego by asking if you will be able to take care of the “Assembly Required” noted on the packaging.

You stand back, review the object with the look of a skilled tradesman and proclaim that you should not have any troubles.

Six weeks have passed since that moment of confidence. Much of the packaging remains torn open, strewn across the back room of your house.

On this evening you are in the midst of sorting through the 1,427 individual parts and hardware that came with your purchase, to ensure they haven’t forgotten anything.

The instructions, which are devoid of words, are a group of illustrations presented in a progressive step by step booklet of 68 pages in length.

As you scratch your head, sigh, and open a cool beverage, you pray the wife doesn’t check in again this evening to ask how it’s going. To be honest it’s not going well, but you refuse to admit it.

You need professional help and fast!

Fortunately for you, we at Biz X were able to sit and discuss the finer points of assembly and installations with Joe Lucier, who has over 10 years of relevant experience to draw upon. And as of February 2021, he is the Owner of Beyond the Box, run out of Concession Road 7 in Tecumseh and found online at: BTBassembly.ca.

How would you best describe the

services you provide? “We assemble and install anything you can purchase, such as furniture, television wall mounts, pictures, mirrors and artwork hangings,” states Lucier. “We also assemble outside structures such as gazebos, sheds, jungle gyms, and the list goes on and on.”

The concept of providing assembly and installation services such as these is, pardon the pun . . . beyond the box thinking. How did you develop this idea?

“My wife, Rebecca came up with the idea, the name and how it all works,” he points out. “She came up with this great concept and I made the idea come to life!”

How would you describe your client base? Is it limited to a certain sector, or

broader? “It would definitely be broader as anyone can purchase something they’re not able to assemble or install themselves,” Lucier replies. “We do both residential and commercial projects.”

Do you provide any after service for

your clients? Lucier indicates: “If the customers have any questions or concerns, I am a phone call away to make sure I can help where I can.”

Obviously, your technicians must have an extensive skill set to tackle such a varied grouping of installs and assemblies. How

do you stay up to speed with it all? “In the beginning everything was a curve ball, because each project was unique and a first,” recalls Lucier. “Once you’ve done it the first time, you get faster and more efficient for more projects to come.”

Beyond the notion that one can avoid the hassle of assembling their recent purchase, is it safe to assume you also provide the peace of mind that the installation or assembly is carried out

safely and properly? “Absolutely!” he expresses. “We are both bonded and insured to take care of our customers’ products and to be on their property.”

What are the potential pitfalls of carrying out certain assemblies on your

own? “As an example, let us consider the assembly of a typical Cedar Gazebo from a local supplier,” Lucier suggests. “Potentially it can be assembled by one qualified person, however, it is never really safe to do so. We, therefore, provide at least two employees on every job that requires an extra set of hands to complete it safely.”

Are there any areas of service or installation that you envision expanding

into for the future? “Last year we opened the door to installing patio stone surfaces and installing residential and commercial Christmas lights!” he tells us and concludes by stating: “The sky is the limit with this company as we are always thinking Beyond the Box for new ideas.”

As luck would have it your wife has scheduled a weekend trip to visit her sister out of town. She asks you to tag along, but being the resolute handyman and husband that you are, it’s better to volunteer to stay home and get your assembly project completed.

The car isn’t even at the end of the driveway, and you are on the phone with the good folks over at Beyond the Box. Your purchase was assembled and placed in perfect position prior to your wife’s return home.

You sit smugly sipping your favourite beverage as she compliments the workmanship. As she sings your praises, you beam with pride until she mentions one of your other previous installs that was working quite well over the course of the weekend.

She informs you the remote monitoring cameras were a source of joy to her as she was able to check in and see your expertise in action. Busted!