Summer’s Gates is a small locally owned business specializing in custom made handcrafted products, owned by Justin and Jessie Poitras.
As their business name suggests, the couple started out making and selling baby gates during the pandemic but have grown to offer a variety of products including their popular learning towers, barn doors, charcuterie boards, and custom shelving (to name a few).
Since starting their business in August of 2020, the couple was able to use their earnings to move from Limoges back to their hometown, Cornwall, last February. Justin also left his job in health care to pursue Summer’s Gates full-time.
Currently, Justin does all the woodworking, designing, and painting for the business – he even installs his products in customers’ homes. His wife, Jessie, manages their social media, writing for the website, and design work for their online catalogue.
How it all started:
Justin’s passion for design and woodworking started after he became a homeowner. When they had their daughter, Summer, it just made sense to make their own baby gates.
“We got a lot of positive feedback on them and decided to post them online and it kind of took off from there,” explained Jessie, “Justin is self-taught and he has also learned a ton from my dad, his father-in-law,” said Jessie.
In addition to selling their products within Cornwall and SDG, the couple has also shipped products to places like Ohio, Alberta, Quebec, Northern Ontario, and Toronto. Their next goal is to have their products sold in stores.
“I think the family work life balance has been nice. And just moving to Cornwall too and getting to know all the local vendors here, all the other small businesses. Everyone has been really welcoming. It’s a good place to live when you have a small business,” said Justin.
Where to shop Summer‘s Gates:
Summer’s Gates products can be found on their website: www.summersgates.com. Customers can also reach out about custom orders via Instagram and Facebook.
