By GARRY HOWE
WHEN a company buyout of all The Good Guys stores left Dan O’Loughlin pondering his future, he didn’t have to look far for his next challenge.
Opportunity came knocking right next door at Barry Plant Real Estate.
One of Pakenham’s most familiar retail faces this week joined Matt Ketteringham as a partner in the growing property business and he couldn’t be happier with the move.
“It’s a natural fit in terms of progression,” Dan told the Gazette. “It just feels right.
“Matt and I are at pretty similar stages of our lives. We both have young families and we both have a desire to succeed at what we do and bring others along on the journey.”
The buyout of The Good Guys closed the door on the Hardy family’s business interests in town, dating back more than 60 years.
Dan had been with Darrell and Steve Hardy pretty much all his working life, the last part of that as manager and partner in The Good Guys franchise.
For Matt, who has headed up Barry Plant in Pakenham since 2008, inviting Dan into the business was a no-brainer.
“He has been in my sights for a long time,” he said. “He is local, well connected, fits with our culture and demographic and allows us to expand.
“We want to take the business to the next level and Dan is the key to our future success.
“I would not have given many people the option of buying in to the business. It has to be the right fit and Dan ticks that box.
“I don’t know why he hasn’t been doing it for the last 20 years.”
Barry Plant expanded into a second office in Drouin in February. It currently has 20 staff at Pakenham and four in Drouin.
