Career paths rarely travel in a straight line. Most of us experience a few detours along the way. And sometimes, your career can take a completely unexpected turn. That is what happened to Tony Boyce, CITT.

While Tony was working as a Logistics Manager for J.D. Irving Ltd., he could not imagine himself doing anything else. And if he tried, it was highly unlikely he would have envisioned himself as the future owner of a country store.

For the past 20 months, Tony has been the owner of Whitehead Country Store in Clifton Royal, New Brunswick. Clifton Royal is a small rural community located on Kennebecasis Bay, about 30 km from Saint John. As a country shopkeeper, Tony wears many hats. His duties include managing, ordering, directing, customer service, forecasting, tracking gas futures, pricing, buying, stocking shelves and even mopping the floor. You name it, and this former logistics professional does it.

When Tony decided to leave his job with J.D. Irving, he was faced with plenty of uncertainty. Starting a second career is always a risk, especially a career as an independent business owner. Anyone who has changed careers midstream can tell you there are no guarantees. Complicating things is the fact you must learn an entirely new industry from scratch.

Fortunately for Tony, he had an edge. His CITT training and experience made the transition much easier.

"It turns out my CITT-based skills were readily transferable," said Tony. "Without my training and experience in supply chain management, I never would have purchased a country store. In a way, my store is a rural supply depot. Almost immediately, I found myself incorporating the skill sets I acquired as a CITT-certified professional."

Tony credits the CITT Program of Study for giving him the strong fundamentals he needed in both his old job and his new.

"Logistics is about detail. Without detail, a business is doomed. There is a strong focus on detail in the CITT Program of Study."

Tony was originally drawn to the logistics profession because of the variety of roles a supply chain professional is forced to deal with on a daily basis. Ironically, the ability to multi task is something a store owner in a rural community must be able to manage. Being a logistics manager and then a shopkeeper did have its advantages. Tony's organized, methodical and process driven approach gave him an edge over a typical new business owner.

Tony's unique view of supply chain and logistics comes from looking at it from both sides, first with a large firm and now as a business owner. He believes the future of the industry will be technologically driven and bring more consolidation of the big firms. But the small town shopkeeper in him feels there will still be room for the small firm with a keen sense of customer service.

But the Whitehead Country Store is more than just a place to stock up on supplies. The store serves as the unofficial community hub where the locals gather to socialize. The bookmobile even sets up shop once a month in the parking lot.  So add neighborhood liaison to Tony's ever increasing job description. All that CITT networking practice is paying off as Tony slowly builds a larger customer base.  

In his leisure time, Tony enjoys music and playing the guitar. Most people are surprised to know that Tony has a voice coach, and is trained in classical tenor music and Italian opera. His inspiration was the legendary Luciano Pavarotti, and his favourite pieces to sing are O Solo Mio and Core N'agrato.

"I find singing to be relaxing," said Tony.

Tony can now sing the praises of his decision to change careers. Armed with his CITT designation, he continues to work hard to grow his business. Leisure time will be at a premium, so finding time to relax might be Tony's next big challenge.

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