When the old Max location in Mount Pearl was ravaged by fire a few years ago, some people thought the building might never be used again, but one local business owner saw an opportunity.

The CEO of Pipers, Jamie Allister, says a lot of people might have thought the best option was to raze what was left, but he liked the location and decided to purchase the building and repurpose a lot of the salvageable material.

He admits not a lot of people would take the project on, but he credits Keystone Builders and some creative design for being able to make it work.

Allister says they also managed to get their contracts in place before the cost of building supplies started to skyrocket.

Pipers is not immune to the labour crunch experienced in many sectors, but Allister says they have a loyal workforce, many of whom have been there for a decade or more.

Pipers officially opened its new location on Olympic Drive in Mount Pearl yesterday.