At the age of 18, Joe Dupuis, a farm boy moved to the City of Regina. While he was furthering his education, he decided to get a summer job selling vacuums. He realized there was a huge niche to be filled servicing & retailing rebuilt vacuums. So at the age of 21, in 1979, he opened HILLYBILLY VAC SHACK. It became an instant hit!

With the HILLYBILLY GORILLA as it's advertising mascot, the company has become an international icon. Published on CBS.com and the New York Post, and even the CBC National TV News, HILLYBILLY VAC SHACK has quickly become a household word. South Africa, Russia, USA, Vietnam, Germany, Australia and of course Canada. These are just a few of the places that have published stories about HILLYBILLY VAC SHACK. The TV & Radio Stations are very familiar with the HILLYBILLY GORILLA which is well known by many charitable organizations and is invited to countless sports & media events and ceremonies. HILLYBILLY has graced the front page of the local newspaper more than just a few times. Even two of Canada's most popular business magazines, "Profit" & "Strategy" have written full page articles on HILLYBILLY. Amazingly the HILLYBILLY GORILLA has even starred in a Labatt's TV commercial. Joe is listed in the "National Register of Who's Who in Executives & Professionals". Voted by the Regina Civic Arts Collection as one of Regina's Top 100 Landmarks in a photographic & artistic essay in 2003, HILLYBILLY appears to have captured the hearts of... well...just about everyone, young and old alike.

Allyson - Quality Control Manager HILLYBILLY is very lucky to have found an intelligent, interesting lady such as Allyson. Over a decade ago, when she was referred to us by a regional health organization, she has since been a FULL FIVE STARS. Her positive attributes include being; 1) Honest 2) Dependable & Reliable 3) Meticulous 4) Trustworthy 5) Intelligent & Full of Great Ideas 6) Helpful & Willing 7) Quick Witted 8) Pleasant This hard working lady is a definite asset to HILLYBILLY and we feel very blessed to have her on our team. Click here for Allyson's Inspirational Thoughts Wayne - Head Service Technician With over 25 years of proven success, we are lucky to have Wayne as "our best". Wayne is not a mechanic. Wayne is a mechanical genius! He has proven over and over that anything - and we do mean anything - can be fixed. From household and commercial vacs to anything in between, Wayne is the pro! You can trust in his mechanical talent - like we have, for the last quarter century. Sajauta - Head of Sales Dept. Sajauta is one of a kind . Don't let her youthful enthusiasm and optimism fool you! Sajauta has the distinct advantage of helping her dad with the store ever since she could walk. She is our "good luck" baby. After all, the store was started in 1979 - the same year Sajauta was born. When asked why she chose to be with HILLYBILLY, her answer was simple; - I like being part of a "family business" with old-fashioned values. - I've watched my Dad help people over the years and get a sense of joy and contentment knowing I can do that too... except better than my dad did. :) Chances are, when you phone us, Sajauta will be the one who answers the phone. However, please don't get disillusioned if she doesn't answer the phone EVERY time. Our phone rings on average three times per minute, 6 days a week between 8:30 and 5:30. HILLYBILLY LIKES YOU... but Sajauta likes you too! :) Ryan - Asst. Service Manager Ryan is the beating heart of HILLYBILLY's service & repair department with a long term career vision instead of "just a job". A farm boy with old school values & a work horse logic, Ryan came to HILLYBILLY already with years of mechanical experience under his belt. Freshly graduated with honors from high school, his maturity & professionalism surprized...even us! A lover of electronics and an extremely creative mind, Ryan fits into HILLYBILLY like the missing puzzle piece with his sharp wizard-like skills as a "vacuum therapist"....probably because he puts his WHOLE HEART into his work. His light, upbeat attitude & love of laughter make him a joy to be around. Maybe the reason he is so popular, is that when he is asked about his vacuum career, (as well as anything he endeavors) his answer is "havin' a blast"! Chris - Head of Shipping & Receiving & Parts Chris was born in 1977 in a small Saskatchewan town. He is very family oriented & enjoys spending quality time with them. Chris has an amazing memory. He can remember names of people who he helped out even over 10 years ago! He has an amazing amount of patience since it is not easy trying to remember all the bags, belts, parts etc of the thousands of customers he deals with... since there are now literally hundreds of different vacuum makes & models on the market. He has a very meticulous & detailed mind & has won several awards with his model car building. Chris LOVES working with people and always greets them with a big wide smile! Chris plays hard too. He keeps in good physical shape by practising the daily discipline of martial arts. He is also a prolific reader always open to learning...learning...learning. We hope his type of hard work ethic continues to stay with us for many more decades to come. Jerrot - Refurbishing, Recycling & Built-In Central Technician Jerrot is another "rare jewel" which we are fortunate enough to have on our HILLYBILLY "team". Jerrot informed us that ever since he was a small child, he had always wanted to work at HILLYBILLY. His dream came true over three years ago after we saw the quality of his work..noticing... that Jerrot rarely misses those "details" often overlooked by others. Being environmentally aware, even at a very young age, Jerrot realized the savings of re-cycling & re-furbishing vacuums rather than just throwing them away... which is originally what attracted to him to us. "Waste not..want not" is one of Jerrot's favorite sayings. Jerrot stresses to us that those minute details are VERY VERY important! We agree. In fact, we get built in & central vac customers phoning us after Jerrot is done an installation, commending him on his professionalism & extremely high quality of work. Not only is Jerrot committed to HILLYBILLY, he has also won 2 awards each in carpentry ...and cooking...not to mention he was a straight A student 4 years in a row! Jerrot keeps in top shape playing hockey & baseball. We are honored to have Jerrot on our team

Dupuis started the business out of a "little house on the prairie". That cozy "little shack" has now quadrupled in size. Over the last 25 years, the friendly & knowledgeable staff have been slowly hand picked and only the "best of the best" remain. Each employee has his or her own department. This is what makes HILLYBILLY "true vacuum specialists". The goal of each employee is to educate the consumer which empowers them to make the logical choice for their particular situation. HILLYBILLY takes pride in the fact that most vacuums can be repaired in the same day and their HUGE SELECTION of new and rebuilt vacuums caters to all lifestyles and budgets. Not to mention most of HILLYBILLY's warranties exceed the manufacturer's warranties...even the rebuilt vacuums sport warranties as long as seven years! In our affluent society, no one should be without a decent vacuum, no matter what their present financial situation, maintains Dupuis. Many of Dupuis' repeat customers are 1st and 2nd generation and many started with economy vacuums 25 years ago. Over the years they have continually traded in their same HILLYBILLY vacuums so at the later stages of their life they can afford what they truly want. Dupuis states "if a person feels they are treated fairly and can get what they paid for their original vacuum 5 or 10 years earlier,on a trade-in, they have no reason to waste their valuable time looking for bargains elsewhere.

HILLYBILLY even has an antique vacuum museum with some dustgobblers dating back as far as the 1800's. For the kids there are two unique coloring books entitled "THE SIMPLE ADVENTURES OF HILLYBILLY" written drawn & produced by Joe Dupuis.

As an Authorized Warranty Depot for Tristar, Royal, Singer, Bissel, Electron, Canavac, Dirt Devil, Compact, SEBO, Vortech Force, Miracle Mate, Pullman Holt, Koblenz, Johnny Vac, Drain-Vac Built In, Kirby, Oreck, Rainbow, Filter Queen, Samsung, Riccar, Eureka, Dirt Devil, Watermate Filter Magic, Fairfax, Thermax, Polti, Sharp, Sanyo, Central Vacs and many others the 9 employees at HILLYBILLY have their hands full! HILLYBILLY carries bags, belts and parts for most vacuums too, which means they try to accomodate everyone. HILLYBILLY is also a proud member of the Better Business Bureau, the Vacuum Dealer's Trade Association and the Canadian Independent Vacuum Dealer's Association.

Dupuis loves to paint wildlife & people in oils & acrylics and is a burgeoning member of the art community. Being from a prairie farm, Dupuis is increasingly concerned about the ever shrinking disappearance of wildlife species and habitats. "Without the beauty of wild and tame animals it would be a dull, empty and uninteresting planet", he states.

Even with his busy schedule, Dupuis still makes the effort to give comfort to the homeless and suffering alcoholics on a weekly basis. If we all do our little part, it adds up as a whole, says Dupuis.

Joe has been a member of the Regina Coin Club since 1990 noting that in many ways coins and vacuums are the same because a person needs to have an eye for detail.

Having travelled to Africa, Europe, Asia, Central, South, & North America, Dupuis is fascinated by the world's many diverse and unique cultures. Being a member of Amnesty International for the last decade, allows Dupuis to reconfirm his support for international human rights on a regular basis. Dupuis is glad he lives in Canada...this beautiful land built on democracy with boundless opportunities...how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful place!

A lovable little HILLYBILLY VAC SHACK in Regina, Saskatchewan? Believe it! If having a HILLYBILLY VAC SHACK gorilla, wearing a sign that says "HILLYBILLY LIKES YOU!" is a small way of making a person laugh, feel happy & put a little joy in their heart for that day; then it's all worth it, muses Dupuis. Hundreds of students from age ten and up who have worn the gorilla suit over the last quarter century will attest to that.