With the goal of improving a business that can be “important” to the community, Dafoe’s and its staff is looking forward to serving the community with its products, including pool chemicals, feed, seed, salt softeners and other do-it-yourself items.

“With the farm country out here, water softeners and all of that stuff is good,” said owner Paul Dafoe, whose store is located at 81 N. Washington St. in downtown Oxford.  “It’s all the same stuff I’ve done (at my other job) for 23 years. I think I’ve got a handle on it, and if I don’t something’s not right. After 23 years, I should know what I’m doing.”

Dafoe is happy to be back in the community and working with people he grew up alongside.

“I am an Oxford guy originally,” he said. “I grew up here, went to Oxford High School, graduated in 1993, played on the ’92 championship football team. (I’ve) still got a lot of ties in the community.”

Dafoe graduated college with a degree in public administration and planned on going into politics.But, after working for a pool company in Rochester, he discovered that helping people make the right decisions for their yards and homes as well as managing a staff is something from which he derives true fulfillment.

“It’s nice having people come in and ask a question, and then being able to give them an answer instead of shrugging my shoulders like you might get at a Home Depot or Lowe’s,” he said. “If you’re coming in asking for advice (on a DIY project), my advice is to find the oldest person in the building because they’ve probably done that job before.”

According to Dafoe, he and his staff are knowledgeable on their products and can genuinely help their customers, even if that help means telling someone to not buy something. Dafoe added that he and his staff are looking forward to getting to know customers.