Philip & Roberta Mercer

Ralph and Ruby Mercer started a small family business, attached to their house, in 1957. Ruby did most of the work for the store as Ralph also had a poultry farm, with 5000 hens, which was located at the rear of the house where the Mercer’s Marine warehouse is located today.

Philip Mercer started work in the family business when he finished school in 1965.

It was a small convenience store, joined to the family home, at the same location as today’s Mercer’s Marine.

He worked with his mother and father for three years before deciding to start his own business “The Variety Center”, which was then in the main section of town around where the railway station is today, (formerly Stone’s Restaurant).

The store was small and sold similar products as Mercer’s Variety. Open six days a week from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm and had only one employee. He remained there for three years at which time his father had taken over the Clarenville Dry Dock, then he returned to run Mercer’s Variety.

At this point Philip saw potential to get into the marine product line having a customer in his dad’s shipyard. This is how Mercer’s Marine came into being.

In 1968 Philip married Roberta Horwood, who was also from Clarenville. Her father was principal of the high school, then known as “Horwood High”.

Roberta spent three years in nurse’s training and graduated in 1966 with her R. N. She worked at the Come-by-Chance Cottage Hospital from 1966 to 1969 before having their two children, Scott and Jo Ann.

There was no hospital in Clarenville back then so, after finishing nursing, she became a stay-at-home mom until the children were in school, then got fully involved with the store.

Philip claims the success of Mercer’s was greatly due to Roberta’s input and hard work. He says she was the “glue” that made it all come together.

Today their son Scott, the “Third Generation”, has taken over the reins of the business and has grown it to new heights. Philip & Roberta say their success is mainly due to Scott, hard work, long hours and very importantly “some real good staff” over the years.

Emergency Contacts
RCMP: 466-3211
Fire Department: 466-7777
Ambulance: 466-3468
Hospital: 466-3411
Poison Control: 1-800-722-1110
Mental Health Crisis: 1-888-737-4668

Photography by Paul Tilley.