Kamloops Business

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An exclusive feature publication of The Daily News

JUNE/JULY 2013

Are bitcoins the future of currency or just a passing fad?

$4.25

Hightech

hot spot

Innovative ‘ecosystem’ helps entrepreneurs flourish in Kamloops

INSIDE CHAMBER NEWS: National standards will have local benefits

Celebrating 20 Years… your ed both of w ie v r te in I have amloops s for our K rsonnel, candidate Pe ugh Excel facility thro say I was very to and I have h them both. Excel’s wit d impresse ttention to personal a d n a ity to e ic v ser s your abil a ll e w s a , ndidates our needs right fit ca fy ti n e id ly quick ays otice, is alw d. on short n d hugely appreciate n a t n te consis rincipal, hreiner, P c S e ik M lac rolet Cadil v e h C h it Sm

• Finalist in the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce ‘Business Excellence Awards for Service Provider over 11 Staff' “I just wa nte • Full service recruitment agency in Western Excel Pers d you to know tha t wh onn more live el and you do tou at Canada since 1992 s than yo c u imagine hes been loo . I had king for e • Temporary and contract staffing, payroll services, mp months a nd was fe loyment for 7 e by the tim ling fairly down permanent and executive personnel services e I lande doorstep d on y and Exce l Personn our m e employ • Member of Kamloops, Kelowna & el ha ed right a have don way. I cou d e it witho ldn’t ut Ex Prince George Chamber of Commerce – I will alwa ys fondly cel’s help and rem now work supporting each community with local staffing in the Job ember you. I helping o Wave Pro thers, like Excel help gram • We can test on 800 different applications ed me.”

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JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 3

Career Focus Financial assistance of up to $16,000 may be available for private sector employers who hire youth postsecondary graduates into career-building jobs.

Eligible Employers

Eligible Youth

x Private sector, for-profit businesses operating in high-demand industries (as defined by HRSDC) and located in the Kamloops region of BC x Properly licenced, registered and operating in compliance with local, provincial and federal business and employment regulations x Willing to hire a youth college or university graduate into a challenging position to develop and exercise careerbuilding skills and experience

x 30 years of age or younger x Degree, Diploma, or (full-year) Certificate graduate from a recognized public or private post-secondary institution x Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or granted refugee status in Canada x Unemployed or under-employed, not in school, and seeking full time careerbuilding employment x Resident of the Kamloops area of BC

Visit our website for more information at www.tqmconsulting.ca Human Resource Management Services Career Planning and Job Search Services #202 – 1211 Summit Drive, Kamloops BC V2C 5R9

Ph. 250-828-0420

info@tqmconsulting.ca

Career Focus is administered in Kamloops by TQM Consulting and is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Youth Career Focus Program 4 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

INSIDE Lincoln Smith, executive director of Kamloops Innovation Centre, hopes to balance the ups and downs of entrepreneurship by creating a supportive environment.

Keith Anderson//KAMLOOPS BUSINESS

Kamloops Business is published six times a year by The Kamloops Daily News advertising department, 393 Seymour St., Kamloops, B.C. V2C 6P6. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission.

Unsolicited material will not be returned.

Publisher assumes no responsibility.

For editorial information, contact Kamloops Business editor Danna Bach.

COVER STORY

High-Tech Hot Spot Entrepreneurs know how difficult it is to get off the ground, but by providing space where they can grow, learn and share easily, fostering startups has suddenly become easier. /Page 10

Editor DANNA BACH

Publisher TIM SHOULTS

Supervising Editor ROBERT KOOPMANS

Advertising Director kevin dergez

Manager, Specialty Publications Aj Nijjer

FEATURES

Women Find Fulfilment in IT Sector Information technology no longer just a boys’ club /14

Bitcoins Gaining Currency Is digital money a passing fad or is it the currency of the future? /18

Success is Sweet for Cider Company Entrepreneurial spirit comes out of Left Field /22

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Message, 8

KCBIA Report, 28

Tech Talk, 18

Solid Advice, 29

Chamber News, 20

Building Permit Stats, 28

Venture Kamloops, 25

Q&A, 30

The Daily News is a member of the B.C. Press Council. It is published daily except Sundays and most holidays at 393 Seymour St., Kamloops, B.C. V2C 6P6.

Phone (250) 372-2331 A division of Glacier Ventures International Corp.

Publications Mail Registration No. 0681.

Contributing writers Jennifer Muir, Susan Duncan, Larkin Schmiedl, Sadie Cox

JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 5

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> Editor’s Message

The Evolving Business of IT

MOVE A IS THE BEST MOVE

W

hile I wouldn’t consider myself old, I do remember a time where there was no such thing as an IT department; a time before anyone even used the term information technology.

Back when I first began working as a journalist, if you were lucky enough your company employed a “computer guy,” someone who, when he wasn’t busy doing his other full-time job, would help sort out why you couldn’t connect with the printer, why your emails wouldn’t send, or why the computer shut down every time you pressed a certain key in a certain program.

If my troubles required more assistance than the computer guy could provide, or if, god forbid, he took a vacation, there was a help desk somewhere far, far away, staffed by a whole bunch of computer guys skilled enough to fix my issues remotely.

Back then, computer guys only ever responded to computer emergencies.

Things have changed. Just about every sizeable company employs skilled IT personnel — or contracts out those services.

Now, successful companies realize the benefit of custom designing software to create efficiencies and to minimize down time.

Think about how your business works on a day-to-day basis and imagine if there were a way to make some of those time-sucking tasks go away. That’s where an excellent and creative IT professional becomes a superhero — they give the companies who hire them more time, and as every business person knows, time is money.

The information technology field has evolved so much in such a short time. IT professionals aren’t just “computer guys,” they are creative individuals, some from a programming fields, others with degrees in business, marketing, natural resource science and health care. They are innovators, and the fantastic thing about being an innovator is that you can do it from anywhere on the globe, provided there’s network capacity.

Kamloops offers everything the high-tech sector needs — network capacity, a thriving business community, a pool of potential employees through Thompson Rivers University and a low cost of living relative to other, major centres.

This is my first issue back from a one-year maternity leave and it reminded me why I love my job so much.

Stay tuned for the August/September edition of Kamloops Business where we profile the winners of the inaugural Under 40 Awards. We were astounded by the number of nominees and are just beginning the selection process.

Danna Bach is the editor of Kamloops Business. She can be reached by email at dbach@kamloopsnews.ca.

8 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

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> Cover story

HIGH-TECH

High

By Jennifer Muir

Kamloops cultivates high-tech ‘ecosystem’

P

Keith Anderson/Kamloops Business

Lincoln Smith, executive director of the Kamloops Innovation Centre, says programs and supports will help entrepreneurs thrive in the long term.

10 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

art business incubator, part business accelerator, the Kamloops Innovation Centre (or Kamloops Innovation) is all about developing excellence in the high-tech sector and attracting technology businesses to the region.

Serving multiple roles as a resource, mentor, and partnership supporter to high-tech startup companies, the centre has adopted the benefits of a business incubator model, which traditionally helps new entrepreneurs access such things as office space, skills training and financing, and has coupled it with the merits of an accelerator program, which is more focused on business growth strategies.

“These terms get bandied around, but a lot of what we are doing in Kamloops is unique,” says Jaethan Reichel, a founding member of the centre and co-lead of iTel Technologies, which owns the building and occupies space within.

Reichel, along with a handful of seasoned high-tech industry representatives, were spurred by the idea of fostering startups in a space they could grow, learn and share, easily.

Who’s who of Kamloops innovation

C

‘Entrepreneurship

Is fraught With ups

>> Lincoln Smith, Kamloops Innovation Centre

And downs’

What they’ve helped develop over the course of the past two years is something the centre’s executive director Lincoln Smith calls a hightech “ecosystem,” where entrepreneurs can lease affordable space to do their day-to-day work and, at any given time, access programs and supports that will keep them thriving in the long term.

“Entrepreneurship is fraught with ups and downs. That balances out when there are others who have had the same situations,” says Smith.

“Conversations that happen in 10 minutes can help solve problems that might otherwise take hours if someone was on their own.”

And hours are precious when starting and building a business.

Located at 348 Tranquille Rd., Kamloops Innovation’s unassuming building exterior is a contrast to the buzz of activity inside. Discussions between

company owners might happen over desktop computers or individuals might migrate to the centre’s comfortable lounge where meetings take place to brainstorm ideas or share successes.

The physical space has been renovated to include several individual offices without compromising the communal energy that keeps the place humming. The floor plan is organized to convey openness with tall glass walls and doors along a U-shaped hallway. There are also meeting rooms on the main level available for companies’ use as well as an undeveloped squarefootage on the ground level that may eventually become temporary office space for organizations with shorterterm needs. The centre also provides in-residence companies with office furniture, phones, Internet access, and even has a shower for those who wish to get in their exercise while commuting to work.

urrently, eight startup companies are in-house clients of the Kamloops Innovation Centre, in addition to a handful of other organizations that are supported virtually. In-house clients pay a discounted rental cost for space (based on current market value), which also includes expenses such as utilities and Internet access to help keep overhead low as companies build their businesses.

They are: n Memory Leaf: An online platform developed to share stories, memories, photos and other media with family and friends who have lost loved ones. n Mellem: An industrial design company that addresses product and service challenges through industrial design solutions for individual clients, as well as small and large businesses. n Open Gaming Solutions (OGS): Focused on the “iGaming” industry, OGS has created an online platform that helps North American provincial and state lotteries bring their products to the Internet. n Vocaba: An online vocabulary and terminology tool for secondary and post-secondary students and teachers, which uses flashcards and tracks progress to support learning. n Truvian Labs: A web-based mapping developer focused on intuitive data gathering and management for increased usability, speed and productivity. n Exodus Media: A website and application development company providing content management, social media integration, and mobile app solutions. n Care Caller: Developer and marketer of an emergency call system used in a wide range of industries across Canada. n Spire Telematics: Developer of command-and-control software that lets companies protect and manage their personnel and assets accessed from a single, online interface.

The centre is close to capacity, although additional spaces are available to high tech startups.

JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 11

Keith Anderson/Kamloops Business

Kamloops Innovation speaker Don Anderson, left, of TQM Consulting, speaks with Jaethan Reichel of iTel Network, Dan Erikson of Truvian Labs and Larissa Pepper, TRU career mentoring program representative.

Kamloops Innovation, which is a registered non-profit society, accesses provincial and federal funding to operate and has a staff that includes Smith as well as operations manager Kimberely Eibl and communications officer Siobhan McKee. “There is a lot of power when companies come together in one location,” says Smith. “There are new ideas, new approaches, things that everyone can benefit from.”

Power of mentorships Part of that energy has been focused on the benefits of mentorship.

In the same way Kamloops Innovation has taken the best of both worlds in terms of incubator and accelerator, it’s taken a multi-faceted approach to business mentorship.

By definition, a business mentor is someone who has learned what it takes to be successful in a given field, and shares that knowledge and advice with new entrepreneurs in similar sectors. As a member of the B.C. Innovation Council (BCIC) Accelerator Network, the Kamloops-based centre has access to programs and mentor opportunities that span the region and the province, as well as funded programs such as the

12 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

BCIC Venture Acceleration Program.

“We are hoping to gain more support through mentors in the region,” says Smith. “Our goal is to support the needs of a new company so when they succeed, they will also come back to help mentor others.”

Startups learn to pitch their product or service ideas among experts to identify growth, financial or partnership prospects, and can access mentors to bounce off other ideas that may be brewing. Through events and guest speakers they also build networking skills.

Mentorship happens on other levels, too, through the centre’s in-house expertise from Smith, Reichel and others that make up a high-tech advisory board.

Scott Foubister, who came to Kamloops Innovation as a young entrepreneur in its early days, is proof the mentorship process is in motion on a variety of levels. He was a physics student at Thompson Rivers University when he developed an idea for using online flashcards to help him learn vocabulary in a Spanish elective. The process worked so well Foubister decided to share it with other students and his professors, who encouraged him to consider developing flashcards for other courses, too.

He eventually found his way to Smith, who helped him develop his study aid idea into a marketable business product.

“Right from the start, he helped me with the steps,” says Foubister. “I got advice on the strategy of the business and I still get his opinion on an ongoing basis.”

The experience has encouraged Foubister to mentor others through Venture Kamloops Venture Advisors program as a member of their business panel.

Mentorship also happens at the centre, colleague to colleague. That could mean one business owner may advise another on a funding or grant opportunity one day, and the next that same person may seek advice related to business operations from the entrepreneur in the office next door.

“I can run into a problem and chances are someone else has gone through that problem and can help me quickly,” says Dan Erikson, who owns the startup company Truvian Labs. “There’s a lot of knowledge that is shared even though we are all working in our niche markets.”

Erikson is also a graduate of Thompson Rivers University, from the natural resource science program, and developed his web-based mapping systems for companies to gather and analyze data through a user-friendly interface. He, like Foubister, came to the centre two years ago as one of the first few companies and has watched it grow to include both on-site and virtual members.

“It’s really a place to connect with like-minded individuals,” he says.

Other facets of Kamloops Innovation include access to research opportunities through a partnership with Thompson Rivers University as well as special events such as H4ck Nights where “tech curious” individuals come together and work on projects collaboratively or individually and gather inspiration from the group.

Smith, who divides his time between Kamloops Innovation and as director, research partnerships and enterprise creation at TRU, says access to research opportunities is also a large draw for new or existing high-tech companies that may consider relocating to Kamloops.

“With our partnership with TRU, companies coming here have access to research services that the university can provide.”

Joining the centre’s workplace culture There is no formal application procedure for bringing a business idea to the centre or for accessing the space and services provided. Startups interested in learning more come pitch their ideas and are advised based on their individual needs and where they are at in the business development process.

Keith Anderson/Kamloops Business

Philippe Schlesser of Mellem Design and Dan Erikson of Truvian Labs. Erikson says the centre is “a place to connect with like-minded individuals.”

Reichel says the process aims to be inclusive and should not intimidate those who may have a great business idea but don’t see themselves as part of the high-tech sector.

“The message we want to share to people is that even if someone doesn’t think they are a technical person, but has an idea, we are a place where people can come and ask questions. We can help people find the right partners. . . . The culture isn’t just about people using keyboards. It could be about the person holding a welding torch or someone making plastic mouldings.” KB JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 13

> Career

Think IT is A

Boys’

Club?

W

omen who teach and work in the world of information technology can’t understand why girls aren’t rushing into a career they say has it all — from total job satisfaction to high pay.

And it’s a field built for many of the natural skills women possess.

“It’s also one of those careers you never want to change once you are in it,” says Brenda Mathews, a computer sciences professor at Thompson Rivers University. “I never hear from former students that they are bored with their jobs. I always hear them say ‘I love my career so much.’ ” Which is exactly how Lea Baxter, a software analyst, phrases it a day later in a separate interview.

“I love my job,” she says enthusiastically, adding she hopes more women realize the IT world is so much more than gaming and taking apart computers.

Baxter originally got a diploma in information technology and knew immediately this was the field for her. She went on to work in the co-op program, which allowed her to earn money while she studied for a bachelor’s degree in computer sciences.

She works at TRU in enterprise systems where the director is Anna Machaj and the web and internal services co-ordinator is Ruth Hughes. Both women are equally enthusiastic about their career choice.

They view information technology as an exceptional field for their gender, but, like Mathews, have noticed a decline in the number of young women opting for computer sciences studies.

Think again Information technology a fantastic career choice for young women

By Susan Duncan

Deb McKeown, senior developer, IT for Arrow Transportation

14 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

“Enrolment in technology courses is up overall,” says Mathews. “But for some reason, women are not enrolling in the numbers they once were.”

Machaj calls it a missed opportunity because it’s a field where women excel. IT careers need people who are able to multi-task and are detail oriented — both of which women do well.

She recalls teaching a technology course and noticing a lack of female students in the room. In stark contrast, a few months ago she attended a conference for chief information technology officers where many attendees were women.

“Women who get into IT are almost always successful. Many attain high roles in the industry,” Machaj says.

Mathews suspects more young women would be interested in an IT career if they understood the vast area of work available in the field.

“The career path is huge — gargantuan. IT is not onedimensional. The field allows for so much innovation. It’s not just programming or web design or sitting in front of a computer.

Susan Duncan photo

Ruth Hughes, Anna Machaj and Lea Baxter work in the enterprise systems department of IT services at Thompson Rivers University.

It’s about finding solutions for organizations to be more productive. You have to be a good communicator and you have to like people.”

It’s also a respected career because it’s essential, which also means the pay scale is higher.

“It is something that in this current day and age is key to the

functionality of a business,” says Machaj.

“It is the key to functionality of our society. Everything relies on technology. If IT stops, then business stops.”

TRU’s IT department has three distinct areas: client services, network and technical services, and enterprise systems.

JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 15

Baxter, Machaj and Hughes all work in the enterprise systems department of information technology services. They describe themselves as mostly coders, which means they write, implement, and enhance software that enables the end users to do something more effectively.

“Coding exists everywhere. You press a button for an elevator or get candy from a vending machine, it’s code that makes all that stuff work,” says Baxter.

“For us, we are constantly trying to improve the student experience and make it possible for faculty and staff to do their jobs more efficiently.”

At Arrow Transportation, Deb McKeown is a senior developer in the IT department, which provides the pulse for what drives the company.

“We figure out how to get from here to there in the most elegant and logical way,” she explains, and by that, she doesn’t mean mapping routes for the trucks.

“We have a business analyst (also a woman) who talks to the users about what they need and then I help to come

✚

You are always on the edge of what’s happening. That makes it fun and hard at the same time . . .

“

Brenda Mathews

up with a solution to their needs. I create software that is used by the business and that can be anything that makes it easier for people at Arrow to do their job.”

She might create a software program to manage incidents or to keep track of inventory or she could review data related to speed and fuel consumption and write a report with an eye to creating efficiencies.

McKeown’s interest in her career choice has rubbed off on her daughter who, although she has a degree in engi-

neering, has now decided to go into computer sciences.

“There is a lot of variety, which is one of the things I like about the work. It’s a very creative field,” she says.

The description doesn’t fit with the stereotypical view of technology, but was used at least once by Mathews, Machaj, Hughes and Baxter as they talked about their jobs.

IT people need to be logical thinkers, with an interest in math. They also have to enjoy constant learning because if one thing is for certain about technology, it’s that it is always changing.

“You are always on the edge of what’s happening,” says Mathews. “That makes it fun and hard at the same time, because you can never just sit still. You have to constantly be learning new things and that is good for the brain.”

So if there is one piece of advice all these women would pass along to high school girls with analytical minds?

Apply your logic to the field of technology. Percentages are high you will never regret the choice. KB

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> Tech talk

Gaining currency

Are bitcoins a passing fad, or the end of money?

I

t’s a currency that exists only online, its value fluctuates wildly and its future is uncertain. No nation controls it and it can be used anonymously.

Bitcoins have come onto the scene in force over recent months due to a spike in value that got the media’s attention — and many new people are “mining” for bitcoins or buying them.

The thing is, the more bitcoins people get, the fewer there are to go around. The supply of the currency is limited by design. Fuelled by an algorithm, bitcoins are generated by users solving a complex mathematical problem using computer technology.

The algorithms involved are too complex for non-nerds to understand; hence the term mining — it’s tough.

“The currency is designed as such that it’s a cryptographic problem, and you have a solution to that cryptographic problem that requires a significant amount of machine time to solve.

And so this is how the number of bitcoins in circulation is limited, is by making it difficult to generate them,” said Derek Jacoby, a 10-year Microsoft veteran who’s still involved in the computer industry.

Bitcoins are designed so that the more of them mined, the more difficult it becomes. This ensures a steady flow of the currency into the network.

“It’s still really only the fairly technically-adept that are able to participate in the bitcoin game,” said Jacoby.

18 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS

JUNE/JULY 2013

And bitcoins are currently experiencing an intensification in mining. About six months ago, the difficulty increased to the point that it is no longer cost-effective to mine bitcoins on video card hardware, as was previously being done.

“It used to be the case initially that you could mine bitcoins on the general processor in your computer, and then it got more difficult. It became more efficient to write video card GPU code to mine bitcoins.

And it’s now the case that that is really only barely cost effective or not cost effective,” said Jacoby.

By Larkin Schmiedl

Now, a third generation of bitcoin mining technology involves dedicated mining chips.

“The game is changing such that it’s only dedicated hardware that’s going to be able to efficiently mine bitcoins from here on out,” said Jacoby.

Another way people are mining is by being part of a mining pool, which is a group of people who combine processor resources to increase their rate of earning bitcoins.

The maximum number of bitcoins that can ever exist in the world according to the algorithm is 21 million.

According to an algorithm, the maximum number of bitcoins that can exist worldwide is 21 million.

The Associated Press

Says Jacoby: “We’re just starting to get bitcoins going mainstream. We’ve just seen our second major bitcoin bubble, and the bubbles are primarily caused by bitcoin investment, but also by increasing exposure to bitcoin.

“I think by the time we hit the third bitcoin bubble it’s going to be a broader adoption. And so we’re just at the phase where we’re moving out of the technophile realm to (it) being a general currency.”

He hasn’t mined bitcoins himself, but has bought some for use as a convenience currency.

“If you look back a year, really the only places you could spend bitcoin were on Silk Road.”

Silk Road is an anonymous online marketplace that’s overwhelmingly used as a market for controlled substances and narcotics, according to experts.

Bitcoin makes this easy to do, as it’s a more anonymous currency.

As the currency becomes better-known, it’s becoming used for more transactions in the real world.

“Six months ago you started to see

controlled by bitcoin users.

Unlike other currencies, it does not depend on a central bank or on any nation, and is not subject to governmental control.

Bitcoins only exist in the digital realm, and are the most successful virtual currency yet.

Several other crypto-currencies do exist, and some aim to improve on bitcoins. The two largest of these are litecoins and PPCoin, according to the MIT Technology Review.

Jacoby thinks bitcoins could be a path toward the future.

“Over the long term as we look at the risks in governmental currencies a bitcoin-like currency has the potential to really change world currency markets.

The idea of a distributed cryptographic currency I think is really a game-changer in the long term.”

Even if interest in bitcoin fades away, the currency could still leave a legacy.

Since becoming a billion-dollar market at the end of March, many are speculating about whether bitcoins will be a passing fad, or “the end of money.” KB

online businesses start to accept bitcoins,” Jacoby said.

For example, there’s a restaurant in Victoria where Jacoby lives, where he can buy a hamburger with bitcoins.

Online, sites like Reddit, WordPress, Mega and Wikileaks accept bitcoins. To check out a growing list of businesses that accept the currency, see https://en. bitcoin.it/wiki/Real_world_shops.

As far as investing, Jacoby thinks bitcoins are a risky investment in some ways, and many agree.

“I think it is a risky buy-and-hold investment,” he said. “We see so much volatility in the market at this point — I mean we went from a $30 bitcoin to a $260 bitcoin in the space of a week. And we were back down to a $70 bitcoin at a week after that, he said of the bitcoin market in mid-April alone.

“You cannot buy bitcoins and hold them and forget about them. . . . You do need to be watching quite closely.”

The initial bitcoin algorithm was created in 2009 by a programmer with the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

The currency is now created, traded and

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Chamber NEWS National Standards Have Local Benefits Canadian Chamber accreditation, member engagement on tap Bob Dieno Kamloops Chamber President CEO and owner, Nu-Tech Fire & Safety 4-953 Laval Cres Kamloops BC, V2C 5P4 www.nutechfire.com

L

ongtime Kamloops resident Bob Dieno has been in business since 1996 and very involved with the community as a high-school football coach and officiate, and through his activities with the Rotary Club and the Junior Achievement Program.

Dieno became a Kamloops Chamber of Commerce board member in 2009 and is excited about his role as chamber president for 2013-14.

“It means so much to me to be president because it is a reward for all the hard work I have put in to build my business, and to be recognized as a leader in the Kamloops community by my peers is amazing,” Dieno says.

He adds that he is especially grateful for the guidance and leadership offered by past presidents Maurice Hindle and Peter Aylen.

Dieno’s major goals for the coming year include achieving Canadian Chamber accreditation and increasing member engagement.

The Kamloops chamber is already well recognized in the country for “our development of policies and for our policy development process,” says Dieno.

“To achieve accreditation will mean Kamloops is formally recognized for doing everything right and having all our policies, procedures and information held to the highest standards available for a chamber in Canada.”

Dieno encourages members to come out to the many events held by the chamber of commerce. Networking socials, business growth programs and policy roundtables are all excellent ways for individuals to take advantage of chamber membership.

“The Kamloops chamber offers so many fantastic benefits that our business community needs to be taking

20 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

Bob Dieno advantage of,” he says.

Benefits include: p Free ways to market your business. p Connections to many community businesses. p Money-saving benefits such as fuel discounts and a group-insurance program. p Representation of issues important to the business community at all levels of government.

If you want to know more about membership benefits or coming events, stop by the new Chamber of Commerce office at 615 Victoria St. KB

> Chamber news i NEW MEMBERS

Building a Business to Better a Community Family, support key to finding success in business and life Sunridge Equipment 401 Sunridge Crt. 250-372-0417

C

liff Loucks and Carrie Leonard have worked hard at creating a successful partnership in life and in business. The couple met in high school when they were 14 and have been together ever since.

The pair started their business in 1994 as a sole proprietorship with a single truck, and now own and operate Sunridge Equipment Ltd., Chamber of Commerce First Nations Business of the Year in 2012.

Leonard proudly displays the award and family photos taken at the awards gala, crediting her family for their support and their role in the couple’s success.

“If you don’t have family, and you don’t have support, then you don’t have anything,” says Leonard. “My family is my rock.”

Past work projects include transport services, paving and dyke building. They now focus mainly on supporting the local mining industry.

“We have worked hard to prove that we are dependable and reliable. Mining is our future,” said Leonard.

Sunridge Equipment currently has about 20 pieces of equipment including rock trucks, excavators, loader dozers, a rock crusher and conveyor, water trucks, dump trucks and a Bobcat. They provide trained operators for all of their equipment and can easily access any equipment required, even if they don’t have it in their inventory.

Leonard and Loucks employ a team of 19 full-time and 18 part-time employees. Staffing is partly facilitated by their relationship with the B.C. Aboriginal Mine Training

Keith Anderson/Kamloops Business

Carrie Leonard, co-owner of Sunridge Equipment Ltd., proudly displays her award for Chamber of Commerce First Nations Business of the Year in 2012.

Association. At times, up to 80 per cent of staff were First Nations, with about 20 per cent of them family members.

The success of Sunridge Equipment “is an example of what the participation agreement with New Gold is all about,” says Leonard.

“We’ve been able to give back to our community — to the First Nations Education Council, to support bursaries and scholarships,” she says. “Culturally, we support the Kamloopa Pow Wow — supporting our traditions and culture.”

Leonard said her priority is to provide First Nations with an avenue to create better lives for themselves and their families and to give back to the community. KB

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> Family Business

Bearing fruit Left Field Cider Co. uses entrepreneurial spirit to find sweet success

By Danna Bach

L

Danna Bach/Kamloops Business

Above: Debbie Garthwaite caps bottles of Big Dry on bottling day.

At top: The Garthwaite family: Debbie, Kate, Theresa Pedersen and Gord.

eft Field — that’s where the idea came from, so it seemed only fitting to use it as a name for the business.

The Garthwaite family, owners and operators of Left Field Cider Co., located at Mamette Lake south of Logan Lake, are a shining example of madein-B.C. entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better time to catch a glimpse of that spirit than on bottling day.

During the spring, the Garthwaite family — sisters Kate Garthwaite and Theresa Pedersen, along with their parents Gord and Debbie Garthwaite, are usually in the cider house by sunrise every Friday and Sunday. By 8 a.m., neighbours and friends start rolling in. Grandpa shows

22 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

up, as do aunts and uncles. They’ll crack open a cider — Left Field offers two varieties, Big Dry and Little Dry — and then the bottling begins.

This is a craft brewery; it’s a passion turned into a profitable business, and it’s difficult to remain aloof and not get swept up in the excitement as the bottles get capped, pasteurized, labelled and packaged for delivery.

The bottling continues until noon when everyone breaks for lunch and heads home. They bottle two days a week — starting at the end of February and going through to the end of April — and then they focus on getting the product to market.

Right now, cider is still considered a niche market, but that market is growing fast. According to the Association of Canadian Distillers, since 2005, cider consumption has increased by 55 per cent.

But that still makes up a tiny percentage of the alcoholic drink market, so one of the main goals at Left Field is to educate.

JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 23

“This is real cider; a full juice cider,” says Kate, who takes responsibility for getting her family hooked on cider making. “If there’s pomegranate in it, it’s not real cider,” she says with a grin.

While she grew up on the family ranch near Logan Lake, Kate had completed a degree in international development and was working in Vancouver as a fundraiser for a non-profit when she first became hooked on true, English-style cider.

“I got a bucket in my kitchen, filled it with apples, and made the worst thing in the world,” she says.

After that, she enrolled in a weeklong cider-making course at Washington State University in Mt. Vernon, Wash., where she learned the basics of cider making from renowned cider-expert Peter Mitchell.

“I came back super passionate about cider,” she says, so she bought a screw press for the apples and set about trying to get her hands on some proper cider apples.

“Mrs. Crabtree down the road had a crab apple tree,”

24 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

she says with complete seriousness.

And that batch? “It wasn’t bad.”

A short time later, Kate enrolled in an advanced course at WSU, and after that there was nothing left to do but go to England.

“Fifty per cent of the world’s cider comes from Southwestern England. So I decided I was going to quit my job and move there,” she says.

She did, and eventually she found work at a cider house.

She stayed nine months, and during that time her dad and sister took the course at WSU. When she returned home in spring 2011, they planted the orchard. They launched their first product at Penticton’s Fest of Ale in April 2012, where it won Best Beverage and opened the cider house for tastings last May. “My dad was on board right away,” Kate says, recalling that he happily built the cider house, figuring if the business didn’t work out, he’d just convert it to a really nice shop.

During the first year they made 10,000 litres, or 20,000 bottles of Big and Little Dry, which sold out in five months. One of the biggest surprises was how much sold right from the tasting room floor.

“Some days we were selling 40 cases a day.”

This year, they’ve tripled production, whipping up a whopping 60,000 bottles.

“I don’t think we thought it would take off. It really did come out of nowhere.”

Left Field is still a small business, however, with the Garthwaite family in charge of brewing, bottling and distribution. There are plans to launch a new product this year, and the website launches in June. The cider house is open for tastings every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May through to the end of September. They aren’t licensed to serve food, but guests are encouraged to bring a picnic and stay awhile, sampling cider on the patio.

While it would be easy to get carried away by the immediate success, Kate says the growth will be much more gradual in the years ahead.

“We’re constrained by the amount of cider apples available,” she says, adding that as a craft brewery, it’s important to stay small to ensure quality.

“It’s a craft product, so if we sell out it’s not the end of the world.”

Currently, Left Field products are sold in private liquor stores in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. They can also be found in Merritt, Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton. In Kamloops, you can find Left Field at the Liquor Depot, Stags Head Liquor Store, U-District Liquor Store, Sahali Liquor and Tumbleweeds. KB

> VENTURE KAMLOOPS

Working to Draw High Tech to City Communities must be prepared to meet demands of tech firms

BY JIM ANDERSON >> VENTURE KAMLOOPS

T

he dramatic, continuing evolution of the high-tech sector has presented a unique and varying set of challenges and opportunities in the field of economic development. The high-tech sector offers a job-rich environment that complements any community, but at the same time, high-tech businesses have specific infrastructure needs that must be met before any company can consider startup, expansion JIM ANDERSON or relocation.

Studies suggest that since the high-tech bubble burst in 2004, employment growth in the high-tech sector has

outpaced growth in the private sector by a ratio of three to one. It’s this type of opportunity that has created a high level of competition among communities vying for new business and economic growth. These communities must be prepared, however, to meet the needs of high-tech companies. Power and data lines, and skilled people are absolutely critical for these companies. Communities that lack in any of these areas will not be successful in attracting high-tech business.

At Venture Kamloops, we maintain the high-tech sector as one of our key areas of focus. We’re working to ensure Kamloops is a legitimate choice that checks all the boxes for businesses. Kamloops offers the fibre-optic network that is essential for high-tech operations. We partner with Thompson Rivers University on a number of business and entrepreneurial programs. Kamloops is also home to the Kamloops Innovation Centre (KIC), which supports and nurtures technology-based businesses.

In addition to the infrastructure, labour and creative needs, Venture Kamloops seeks input from local high-tech businesses to be sure we know what business needs to thrive in Kamloops.

Last fall we hosted the Premier’s Tech Council at a roundtable with 15 local high-tech businesses. The discussions from that day-long event gave us a clear direction in our work to make Kamloops an easy choice for business. With the challenges of attracting jobs in the high tech sector addressed, we can then focus on the opportunities. KB

JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 25

> BUILDING PERMITS March 2013 Date Issued: March 1 Value: $267,870 Builder: Martin & Angela J. Harrichhausen.

Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling at 2118 Doubletree Cres.

Date Issued: March 4 Value: $69,960 Builder: Jesse J. & Amy R. Brauner.

Location/Work: To construct a secondary suite and finish existing basement at 688 Harrington Rd. Date Issued: March 5 Value: $100,000 Builder: Chatters Kamloops Ltd. Location/Work: Commercial alteration Aberdeen Mall, Chatters.

Date Issued: March 5 Value: $48,500 Builder: 0840250 B.C. Ltd. Purpose: To finish basement at 2106 Doubletree Cres.

Date Issued: March 6 Value: $600,000 Builder: Wrabel Brothers Construction Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling at 1798 Galore Pl. Date Issued: March 6 Value: $420,000 Builder: MacFin Development Inc. Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling at 1635 Cheakamus Dr. Date Issued: March 7 Value: $50,000 Builder: Rivermist Holding Ltd. Location/Work: Site servicing, 8265 Dallas Dr. Date Issued: March 8 Building Value: $250,000 Builder: Dayton Mills Construction Ltd. Delta, B.C. Location/Work: To

construct a commercial alteration to the Westsyde Liquor Store.

3435 Westsyde Rd. Date Issued: March 12 Value: $38,520 Builder: Fidanza Enterprises Ltd. Location/Work: Finish basement 813 sq ft. at 2002 Stagecoach Dr. Date Issued: March 12 Value: $49,522 Builder: Servicemaster of Kamloops Location/Work: To construct an apartment alteration. Fire damage at 135-254 Beach Ave. Date Issued: March 12 Value: $62,080 Builder: Blaine and Cynthia Nowoczin Location/Work: To finish 1552 sq ft area within existing basement at 2230 Linfield Dr.

Builder: Tyler and Amanda Honey Location/Work: To construct a new SFD with 1695sf fin on the main, 1538sf fin bsmt, 1384sf fin upper floor, a double attached garage, 390sf cov. deck, and 152sf porch at 1774 Galore Pl. Date Issued: March 14 Value: $12,700 Builder: Mathew Ward Location/Work: Addition of covered entrance and rear covered deck at 5828 Leonard Pl. Date Issued: March 15 Value: $200,000 Builder: Tri-City Contracting Ltd. Location/Work: Additional 4 units added at 1200 Harrison Pl.

Date Issued: March 12 Value: $25,000 Builder: Scott and Crystal Dalke Location/Work: To construct a 112 sq m accessory building at 5898 Todd Hill Cres.

Date Issued: March 15 Value: $265,760 Builder: Allen Johnson and Katherine Ferguson Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling with 1512 sf fin on the main, 331 sf fin in the bsmt, a double attached garage, and 120 sf deck area at 894 Grant Rd.

Date Issued: March 13 Value: $16,080 Builder: Jason and Lara Dixon Location/Work: To construct an addition at 1219 Dominion St.

Date Issued: March 18 Value: $139,000 Builder: Metro Homes Location/Work: To place a Z-240 mobile home at 176-1655 Ord Rd.

Date Issued: March 13 Value: $26,400 Builder: Jason and Lara Dixon Location/Work: To construct a detached 22x24foot garage 1219 Dominion St.

Date Issued: March 20 Building Value: $20,000 Builder: Jim Bouwmeester Construction Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration for City Bookkeeping, 2020 Falcon Rd.

Date Issued: March 14 Value: $700,000 Builder: Snow Terra Investments Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a new mixed use building, Commercial/ Residential, at 1-2049 Highland Pl. Date Issued: March 14 Value: $454,250

26 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

Date Issued: March 20 Value: $36,000 Builder: Sun Sage Developments Ltd. Location/Work: To finish basement. (900 sq ft ), 2195 Crosshill Dr. Date Issued: March 20 Value: $32,360

Builder: Sun Sage Developments Ltd. Location/Work: To finish a basement (809 sq ft ), 1311 Dunbar Dr. Date Issued: March 21 Value: $250,000 Builder: TLN Contracting Ltd. Purpose: To construct a 2 storey duplex (side 1) 148-2920 Valleyview Dr. Date Issued: March 21 Value: $250,000 Builder: TLN Contracting Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a 2 storey duplex (side 2) 1492920 Valleyview Dr. Date Issued: March 22 Value: $60,000 Builder: Anne Grube Location/Work: Carriage house at B-917 Douglas St. Date Issued: March 22 Value: $523,492.50 Builder: Mark and Leslie Severson Location/Work: To construct a sfd in a multi site at 2-1898 McKinley Crt. Date Issued: March 22 Value: $350,000 Builder: Wrabel Brothers Construction Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a 1847 sq ft single family dwelling.

(Unfinished basement.) at 6234 Hillview Dr. Date Issued: March 22 Value: $186,670 Builder: Jordan Holloway and Erin Bruzzese Location/Work: 725 sq ft 3 storey addition to SFD at 1491 Mt. Dufferin Dr. Date Issued: March 25 Value: $200,000 Builder: Mota Dhaliwal Location/Work: To construct a vegetable farm storage shed at 145 Haslett Rd Date Issued: March 26 Value: $175,000 Builder: A&T Project

Developments Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration Coast Kamloops Hotel 1250 Rogers Way. Date Issued: March 26 Value: $125,000 Builder: Craig Day Contracting Location/Work: To construct a 333 sq ft front addition, interior alteration and 294 sq ft carport at 128 Greenstone Dr. Date Issued: March 27 Value: $54,798 Builder: Thompson Valley Restoration Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a duplex fire repair at 938 Fernie Rd. Date Issued: March 27 Value: $500,000 Builder: Stonewater Group of Franchises Ltd. Location/Work: Commercial alteration, Mr. Mikes, 1200 Summit Dr. Date Issued: March 27 Value: $158,600 Builder: Apex Construction Location/Work: To construct a duplex (side 1) Unit 9-2592 Crestline St. Date Issued: March 27 Value: $158,600 Builder: Apex Construction Location/Work: To construct a duplex (side 2) Unit 10-2592 Crestline St. Date Issued: March 27 Value: $158,600 Builder: Apex Construction Location/Work: To construct a duplex (side 1) Unit 7-2592 Crestline St. Date Issued: March 27 Value: $158,600 Builder: Apex Construction Location/Work: To construct a duplex (side 2) Unit 8-2592 Crestline St.

> BUILDING PERMITS April 2013 Date Issued: April 2 Value: $117,480 Builder: Mark & Tanya Sherwood Location/Work: To construct a 891 sq ft 2 storey addition to SFD at 6745 McIver Pl. Date Issued: April 2 Value: $45,000 Builder: Pleausre Pools Plus Purpose: To construct an inground pool at 2094 Glenmohr Dr. Date Issued: April 2 Value: $283,230 Builder: H.K.R. Builders Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a single-family dwelling. Unfinished Basement at 1790 Coldwater Dr. Date Issued: April 3 Value: $125,000 Builder: Metro Homes Location/Work: To place a mobile home at 130-2401 Ord Rd. Date Issued: April 3 Value: $90,000 Builder: Malcolm Homes Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration at 540 Victoria St. Date Issued: April 3 Value: $8,000 Builder: Harold & Teresa Atkinson Location/Work: To construct a concrete retaining wall at 46 St. Paul St. W. Date Issued: April 4 Value: $78,400 Builder: 0963376 BC Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration at 1420 Hugh Allan Dr. Date Issued: April 4 Value: $150,000 Location/Work: Commercial alteration to restaurant, Oriental Express, 1166-8th St.

Date Issued: April 4 Value: $297,613 Builder: P. Goldade Homes Ltd. Location/Work: New M.F.D at 39-3665 Westsyde Rd. Date Issued: April 5 Value: $70,000 Builder: Eagle Homes Ltd. Purpose: To site a mobile home at 15-7805 Dallas Dr. Date Issued: April 5 Value: $450,000 Builder: Clinton Hilliard Location/Work: To construct a SFD Finished Main floor and Loft at 2077 PalaMesa Pl. Date Issued: April 5 Value: $150,000 Builder: David Matias Purpose/Location: To construct a fire repair and 300 sq ft 2 storey addition at 775 Stewart Ave. Date Issued: April 8 Value: $65,000 Builder: Pleasure Pools Plus Location/Work: To install an in ground 16x32 swimming pool at 6648 Chukar Dr. Date Issued: April 8 Value: $50,000 Builder: A&T Project Developments Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration at 929 McGill Rd. Date Issued: April 12 Value: $257,275 Builder: Snow Terra Investments Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling. 621 sq ft unfinished first storey at 1957 Galore Cres.

Date Issued: April 16 Value: $9,200,000 Builder: A & T Alpine Construction Co. Ltd. Location/Work: 101 residential units at 755 Mayfair St.

Date Issued: April 16 Value: $50,400 Builder: Cody Labounty Location/Work: Single family alteration to finish 720 sq ft above existing attached garage at 1258 Pleasant St. Date Issued: April 17 Value: $100,000 Builder: Cherry RV Park (1998) Ltd. Location/Work: Placing foundation for mini storage buildings F, G and H at 7530 Dallas Dr. Date Issued: April 17 Value: $400,000 Builder: Randy Dillman Purpose: To construct a 3-storey single-family dwelling. Finished basement level at 1647 Galore Crt. Date Issued: April 18 Value: $200,000 Builder: Con-Ex Civil Contractors Ltd. Location/Work: Retaining walls on future lots 16 to 19, 2000 Qu’Appelle Blvd.

Date Issued: April 18 Value: $180,500 Builder: Stahle Construction Inc. Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration at Northills Shopping Centre, The Dollar Tree, 700 Tranquille Rd. Date Issued: April 18 Value: $288,440 Builder: Fulcrum Development Inc. Location/Work: To construct a new single family dwelling at 176 Fernie Pl. Date Issued: April 19 Value: $254,950 Builder: Becker Construction Location/Work: To construct a SFD. Finished basement at 2112 Doubletree Cres.

Date Issued: April 19 Value: $375,000 Builder: Wrabel Brothers Construction

Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling. Unfinished basement level, 1750 Galore Pl. Date Issued: April 19 Value: $77,000 Builder: A & T Project Developments Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration.

SPA PURE, 106-1150 Hillside Dr. Date Issued: April 24 Value: $288,440 Builder: Fulcrum Development Location/Work: To construct a SFD. Finished both floors including a 639 sq ft suite, 1763 Galore Pl. Date Issued: April 24 Value: $263,560 Builder: Commercial Building & Contracting Ltd. Purpose: Commercial alteration, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, 700 Tranquille Rd. Date Issued: April 24 Value: $267,400 Builder: Prime Builders Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling 236 sq ft unfinished first storey at 8702 Badger Dr. Date Issued: April 24 Value: $238,570 Builder: BJC Enterprises Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a 3 storey single family dwelling.

1072 sq ft unfinished basement but paid as finished with this permit, at 1061 Latigo Dr. Date Issued: April 25 Value: $175,000 Builder: Drobot Construction Location/Work: To construct a duplex (side 1). Addressing will be changed when updated in the system for the second unit 3140 Mara Rd. Date Issued: April 25

Value: $175,000 Builder: Drobot Construction Location/Work: To construct a duplex (side 2). Addressing will be changed when updated in the system for the second unit, at 3140 Mara Rd. Date Issued: April 26 Value: $325,000 Builder: Hemlock Construction Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a single family dwelling. 944 sq ft unfinished first storey at 1715 Galore Pl. Date Issued: April 29 Value: $149,160 Builder: Romi Arora Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration at Jae Healthy Lifestyles, 102-795 McGill Rd. Date Issued: April 30 Value: $3,616,000 Builder: Trophy Enterprises Ltd. Location/Work: To construct a 53 unit seniors apartment.

5-storey Residential Apartment Part 3 complex building per 3.2.2.45 Combustible, sprinklered at 154 Vernon Ave. Date Issued: April 30 Value: $5,000 Builder: Archie Contracting Location/Work: To construct a commercial alteration at 444 Victoria St. Date Issued: April 30 Value: $500,000.

Builder: Ridgeline Builders Location/Work: To demolish and rebuild new 2 storey SFD at 6504 Chukar Dr. Date Issued: April 30 Value: $95,000 Builder: Pronto Enterprises Ltd. Location/Work: To install a swimming pool at 4729 Aspen Park Dr.

JUNE/JULY 2013 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS 27

> Kcbia report

> ACROSS THE RIVER

Three Experts, Three Aboriginal Tourism Visions to Strive For Benefits Region Fresh ideas for improving downtown and urban living

Experiences give visitors deeper understanding of First Nations

BY GAY POOLER >> MANAGER, KCBIA

BY SHANE GOTTFRIEDSON >> CHIEF, TIB

t the recent BIA-BC Conference, there were three keynote speakers who inspired us all to look at our downtown spaces with new eyes.

Vancouver entrepreneur Mark Brand demonstrated that businesses are a vital part of the neighbourhood. They can and should be involved in social solutions. Brand stressed the importance of persistence in searching for viable programs or projects. Don’t give GAY POOLER up if some fail; his first attempt at a work program failed, but he learned from it and now has a successful program employing those with employment barriers.

From a different angle, Brent Toderain spoke on urbanism — city planning and urban design. He had much to say about creating a livable and complete downtown; however, two theories really stood out. First, the importance of having pedestrian-oriented streets as opposed to “traffic sewers” as Toderain put it. The other point was about downtown infill and how increasing density in the core areas is vital to its success.

Roger Brooks was an inspiring speaker who is an expert in creating a vibrant destination. Brooks’ company, Destination Development International, surveyed 400 successful downtowns and downtown districts throughout the U.S., Canada and Western Europe to identify the 20 most common ingredients for success.

The first red flag for me was when Brooks told me that he got lost trying to find downtown Kamloops. Way-finding signs for our downtown are obviously inadequate. The KCBIA has identified this as a priority but it just jumped several notches.

Signage in general is one of the 20 ingredients. On a tour of Victoria Street, Brooks noted a distinct lack of blade signs on businesses. Blade signs are perpendicular to the store front, as you are walking down the sidewalk you can see them along in front of you. Signs on the facia of buildings can only be seen from the opposite side of the street.

Another ingredient is the concept of bringing store window displays onto the street. Brooks recommends that the first two feet adjacent to a storefront be used as a continuation of visual merchandising — not sale racks, but attractive displays.

The final suggestion is to concentrate improvement efforts in a small core area first. Focus on creating critical mass in just a few blocks. The surrounding areas will follow and the entire downtown district benefits. KB

e view tourism as one of our economic opportunities that provides us with employment and revenue.

The Tk’emlups territory represents an authentic experience that attracts visitors from around the world.

As one of the main motivations of travel is cultural, we encourage residents and visitors alike to visit the Secwépemc Museum and Heritage Park at the junction of Highway 5 SHANE GOTTFRIEDSON and 1. It will give you a deeper understanding of our people, our culture and our past. A look at the guest book from our museum demonstrates the global reach and impact this single facility has. The popular travel web site TripAdvisor.com rates it as the second most popular attraction in the Kamloops area after Sun Peaks.

We all know the amount of tourism revenue generated locally by the Rocky Mountaineer. The tourists it brings to our region and money they contribute to our economy is important. In addition, this company recently opened a new, state of the art, maintenance facility on TIB reserve lands. This, too, is an important source of jobs and revenue for our communities.

From Aug. 2 to 4, the Kamloopa Powwow will again attract many thousands of visits to our region. This is a major regional cultural event that also attracts tourists from every continent.

The travel and tourism industry is highly competitive and will require sophisticated marketing and co-operation to promote aboriginal tourism products and services and especially our own Secwépemc territory.

We will have to engage local and government organizations into our vision for the tourism industry. We share a pride for our beautiful land and want to encourage everyone to see what an amazing place it is to live, work and play.

In our view, participating in authentic experiences is a key product that we can offer tourists that aligns with and complements the Tournament Capital concept. We would like to see a hotel established on our reserve lands and there are several ideal locations that have development potential. We have opportunities for fishing and guiding experiences that we are currently exploring.

We can all welcome tourists to our region by sharing our knowledge, making new friends and taking some time to share the beauty, history and culture we have to offer. KB

A

28 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

W

> Solid advice

Do You Care What Staff Thinks of You? Gaining trust from employees will help the bottom line

BY SHANE JENSEN >> NEW QUEST COACHING & Consulting

A

s a business owner, manager or supervisor do you care what your staff think of you?

Interesting question and it leads to the next question: Do you think profitability or performance is affected if your staff like or don’t like you?

It is one thing as a boss to say to me, “I don’t really care what my staff thinks of me as SHANE JENSEN long they do their job.”

However, that statement still does not rule out whether you are missing the opportunity to be more profitable or more productive by ensuring that your staff do like you, or more importantly, trust you.

The classic quote, “people don’t leave organizations, they leave their boss” rings true for this situation.

I would be the first to concede that leadership is not always a popularity contest; however, the evidence is overwhelming that if your staff don’t trust you then your bottom line is suffering.

Remember what it was like for you back in the day when you had a boss you didn’t trust? Remember how much that affected your performance?

If you are a leader and you have little or no trust from your staff, you are leaving money on the table.

Chances are your staff does not trust you if: p You have high employee turnaround. p You’re dealing with conflict on a daily basis. p You have upset customers. p Work that is being completed is sloppy. p Work has become more and more stressful for you. p There is little communication between you and your staff. p There is pressure from your own boss to perform better.

If the above sums up your reality as a leader, then unfortunately, your employees don’t trust you.

There is no easy solution. Most leaders in these situations default to implementing more processes and systems, or blame their staff, thinking that this will fix the problem. But as some of you have discovered, it is pointless if you have little or no trust.

The first step to building trust is to look at changing the behaviour of the leader.

Consider getting some leadership training or working with a leadership coach and go from there. Remember the problem stems from the behaviour of the leader, therefore that is the first place to start.

Shane Jensen, MA, ACC, CEC, is the senior principal for New Quest Coaching & Consulting. To learn more please see www.newquestcc.com. KB

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> Q&A

Grayconian

Measures

Keith Anderson/Kamloops Business

Jim Hart of Graycon Group focuses on businesses, not just their technical needs Interview by SADIE COX

Jim Hart, Interior sales manager at Graycon Group on McGill Road, says “if our people are happy, chances are our clients will be happy.”

Graycon Group 102 - 1361 McGill Road Kamloops, V2C 6K7

achieving goals and wrap IT around it to help them achieve those goals.”

I

f you’re tired of dealing with pushy IT salespeople only interested in meeting a product quota or IT help that leaves you even more confused than you were, then it’s time to get real.

That’s what you’ll find at Graycon Group — straight up, no-nonsense IT solutions.

Q: What services do you provide?

“We provide a range of services from help-desk support to improving workflow and managing IT assets. The help desk was launched in Kamloops this year and that’s a really important service to be able to offer our customers. For organizations that already have an IT team, we’ll do infrastructure assessments and security assessments — sort of a report card for a business in terms of what their IT department is doing.

Q: How can the right IT equipment save money?

“Our biggest approach is a proactive

30 KAMLOOPS BUSINESS JUNE/JULY 2013

approach to IT rather than a reactive approach. Being reactive is costly. If you’re proactive, you can plan and typically you’re not spending reactive money and wasting it.”

Q: Does incorporating IT require a business to have tech-savvy staff?

“No because if an organization doesn’t have an IT department, we’ll be that extension for them and provide them with information about when different pieces of equipment are going to need replacing and help them budget for that cost.”

Q: What makes Graycon different from other IT companies?

“We focus more on the business rather than just their IT needs. We’ll determine what their business goals are, what their future looks like, what their market is, who their partners are and position ourselves as more of a consultant in the business side of things. We take a look at where they are missing

Q: What is your advice for people looking for ways to save money and increase efficiency?

“The first step would be to understand how their IT is currently managed. We look at all aspects within the business to come up with ways for them to manage IT better and that’s typically where we find cost savings.”

Q: Can you describe your “Karmic” approach?

A. “Karma is one part of our four-part balance score card which also includes client satisfaction — making sure our clients are happy, Grayconian satisfaction — if our people are happy, chances are our clients will be happy, and sustainable profitability — making money while we’re doing it, because of course, that’s why we are all in business.

Karma is how we carry ourselves in our day-to-day lives, within the community and in our work lives—in everything we do.” KB

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