2018 N E W F O U N D L A N D A N D L A B R A D O R’ S P R E M I U M B U S I N E S S R E V I E W
SMALL BUSINESS EDITION
A matter of convenience General stores play a vital role in rural N.L.
Downtown independents They’re thinking outside the big box
Planting seeds, growing business A bounty crop at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market
SMALL VILLAGE,
BIG POTENTIAL Todd Perrin, working with business partners, sees boundless possibility in Quidi Vidi
Engine oil in their blood Longtime service stations know the key word is service
This year marks a milestone for Quality Care Hearing as we celebrate 5 amazing years in business! We have enjoyed serving our patients and are so appreciative of all the wonderful relationships we have established. We thank you all for the support, trust, friendship, and loyalty as we continue to grow and serve the community. We hope you continue to keep holding us to high standards and make us exceed all your expectations in the future.
KRISTA HEARN & ANNE MARIE MURPHY OWNERS
Thank you to all our patients who have encouraged others to have a better quality of life through improved hearing health. Your referrals mean so much, it’s the biggest compliment you could ever give us. Doing something positive for a friend or a complete stranger can send an incredible ripple through more lives than you ever thought possible. Thank you once again for trusting in us!
We look forward to sharing the next decade with you!
Voted Top Hearing Health Services of 2016, 2017 & 2018 in St. John’s
When you need to hear, we listen.
709.739.0999
57 Old Pennywell Rd., St. John’s, NL
www.qualitycarehearing.ca
SMALL BUSINESS
HORIZONS SMALL BUSINESS EDITION CONTRIBUTORS
Regional President Lizzie Cramm
Designer Paul Pettipas
In this issue
COVER STORY
Editor Pam Frampton
Cover Photographer Kenn Oliver
Contributing Writers Joe Gibbons | Sam McNeish & Photographers Juanita Mercer | Kenn Oliver Andrew Robinson | Glen Whiffen Sales Manager, The Telegram Brian Geddes
Special Project Coordinator Amanda Pike
Advertising Sales
Brian Butt | Marjory Green Stephanie Moyst | Sue Pike Peter Thompson | Lynn Tobin Kayla Ward | Jim Whiteway
Advertising Designers
Wayne MacDonald | Marina Pogrebnaia Fenton Fortune | Tiffany MacMillan Katelynn Hicks | Lorielee Steele Marvin Sanchez | Jo Ann Crawford Karen Peters
Production Manager, Volume Services Nicole Swaine
Regional Director, Reader Sales and Marketing Leo Gosse
Regional Distribution Manager Dwayne Bedford
Published at 36 Austin Street, St. John’s NL A1B 3T7 (709) 364-6300
20
20 Hearts in the Gut
Todd Perrin and Stephen Lee’s investment in Quidi Vidi Village is as much about the community as it is their bottom line
SMALL BUSINESS 4
Small business is big
The lifeblood of many communities, smaller ventures often showcase products, talents and ingredients unique to N.L.
6 China connection
Chinese restaurants lure loyal customers who have a hankering for honey garlic ribs, fried rice and more exotic fare
Ropewalk Lane Plaza in St. John’s is thriving
Adelaide’s offers more than honey — it has tourism and educational appeal as well
Family-run Michael’s Jewellery in C.B.S. says customer loyalty keeps them going strong
11 Persistence pays off
15 For the love of bees
19 Hoping for a glittering future
22 Making it rural Newfoundland
Convenience stores stock daily necessities and a whole lot more to keep small communities humming
25 Thinking outside the big box
Small downtown businesses keep customers coming with products and services that are a cut above
Old-fashioned values drive business at a trio of St. John’s garages
28 At your service 32 Room to grow
Horizons Magazine is published by:
Rebranded Genesis Centre has a new home for incubating businesses
34 Growing success
St. John’s Farmers’ Market helps small enterprises blossom
Copyright 2018. All Rights reserved. No part of HORIZONS may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing.
HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 3
SMALL BUSINESS
Small business is big The lifeblood of many communities, smaller ventures often showcase products, talents and ingredients unique to N.L. Story by Sam McNeish SaltWire Network | St. John’s
B
igger is not always better. In fact, most of the companies that operate in our communities are classified as small business ventures. Generally, those businesses employ five to 10 people or fewer, but according to the St. John’s Board of Trade, they make up more than half of the businesses that are so vital to sustaining and boosting the business sector.
Nancy Healey, chief executive officer for the St. John’s Board of Trade, knows the importance of small businesses and the critical value they have during upswings and, more importantly, during downturns that occur in all economies. “Small business reflects our communities,” she said. “There are people who start businesses that have identified a need for a service in the community they
are living in. … They identify a need within their community and set out to provide something that may be missing.” She said each of us relies on small businesses in our daily lives, yet many may not realize the true impact they have. It could be the local coffee shop you visit every morning, the parts manufacturer a member of your family works for or the accountant who does your taxes.
Healey said there is a renaissance of sorts happening in the St. John’s area and across the province. She said it reflects the culture and the desire of the younger generation – the under-40 crowd – to return to some old-school ways and showcase the history and traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador, offering residents and tourists an experience that isn’t available anywhere else.
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SMALL BUSINESS “You take places like the Merchant Tavern, Mallard College, our microbreweries. They are all distinctively reflective of our Newfoundland culture … and many of them use items that are grown and produced here,” she said. “You look at Whink as another example. They sell items made right here in the province, many from the Plantation (at Quidi Vidi Village) in their retail establishment,” she added. Small businesses are job creators, developing work opportunities that keep residents closer to home rather than commuting to another location. A new venture like the revamped and expanded St. John’s Farmers’ Market helps support and foster local businesses and benefits the people those businesses hire – as well as the clientele.
JENNIFER BARNABLE PHOTO
Nancy Healey is CEO of the St. John’s Board of Trade.
It keeps money local and creates a close-knit community vibe. In addition, offering oneof-a-kind and locally made products can attract customers to a community, bolstering tourism and contributing to a renewed sense of community pride.
And with the trend toward locally made goods, residents are minimizing their carbon footprints and keeping their tax dollars close to home. “Small business reflects the community by providing products and services unique to the area and provides products that are wanted and needed,” Healey said. “These small businesses employ people, they pay taxes, they make donations to charity and make a significant contribution to the fabric of the community.” Healy said there are 6,821 businesses operating in the St. John’s region, with half of those classified as small business. According to studies done in 2012, those small businesses employed nearly 70 per cent of all private-sector workers. More than half of those small businesses employed between
one and four people. From 2002 to 2012, more than 77 per cent of jobs created in the private sector were through small business. This month, the theme of Small Business Week 2018 is digital transformation. On Nov. 28, the business community will celebrate the 26th Annual RBC Business Excellence Awards, the St. John’s Board of Trade’s biggest celebration of the year. “We will recognize our business leaders and the contribution they make to our economy and community,” Healy said. “One of our pillars in our current strategic plan is to celebrate small business, and we are telling stories and celebrating their success.” This magazine is doing that too.
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SMALL BUSINESS
China House Restaurant has been a fixture in St. John’s since Chan Chau Tam opened the Torbay Road location in 1978. That restaurant is now run by Sandy Tam, shown here in China House’s dining room.
China connection
Often family-run establishments, Chinese restaurants lure loyal customers who have a hankering for honey garlic ribs, fried rice and more exotic fare Story and photos by Sam McNeish SaltWire Network | St. John’s egg foo yong and other tasty dishes for decades. Many patrons have their favourite spot. Monroe Take Out at 84 Monroe St. in St. John’s is one of those locations. The restaurant was started by
Mau Au in 1973 and has been operating in the same location, now under the ownership of Hao and Jenny Au, serving up North American-style Chinese food and Canadian favourites. “My grandfather started here,” Jenny said. “Many businesses
come and go, but he wanted to make sure he provided good food and good service to make sure he wasn’t one of them. By being good to our customers, they remember us and keep coming back.” Family pride in the business is
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e’re a province known for seafood – particularly fish and chips – but there are some well-kept secrets in other varieties of dining fare, as well. In the St. John’s metro area, a host of Chinese restaurants have been dishing up chow mein and
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Joselito Batino and Shelley Pollett have been serving up Chinese food to the St. John’s community for more than two decades. After the location they were working at changed ownership, they decided to open Sequerra’s Restaurant on Elizabeth Avenue in 2004.
evident as Jenny talks glowingly of her grandfather. In his honour, they proudly display his first restaurant licence behind the counter of the takeout she and Hao took over 24 years ago. Touted as one of the area’s best kept secrets, Monroe Take Out offers an array of Chinese favourites and a good selection of classic pub food, long on quality and short on fancy frills. Monroe allows patrons to mix and match combination plates of chicken balls, chow mein, honey garlic ribs, fried shrimp and rice to create meals to satisfy their particular appetites. There’s also fish and chips, burgers, chicken wings and sandwiches. “I have eaten here for years and I have to say, I love their burgers,” said a customer who was at the counter waiting to pick up his order. “I think they are the best in the city.” Jenny says they are open seven days a week and are busy, with many long-term customers who are on a first-name basis with she and Hao. “Most of them come in and we know them, at least by seeing them. Some we remember
by name. Others call up and we recognize their voice and they say to us, ‘You know what I want,’ and many times we do,” she said. “Most of the time they just want their regular orders and, because our food is consistent, they all keep coming back.” Sequerra’s Restaurant Joselito Batino and Shelley Pollett were in transition. They had worked at Emerald Palace for years, and with that location closing and switching to a new buffet restaurant option, they decided having their own restaurant was the way to go. In October 2004, Sequerra’s Restaurant opened its doors on Elizabeth Avenue in St. John’s and it’s been serving up a host of Chinese dishes, with a few Canadian favourites, for the past 14 years. “My husband and I have always worked in the food industry,” says Pollett. “He came here from the Philippines. He had always talked about starting our own business, so when the chance came up to do so, he jumped at it.” Sequerra’s was first operated with Joselito and his brother Elmo as partners.
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SMALL BUSINESS
Sequerra’s Restaurant in the east end of St. John’s.
» “We have been busy since
we opened on day one,” Pollett added. “This was the first Chinese buffet in this area of town and people started to come here and have been
coming back since.” Pollett purchased Elmo’s share of the business in 2008. She said whether you’re in the mood for a spicy Szechuan-style plate or good old-
fashioned Canadian comfort food, Sequerra’s has both, and plenty more. There are egg rolls and hamburgers and onion rings, and house specials including Cantonese pork and Kung Pao chicken. You can also try the “allyou-care-to-eat buffet” or phone in for takeout. “We have a number of items that are popular with our customers. The General Chicken is popular, as is our Singapore noodle dish,” Pollett said. “Our Calgary-style ginger beef is also popular. We have people who come here from Calgary. ...They like the deepfried strips of beef done in a ginger sauce.” Sequerra’s – the name is Spanish – comes from Pollett’s cousin’s mother’s maiden name.
It’s also the name of hers and Joselito’s daughter. There are eight people on staff, plus Batino and Pollett. China House China House Restaurant has been a fixture in St. John’s since Chan Chau Tam opened the Torbay Road location in 1978. It features Cantonese and Szechuan options of beef, chicken and seafood, plus a variety of rice and noodles. The menu has been consistent over the years and offers signature items like doublecooked pork, poached sliced beef in hot chili sauce, Kung Pao chicken, shredded pork Peking style and General Tao chicken. “Most people know us now, that we have been here for so long,” owner Sandy Tam said.
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Jenny Au has been operating Monroe Take Out in St. John’s for 24 years. The restaurant has been in the same location since it was opened by Mau Au in 1973.
» “There
are always people coming in for the first time, but we have our regular customers who keep coming back. And we have new people who come in, like Chinese students, who want to get food like they would have at home.” Tam and her sons have been at the location since 1994, helping her brother, while her husband stayed in Hong Kong to run his own business, a watch band company. When her brother decided to retire in 2006, Tam took over. Her sons have both moved on to their own ventures and Tam’s husband closed his company in Hong Kong and is now fully involved in China House. “My husband wanted some
10 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
Szechuan dishes on the menu, so he went back to Hong Kong and worked with chefs there and developed our own recipes,” she said. The restaurant employs five or six people in the kitchen and two staff in the dining room, in addition to Sandy Tam and her husband. A customer who was in St. John’s for the day said stopping at China House is a must, each time she makes the trip. “I am from around the bay and I know that when I come to town, this is where I am eating,” she said. “It is the freshest and the best Chinese food in the city.”
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SMALL BUSINESS
Persistence pays off
Ropewalk Lane Plaza in St. John’s is thriving, thanks to developer Vic Lawlor’s vision and the dedication of the small businesses there Story and photos by Sam McNeish SaltWire Network | St. John’s
B
uilding on what residents of the Ropewalk Lane area already knew about the strengths of their community was a nobrainer for Vic Lawlor and Ratan Holdings, the company that owns Ropewalk Lane Plaza in St. John’s. The area has one of only two 24-hour Sobeys in the capital city (the other is at Howley Estates), it has the most successful Tim Hortons franchise in Atlantic Canada and is filled with largely blue-collar residents who work hard every day to provide for their families. “A number of years back, my wife
opened Arizona Heat in the plaza,” Lawlor said. “I kept looking at things and couldn’t understand how a busy area of town like this was here, and this plaza wasn’t being utilized. “The area was so busy, and this building was unoccupied. So, I called Martek, who owns it and asked them why a place like this, located in the centre of town, wasn’t being used to its full potential.” The response he got left him with more questions than answers, so he made a pitch to see if the company that owned the property would be willing to sell. He was told no
on numerous occasions, but never why. He called so much, they knew his voice on the other end of the phone, but to no avail, he couldn’t get a crack at purchasing the plaza. So, he tried a different plan of attack. “I asked them, if they were selling, how much — get me a number,’’ Lawlor said. “Once I got the amount of what they thought it was valued at — which was $5.9 million — I told my guy, ‘Call them back and tell them we have a deal.’” He was persistent, and eventually they realized he was serious and agreed to sell him the property.
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SMALL BUSINESS
“Since I’ve gone in there, we have seen incredible growth.” Vic Lawlor of Ratan Holdings, on Ropewalk Lane Plaza
Developer Vic Lawlor has been a busy man — witness the overwhelming success of his Ropewalk Lane Plaza in St. John’s. Once operating with a host of vacancies, the plaza is now full, with developments on all corners and several new projects in the works.
» There was just one problem,
he had to find the funding. He put down $250,000 of a non-refundable deposit to purchase the property despite the fact he still didn’t have the mon-
ey in place. He tried the banks and they wouldn’t offer him a loan, so eventually he found a private investor willing to back his project. Lawlor said his investor —
whose identity he will not disclose — gave him the money on a 12-month term loan and it was off to the races. After he proved he was for real to the banks, he eventually secured funding from
them and paid his investor back. Without that, Ropewalk Lane might not appear as bustling as it does today. “Since I’ve gone in there, we have seen incredible growth,” Lawlor said. “The building is fully occupied, there have been a host of people build here and I have a new building on the back side (on Cashin Avenue) ready for occupancy that will only help service the residents of this area.’’ There’s a Burger King, a KFC and a new Shell gas bar. The latest addition is a Dollarama on site. In fact, Lawlor has plans
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Andrew Hebert, one of six staff at Straight Edge Barbers in Ropewalk Lane Plaza, puts the finishing touches on customer Joseph Luedee of Ottawa during his visit to the shop.
completed for a new threestorey structure that will house retail on the main floor and residential on the upper two levels, a project he is looking at for late 2019. He said it was important the people in the area and the rest of the city realize this area is a community filled with good, hard-working residents who require services too. There were a couple of businesses in the area, with longterm owners who have thrived in their current locations, so he figured why not add more to the area and make it a onestop shopping destination for them and others who would like to take advantage of what’s on offer. “We became followers instead of leaders here. If you open something, it will only be a success if you work hard at it. The people that are opening shops here had an idea, they set out a plan, we sat down and figured out how we can do it, and here we are … being successful.” In it for the long haul Two of the mainstays in the
plaza — The Kooler Lounge and No Name Pizza — are proof that business can succeed in the area. Over 25 years, The Kooler has become the Ropewalk Lane version of “Cheers,” according to manager Catherine Power. She has managed the location almost since it opened in 1992 when Keith Abbott of Bonavista decided he wanted to own a bar. “Most of the people who come here are regulars,” Power said. “They have kept coming back for the entire time we have been here. I may not know all their names, but I recognize them. It is kind of like ‘Cheers,’” she said. She’s heard many tales throughout those times, and Power says she should have kept a journal. She said they don’t have any trouble at the Lounge, based on its atmosphere and the fact that everyone knows each other. She said keeping it consistent, providing good service and a place where people can go at any time for a quiet drink and just hang out have made it a place to be.
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SMALL BUSINESS
For a year now, staff at Straight Edge Barbers have been serving in excess of 500 customers a month at one of the newest small businesses operating at the rejuvenated Ropewalk Lane Plaza. Pictured from left in front of the shop are Andrew Hebert, Meka Maurice, Linda Scanlon and Patrick Browne. Missing from the photo are Barry Cutler and Chris Butt.
“I guess we don’t have any »trouble because of the good bar-
tender,” she laughed. “We don’t put up with any foolishness and if you act up, you won’t be back.” When Linda Scanlon and Barry Cutler were looking for a change, they approached Lawlor with the idea of opening a barbershop in Ropewalk Lane. After some negotiations, they had a deal and Straight Edge Barbers was up and running. For the past year, Scanlon, Cutler and now four additional barbers are serving the public — to the tune of more than 500 clients a month — proving the move was a good one for them. “Everyone here (in Ropewalk Lane Plaza) tries to help each
other. We all bring something different to what is happening here,” Scanlon said. “I always shopped in this area so opening a shop here was something I wanted to do. Barry and I brought some of our customers with us to this location and there have been a number of new ones who now come here.” There are six on staff at Straight Edge and not too often a chair sits empty. Scanlon said it is thanks to Lawlor’s vision that the plaza is as successful as it is. “He should get a pat on the back for what he has done here,” she said. “Just look at how busy it is.”
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SMALL BUSINESS
For the love of bees
Adelaide’s offers more than honey — it has tourism and educational appeal as well Story and photos by Sam McNeish SaltWire Network | St. John’s
A
couple in the Goulds has spun their fascination with bees into a multifaceted home-based operation that keeps beehives, helps expand the bee population and shares the honey yield at various markets in the St. John’s metro area. You could say bees have become the next generation of children for Brenda and Paul Dinn, who started Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve six years ago on land that has been in Paul’s family for nearly a century. “I had someone notice the plant life we have here, in behind the house. I was told those types of plants were rare, so me being me, I looked them up online and found
This honeycomb is active and full of honey.
they were great for bees,” Paul said. He and Brenda decided to place a hive or two on the land to see what would happen. It didn’t take long for the bees to flourish and more hives are being added. The Dinns currently have 52, either on their
property or ones that have been adopted by residents who share their desire to protect the bee population. Visitors to Adelaide’s are likely to be greeted by the Dinns’ girls – five hens that serve as watchdogs over the acreage. A big welcome sign is outside the gate, located next to a stump with a large hatchet embedded in it. The hens follow you around the property, almost as protective detail. Once through the gate, visitors can walk a wilderness trail where they might see grouse, rabbits and waterfowl. They can also learn about local wildflowers and the boreal forest.
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SMALL BUSINESS
» Tours are offered three days a
week; reservations can be made online. Guests get to see inside a hive and observe honey bees foraging on flowers, then returning to their hive with pollen and nectar. One of those hives is painted sky blue with images of bees adorning it on all four sides. It was adopted by students at Gros Morne Academy and the Dinns hope more schools and groups follow the students’ lead in making a positive change for the environment. Protected population Newfoundland is one of three areas in the world recognized for its healthy bee population, along with the Isle of Man and Western Australia. “We are an island, so this is a protected habitat,’’ says Brenda, who operates the business end of
Brenda and Paul Dinn love bees so much that they started their own small business — Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve in Goulds. They’re shown here (at left) with summer interns Travis Francis and Amy Lundrigan, graduates of Academy Canada’s natural resources program.
things for Adelaide’s Newfoundland Honey Inc. She said potential for agriculture-based tourism is untapped. “People come to Newfoundland for a host of tourism activities such as icebergs, hunting, fishing and whale-watching. So why not bees? Because we are
F
quite literally a reserve, because our bees are isolated and protected from the host of issues that are killing off the population elsewhere, tourists can come and see what is different here.” Other opportunities include an educational component, as the Dinns go to schools to speak
to students about the importance of the bee population and what can be done to protect and enhance it. “We show the honeycombs at the market. People are really interested in what we do, and stop by just to talk about it,’’ she said.
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Is your septic system failing your family? Every time you flush the toilet, that wastewater needs to go somewhere. But Hubert Alacoque says many Newfoundlanders prefer not to think about what happens once it’s cleared the bowl — especially if it’s heading to their front lawn. “People who depend on traditional septic systems use them every day, but most of them don’t realize a traditional septic system uses substantially obsolete technology,” says Alacoque. “They’re not aware that the soil itself treats the effluent dispersed under the garden. But with soil compaction increasing over time, and sludges accumulating in the disposal field and subsoil, the sewage treatment is reduced and slowed down.” “Nobody wants to think about it, so they don’t.” Alacoque sells Advanced Enviro-Septic systems across the province. It’s a two-in-one treatment and disposal system made from recycled-plastic pipes placed in a bed of sand.
them up on their offer of free estimates. While each installation is sitespecific, he says the Advanced Enviro-Septic system is easy to install and requires no electricity, mechanical devices or moving parts. An Advanced Enviro-Septic system is more of an investment up front, but Alacoque says it costs the same (or less) than a conventional septic system once homeowners factor in what they save on grading, excavation, landscaping, fill, piping and maintenance. Advanced Enviro-Septic efficacy has been proven to work 100 per cent effectively by independent testing organizations, and holds numerous certifications in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
While Alacoque says the Advanced Enviro-Septic system is better for the environment because it treats wastewater completely, he says most people choose it because of its very compact size. A traditional septic system takes up a lot of space on your property — requiring you to have a large, clear “yard” that can’t be covered by a house, shed, driveway, pool, garden or anything else.
As the weather turns warm and more Newfoundlanders finalize plans on new builds, Alacoque hopes they do their research on septic systems and choose one that’s going to keep their family — and the environment — safe for years to come.
“You can’t use the land over a septic system, so in some cases, you could be losing one third of your land,” says Alacoque. “If someone buys a small building lot, there’s often not even enough room to fit a driveway, a house and a traditional septic system.”
For more information, visit www.envirosepticnl.com.
“Advanced Enviro-Septic combines simplicity with cost-effectiveness and a very small footprint,” says Alacoque. “It’s exactly what a homeowner wants.”
The land above a septic system can’t have any trees or shrubs in case the roots interfere with the pipes, so it needs to be seeded with grass or remain a giant mud pit. “With our colder climate here in Newfoundland, our summers are so short. No one wants to maintain that much grass,” says Alacoque. “The Advanced Enviro-Septic piping system is five times smaller than a traditional septic system — about the size of a living room. Our customers love that our system takes up such a small footprint.” Alacoque says they regularly get calls from homeowners and builders taking
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HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 17
SMALL BUSINESS
» Brenda said as they continue
to build the company, the product has been popular – they sold out their entire stock in two days at the market this past year. “It is raw, local honey that goes directly from the hive to the bottle. There is no processing involved,’’ she said. With the 2018 harvest, the honey will be available at the
newly revamped St. John’s Farmers’ Market. They are also dabbling in other products that incorporate the use of beeswax. The Dinns were so busy this summer, they got a pair of interns – Amy Lundrigan and Travis Francis, graduates of Academy Canada’s natural resources program – to help with day-to-day operations.
Anyone hoping to sneak into Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve needs to be careful — the property is monitored by a tough pack of guard chickens.
“People come to Newfoundland for a host of tourism activities such as icebergs, hunting, fishing and whale-watching. So why not bees?” Brenda Dinn, co-owner, Adelaide’s Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve Brenda, a registered nurse who works in women’s health at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s, and Paul, a health and safety consultant, wanted to slow the fast-paced lifestyle they were caught up in. Adelaide’s Newfoundland Honey Inc., started from their home on Back Line in the Goulds, was named after Brenda’s mother and was the first registered apiary in St. John’s. With their growth this season, the company name has changed to include Honey Bee, Pollinator and Wildflower Reserve. Brenda has been dubbed
“Queen Bee” and Paul “the Bee Whisperer,” and that has led people to reach out to them, including a company doing a retrofit at the Avalon Mall this summer, when it was discovered there was a large congregation of bees near an electrical room. Paul scouted out the swarm, devised a removal plan and successfully transplanted them to a hive on his property. He estimates there were about 20,000 bees in that group. “If other folks find themselves in that situation, we can help,’’ Paul said.
samuel.mcneish@thetelegram.com
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SMALL BUSINESS
Hoping for a glittering future
Family-run Michael’s Jewellery in C.B.S. says customer loyalty keeps them going strong Story and photos by Sam McNeish SaltWire Network | Conception Bay South
T
Michael and Sandra Walsh’s mantra for nearly 20 years has been customer service, a small-town feel and great products. And the owners of Michael’s Jewellery even employ their own jeweller, their son Brad, who does custom work and repairs at the shop on the Conception Bay Highway.
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here’s a gem of a store in Conception Bay South. For nearly 20 years, the Walsh family has operated Michael’s Jewellery, giving residents of this metro area town their own place to buy special gifts, from engagement rings to accessory jewelry. Michael’s Jewellery was founded in 1999 by Michael Walsh after he earned years of experience with major jewelry stores in Canada. See TODAY’S, page 37
Providing Services Encouraging Tourism Creating Opportunities
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HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 19
COVER STORY
Hearts in the Gut Todd Perrin and Stephen Lee’s investment in Quidi Vidi Village is as much about the community as it is their bottom line
KENN OLIVER/THE TELEGRAM
Todd Perrin behind the bar at Mallard Cottage. Of his and Stephen Lee’s developments in Quidi Vidi Village, he says: “I look at these things more in terms of the profound effect you can have on your community and what we’re going to build and what we’re going to leave behind.”
Story by Kenn Oliver SaltWire Network | St. John’s
O
n most days during the height of tourist season, Quidi Vidi Village is as busy as Water or Duckworth streets. But it’s not the Artist Plantation, Quidi Vidi Brewing Co., or Todd Perrin and Stephen Lee’s Mallard Cottage and associated Inn across the narrow road that bring the throngs of tourists to the idyllic, postcard-
20 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
perfect fishing village. They’re already there. “Quidi Vidi is a destination on its own, we’re just the guys selling the ice cream,” Perrin says of the drumbeat they’ve held since opening in 2013. “Mallard and the Inn and the renovations that the brewery has made... they’re
not attempts to generate more business, they’re attempts to capture the traffic that’s already here.” That attitude has served them well over the first half-decade of their bold tourism and hospitality venture, resulting in the 70-odd seat restaurant in the meticulously restored heritage property becoming one
COVER STORY
“I look at these things more in terms of the profound effect you can have on your community and what we’re going to build and what we’re going to leave behind.” Todd Perrin of the “places to go” in St. John’s for locals and visitors alike. The way they talk about the village and what they foresee as their role in its future, it’s clear that Lee and Perrin have more than money invested in Quidi Vidi Gut. Their hearts are in it, too. “I look at these things more in terms of the profound effect you can have on your community and what we’re going to build and what we’re going to leave behind,” says Perrin. Their next project in the village is hardly a secret: the long-awaited redevelopment of the former Flake House property at the water’s edge across the road from the
FACEBOOK/MALLARD COTTAGE
The groaning dessert table at Mallard Cottage.
FACEBOOK/MALLARD COTTAGE
Breakfast skillets and other hearty, earthy dishes at Mallard Cottage are made from scratch with local ingredients.
Mallard Cottage in Quidi Vidi Village.
Cottage. It’s been a few years since they and their business partners purchased the site, and two years since the city granted approval for a 5,200-square foot building, and over a year since the old building went down. But after many iterations — and the scattered headache figuring out a plan to deal with the aging and dilapidated wharf infrastructure any investment would sit atop — the plan is coming together and it appears their vision for the prime waterfront real estate will become a reality as early as next fall. That vision is not so much what they want to see there, but what they think should go there and what they know definitely shouldn’t. “Our commitment to that piece of property is to develop it in the same way that we’ve developed Mallard Cottage and the Inn,” explains Perrin. “We want to maximize the economic opportunity, we want to maximize the esthetic of the village and we want to give tourists something they can be happy and proud to look at it, we can be proud to work there, and the people that live in the area can be proud to say that they’re neighbours.” They’re not just thinking about their own bottom line, they’re as concerned — if not more so, presently — in building community value. “We want to give people, customers and public alike, a place to stroll along the wharf, which is not possible really anywhere else in St. John’s, and give them a bit of relationship to the water and thoughtful landscaping,” says Lee. “As opposed to just throwing buildings
JOE GIBBONS/THE TELEGRAM
on big pieces of land, we want to have outdoor space and thoughtfully landscape some green to accompany.” Unlike the cake table at Mallard’s famous brunch, details as to what the final product will be are scant. Any building would house a restaurant, one capable of expanding and retracting with the ebb and flow of tourist season. There’s also talk of a retail component. “We’re awash with ideas,” admits Lee. “It’s just choosing the right one. “Not just doing the first thing that we thought of. It was a good idea, it made sense economically and it still does, but we’re just trying to home in on what the best opportunity is for this space that makes sure it’s in line with the area that we’re building into.” Another iron in the fire Believe it or not, Perrin and Lee are building into another area, albeit far removed from the village. They, along with some business partners, purchased the old Healy’s Pharmacy property on Water Street west. Construction is well underway to turn the heritage property into a multi-faceted building that will serve chiefly as administrative offices and production facility — kitchen, bakery and butchery — while also operating as a café and small restaurant. That enterprise should be up and running by late winter or early spring. “Everything we’re doing is kind of putting another spoke in a wheel that will help make all of our operations a little more efficient,” says Lee. See LEGACY, page 37 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 21
SMALL BUSINESS
Making it in rural Newfoundland Convenience stores stock daily necessities and a whole lot more to keep small communities humming
Story and photos by Andrew Robinson SaltWire Network | Conception Bay North
H
arold Flynn has witnessed a lot of change since taking over his family’s general store in the early 1970s. Flynn’s Store in Avondale originally opened in 1889 in the first storey of the home of Harold’s great-grandfather, William Flynn. It remained there until the business grew to the point it needed a larger space. William’s grandson – Harold’s father, Cyril Flynn – purchased a building on the Conception Bay Highway in 1959,
SUBMITTED PHOTO
A photograph of Flynn’s Store taken in 1964, five years after the business moved into its second location, where it remains today.
and it’s where the store remains to this day, managing to stay
alive amidst the tricky business of serving a rural customer base.
Avondale’s population is just over 650 residents, with several similarly sized neighbouring communities close by. Harold grew up in the store and worked there prior to taking over the business himself. “In fact, my father taught me how to walk in the store. I can remember shelves being three feet off the floor and I had to reach up to stock them,” Harold said. Where the business once stocked a lot of dry goods,
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SMALL BUSINESS
Owner Harold Flynn (left) and Flynn’s Store manager Justin Foote stand in front the building the Avondale family business has called home since 1959.
Flynn’s Store (its full name is Flynn’s Clover Farm Supermarket and Liquor Express), which has eight employees, now focuses more on grocery items, along with some automotive and hardware supplies. “We listen to our customers,” Harold said. “If we’ve got a regular customer who comes in and they want something we don’t have in stock, we make every effort to get it in.” One of the biggest challenges his business faced was the introduction of big-box stores in Newfoundland and Labrador. While Loblaws and Sobeys have not made inroads directly into Avondale or its neighbouring communities, Harold does consider grocery stores in Conception Bay South and Bay Roberts to be direct competitors with his business. It’s a 30-minute drive to either
community from Avondale. “I mean, people don’t do that (drive) every day. They’ll probably do it a couple of times a month,” he said. “That’s why we survive — because we had what the people wanted, and we were conveniently located for them.” Eight years ago, Flynn’s Store became a Liquor Express outlet. Harold freely admits this has helped the business by creating additional foot traffic. “We had people who came into the liquor store who have never been in the store before, because they didn’t know what we had,” the owner said. “It’s a matter of having something there to get people in the store, and that’s where the lotto comes in and that’s where the beer comes in… That generates traffic.” For the future, Harold
believes the keys to keeping Flynn’s Store vibrant and profitable will be to modernize and stay on top of meeting customers’ needs. New entries Unlike Flynn’s store, which has years of experience and customer relationships to count on, Rising Tide Con-
venience in Harbour Main is just starting to get its feet wet. Owner Heather Simms opened the rural convenience store in 2016, sensing there was a good business opportunity in the area in light of P.J. Kennedy Ltd., a local grocer, closing its doors for good. “Here it was more seea-need, fill-a-need kind of thing, because we always had a store in Harbour Main,” she said. Her family owned a building on the Conception Bay Highway with some unused commercial space, so Simms decided the timing was right to start her own business (she also has a full-time job outside of owning the store). The first few months were a bit of a challenge, with the biggest problem being general awareness of the store’s existence.
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SMALL BUSINESS
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“Everybody tells me, from financial advisers right down to friends I have that have stores, the first five years is make-orbreak,” Simms said. “It was slow starting, and we had to try and get our clientele to remember we were here, because they got accustomed to going to other communities when (Kennedy’s Store) closed.” Two years later, the business has its regulars who make various purchases from week to week. Simms gives big credit to the residents of Harbour Main for being supportive. She even has customers coming from Holyrood and Colliers and has heard people say it’s the friendly staff who have them returning to the store. Rising Tide Convenience’s exact location also proved to be a stroke of luck, given it is directly across from the local beach (known locally as “The
Heather Simms opened Rising Tide Convenience in 2016. She sensed an opportunity when the only other store in the community closed.
Tide”). With a particularly warm and sunny summer in 2018, business at the store for those months was booming. “We had a very hot July and August. The Tide was very busy, which meant people were coming for an ice cream and
realizing, ‘Oh, they have everything I need there.’ So now they’ve become regulars since the summer.” Fall and winter certainly represent harder seasons for the store to cope with, but all went well leading up to the spring
of 2018, so Simms is optimistic about the store’s long-term future. A lot of her customers are involved in the skilled trades and work on big projects, so Simms hopes they’ll continue to find good gigs in the economy.
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SMALL BUSINESS
Thinking outside the big box Small downtown businesses keep customers coming with products and services that are a cut above Story and photos by Glen Whiffen SaltWire Network | St. John’s
T
hrough the years of big-box store growth in the St. John’s area, many longtime small businesses struggled to compete and maintain a customer base that would allow them to survive. Some did, some didn’t. And some are just too entrenched in the lives of many city residents to disappear. Halliday’s Meat Market on Gower Street has been serving customers for more than 100 years – generations of families carrying on the tradition of shopping at Halliday’s.
»
Chris Halliday selects meat from the meat locker at Halliday’s Meat Market.
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HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 25
SMALL BUSINESS
The Doghouse manager Faith Warren (left) and employee Carissa Abbott hold a photo of Susan Wright. Susan came up with the idea to open the specialty pet store in 2001 and built the business until her death in 2012. Susan’s vision continues on at the store.
“I think it is so important to keep that personal connection with customers where there are so many big box stores out there. So, we do our 100 per cent to keep our customers happy.” Faith Warren, The Doghouse and Jake’s Grooming
» The store has become known for its
friendly, personal service and custom-cut meats. Cliff Halliday Jr., or “Kip” as he is best known, says the key to keeping the business going is hard work and changing with the times. Halliday’s is a corner convenience store but what makes it stand out is its butchering and meat department. “You gotta work at it every day to give customers what they want,” Kip said, while stuffing sausages in a backroom of the store. “We’ve been around since 1914
Irish wolfhound Fergus, a gentle giant weighing about 140 lbs., enthusiastically greets customers at The Doghouse on Duckworth Street in St. John’s. On the wall in the background are photos of customers’ pets collected over the years.
26 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
and there have been a lot of changes over the years. “One of the big changes for us was to increase the number of hours we are open. One time we were only open 40 hours a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday. And now we are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., six days a week, Monday to
Saturday. Father never liked to work on Sundays so we are closed on Sundays. If you can’t make it in six days you won’t in seven. “But we had to increase our hours. If you are closed people are going to go somewhere else. Fifty years ago, there was nowhere else to go.” Over on Duckworth Street, The Doghouse and Jake’s Grooming have been able to grow and succeed over the past 17 years through its personal service, passion for pets and the type of high-quality and safe products the pet store carries. It doesn’t hurt that the staff and customers are thought of “like family.” The Doghouse was opened by Susan Wright in June 2001 and Wright continued to build the business until her death in May 2012. Store manager Faith Warren says Wright was an inspiration and taught her much about the pet store business and how to treat customers. “I’ve been here 14 and half years and I enjoyed working with Susan,” Warren says, pointing to a framed photo of Wright on the wall. “Susan had this original idea and it went from having a few little things in a store and now this.” In addition to the store, there’s a grooming service upstairs called Jake’s Grooming. “Jake was Susan’s dog.” The Doghouse specializes in “only the finest natural foods and treats available for your dog or cat.” Warren said food the store carries is of high-quality protein and human-grade
The inviting entrance to The Doghouse on Duckworth Street in St. John’s, coincidentally complete with a fire hydrant outside.
SMALL BUSINESS
Chris Halliday weighs steaks while customers Laurie Tulk (left) and Rob Carter wait and share some humorous banter.
ingredients. The products do not contain byproducts, chemicals or preservatives. The Doghouse staff of six can provide customers with advice and information on pet products, health and nutrition. “We don’t look at the big-box stores, the major pet supply stores, as our competition,” Warren said. “We are different. We always have a dog here working in the store, our staff is very knowledgeable with all our products, and I find people come back to us because the staff kind of stay longer – there’s not the turnover you may see in big box stores. You can go into a big box store and be there 15 minutes and no one comes to ask if they can help you.” There’s ample evidence of that connection with customers at The Doghouse. Part of one wall is covered with photos of customers’ pets, and customers are greeted warmly by staff and any dogs that happen to be hanging out on a given day – staff members usually bring their dogs to work. Recently, a huge but gentle Irish wolfhound named Fergus was the greeter. “You pull up to our store and we’ll carry food out to your vehicle, or up the street. We will deliver if you can’t get here,” Warren said. “I think it is so important to keep that personal connection with customers where there are so many big-box stores out there. So, we do our 100 per cent to keep our customers happy. Some customers will call in an order and it’s ready when they pull up outside. One elderly lady who can’t drive anymore calls in her order and I deliver it to her. That’s what we do.” The Doghouse is open seven days a week: Monday to Wednesday and Sat-
urday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sharing a laugh Take a swing back to Halliday’s Meat Market, you’ll likely hear laughter coming from the meat department area. Kip and his brother Chris Halliday are always ready to joke around with customers. Halliday’s employs nine or 10 people in all. Customers Rob Carter and Laurie Tulk dropped by one day recently for steaks before heading to an inland hunting lodge. “I was asked to pick up the best steaks in town and so we came here,” Carter said. “This place is an institution in town. It has the best steaks and service.”
“And the best sausages,” added Tulk. While Chris Halliday cut and trimmed the steaks, Kip took a phone call from a customer whose family has been coming to Halliday’s for generations. “They have a lamb they want cut up,” he relates, after the call. Halliday’s was originally started by William Halliday in a shop at the foot of Signal Hill. William’s son Cliff Sr. (Kip’s and Chris’s father) took it over. Cliff Sr. still visits the store daily while his sons carry on the business. Halliday’s moved to its current location in 1967. “I’m the third generation,” Kip said. “My daughter, you could say, is the fourth, and now Chris’s grandson, Benjamin Halliday, comes in here peeling onions. He’s four years old. So, you never know, he may be at it someday, too.” Kip says the store becomes busier at different times of the year. In the fall, with moose hunting season on, business picks up. After Christmas it usually slows down, but picks up again around Easter, then it goes into the busy spring and summer barbecue season. “The new generation goes to the big supermarkets and big box stores, a lot of the meat is pre-cut, and whatever is in the showcase is what you get,” Kip said. “You come to us and we can cut it the way you want it, whatever you want. That’s the way it should be.”
glen.whiffen@thetelegram.com
Cliff Halliday Jr., or “Kip” as he is most known, makes sausages at Halliday’s Meat Market on Gower Street in St. John’s. Kip says giving customers the product and service they want is key to succeeding in the business.
HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 27
SMALL BUSINESS
The storied history behind King’s Bridge Service Station is represented by four generations of the Young family. The second generation, 91-year-old James, holds the photo of founder and patriarch Harry Young, flanked by his son Gerry (left) and his grandson, Gerry Jr.
At your service
Old-fashioned values drive business at a trio of St. John’s garages Story and photos by Sam McNeish SaltWire Network | St. John’s
E
ven in these times of big box stores, many small businesses manage to stay relevant, rewarded by customer loyalty through providing great service. As the province celebrates everything small business this month, we’re shining the high beams on three enduring St. John’s auto service centres: King’s Bridge Service Station, established in 1941; Morris Service Station, established in 1946; and Budden’s Bumper to Bumper Car Care Service, which is approaching 25 years in its current incarnation and has a his-
28 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
tory dating back longer than that to the original owner. King’s Bridge Service Station At King’s Bridge, “Service is our business” is the motto the Young family has hung its hat on since Harry Young first opened the doors in 1941. “Grandfather was overseas in the war, and when he came back, he started the company,” Gerry Young Sr. said from the King’s Bridge Road service centre. “It is still in the same location as when he started it. It was
considered automotive back in the day, doing tires, oil changes, mechanical repairs. He was in business to make a dollar and these are some of the things he offered.” Back then, a tire change was a buck and it was 50 cents to have chains put on tires for the winter, as there was no such thing as snow tires. Highly personalized service and automotive consultation keep clients coming back. “We were founded on customer service and this is still the principle we operate on today,”
Gerry Sr. says. “You can’t please everyone, but we certainly try to.” The business has been handed down through the family since its founding. James Young, Harry’s son, was next in line and still has a keen interest in the garage at age 91 – he retired in the mid-1970s. People who know James ask if he still smokes a cigar, the trademark he became known for over the years. According to Gerry Sr., he does. “I can remember when I was going to Bishop Feild School,
SMALL BUSINESS
This chicken coop was converted to a garage by Cy Morris Sr. in 1946.
When the garage first opened, like most service centres, they sold gas. The tanks were taken out years ago, but the service centre still does full mechanics, brakes, tires, oil changes, exhaust, computer diagnostics and, recently, air conditioning. Gerry Sr. says his staff are always training in the latest advancements to better serve the public. Press clippings and ads on the wall of the service centre attest to obscure repairs completed by staff and there was even a Noel Harris movie filmed on site. All types of cars and trucks have been serviced there over the years. “Dad used to wash and wax a couple of cars owned by a man named C.B. Carter. He had a Humber and a Packard which he used to bring in,” Gerry Sr. said.
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which went to Grade 9, I would be out of school helping out my father when they were busy. I guess I would be 13 or 14 — and I have been here ever since,” Gerry Sr. says. “Same thing when I got to high school at Prince of Wales. I eventually finished there and went to trade school and when Dad decided to retire, I took over.” A fourth generation of Youngs is being prepped these days. Gerry Jr. will be taking
over for his father when he retires. “To have a business that spans that time and stays in our family, that is quite an accomplishment,” Gerry Sr. said. There are seven employees at King’s Bridge and Gerry Sr. says they can address about 90 per cent of the issues clients come in with; the other 10 per cent entail things only a dealer can do, and that’s no reflection on the staff — it’s just the way the cars are built.
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BEFORE John Morris (left) and Cy Morris Jr. hold a photo of their dad, Cy Sr., the man who started Morris Service Station in 1946. The operation, on Freshwater Road in St. John’s, has always been located at this spot, which also served as the family homestead for many years.
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“Our menus will show that we have a little of everything” says Vio. “We have steaks, pastas, chicken dishes, and local fare including cod and cod tongues. Don’t be disappointed call for a reservation to enjoy our delicious variety with a West Coast flair.”
HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 29 *OAC
AFTER
SMALL BUSINESS
»
They’ve also serviced a Rolls Royce, a Bentley and other high-end cars over the years.
Morris Service Station Morris Service Station opened on Freshwater Road in St. John’s 1946. Cy Morris Sr. had started in the mechanics world employed by a man named Bernie Kavanagh on George Street in the early 1940s, working in the Carriage Barn. He left that job and went to work for a man named Jack Johnson at his location on the corner of Newtown and Merrymeeting. “He and Jack had a disagreement and, as Father put it, ‘I came home out of it,’” John Morris recalls. “He came back to the family homestead, to Grandfather’s place, and tore the end out of the old chicken house and started his own garage.” Initially, cars would pull in and he’d cover the back end with a tarp and do the work required to fix them. The garage has been there since. “We have always prided ourselves in our customer service. We want to make sure people are happy, their vehicles are fixed properly and that we have been honest and fair with them,” Cy Morris Jr. said. “That is how Dad did it, and we are still doing it.’’ Both Morris brothers say they were bred into the business. Like Gerry Young Sr. at King’s Bridge, in their youth, when they weren’t going to school, playing sports or involved with other activities, they were at the garage. They literally grew up in it, as their home was on the property where the garage still sits. The landscape has changed – with several old buildings and at least two homes giving way to a parking lot – but the brothers still 30 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
come to work at the same location they did nearly 50 years ago. “We have our own little niche in the market. People like dealing with us and, because of the way we do business, they keep coming back and tell people about us — that helps us gain new customers,” Cy Jr. said. “I think being able to talk with the guys working on your car helps the customer, too…’’ It’s not uncommon for the Morris brothers to get a call after hours. “This is not a 9-to-5 job. It is all about availability,” John said. “I took a call a few nights ago after work. It was a woman who had broken down who wanted to know how to get a tow truck and if she got her car to us, could she get it looked at. Those calls come in all the time and we do our best to help.” Both brothers say the business has been fortunate as they’ve had employees with them for decades. Wayne Dinn, head technician, is one of them. “I came here for a three-week work term 38 years ago, and I am still here,” he says with a laugh. “This place has given me a lot in my life and there have been so many good points of my history here.” Dinn has seen three generations of families coming in for service during his time and he credits that to good, honest service. “Dad always told us, you have to go to work every day, but it is not every day you are going to make money,” John Morris said. “All we can do is try and keep up with the marketplace and the changes to vehicles and offer great customer service to anyone who chooses to come here.” Budden’s Bumper to Bumper It’s not every day an up-andcomer gets the break of a life-
Steve Budden of Budden’s Bumper to Bumper Car Care has been providing service to the St. John’s automotive community for more than 20 years.
time. But that just may have been what happened to Steve Budden of Budden’s Bumper to Bumper Automotive Service Centre on Hallett Crescent in St. John’s. He was a young and hungry mechanic when he met Rick Fifield in the mid-1990s. “I don’t know what it was he saw in me at the time, but he took a liking to me when I came to work for him,” Budden said. “I was working for someone else at the time and he saw something in me I guess, and pushed me to take over the gas bar and garage. He pushed me almost immediately to take over the business from him. He even went so far as to help me arrange financing for the takeover.” Budden said he was only 24 or 25 at the time and, if he’s being honest, didn’t know as much as he thought he did. But at the time he had no family responsibilities or mortgage so he took a chance and has been running his own business now for 23 years. “For a young guy to meet someone like Rick Fifield, I was extremely lucky,” he said. “He has passed on now, maybe four or five years ago, but the things he provided me and the direction he helped set me in, I
can’t say thank you enough to him.’’ Budden said his business principles are simple, and the same now as they were in the beginning: offer personal service, try to put that aspect first, and be honest with your customers. “This is how the business was built,” he said. “At the end of the day, if you are being honest and fair, rates are one thing, but as we know you can’t give things away. We are here to make money. But be honest — and sometimes I have been too honest, but telling them the truth of what they have to hear and sometimes don’t want to hear, helps them make better decisions.” Budden’s is a full-service automotive shop that does mechanical repairs for both import and domestic cars, tires, oil changes, rust protection, maintenance and motor-vehicle inspections. “We don’t limit ourselves in what we do. You always have to diversify to continue to move forward and the three guys that I have here are always on top of the latest innovations that come out…” Budden said. “They even like to have a challenge every now and then.”
samuel.mcneish@thetelegram.com
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Why see your local audiologist? Parrott’s Hearing Clinic is a local hearing clinic that has been offering our patients the very best hearing healthcare for over 25 years. As an independent, privately owned clinic our audiologists are not restricted to prescribing hearing aids from a single manufacturer. We will work with you to determine which hearing aid is best for you based on hearing ability, budget and lifestyle factors. We believe it is very important to be able to explore options so that our patients have the best chance at a successful hearing aid experience. Hearing loss, like everything else, is very individual and what solution or hearing aid works for one person, may not work for another. As a small clinic, we are able to provide a long-term treatment plan and strongly encourage regular follow up visits. We enjoy getting to know our patients and love to see them progress in their hearing health journey. We make a point to spend time with you to make sure you understand the type and degree of your hearing loss, what would work best for you and discuss appropriate expectations and goals. At Parrott’s Hearing Clinic, we strongly believe that hearing aids are not a commodity. They are not something you buy off the internet or next to the grass fertilizer at a one stop shop. Your hearing healthcare does not and should not end with the purchase of a hearing aid. Independent clinics are able to provide the personalized follow up and counseling services that are a necessary part of having success with your hearing aids and hearing health. At Parrott’s Hearing Clinic we offer more than just the sale of a hearing aid. We offer hearing assessments (including occupational testing), communication strategies counseling, wax removal, fitting with custom hearing protection including musician’s plugs, assessments and treatment of tinnitus, and offer home visits for patients who are house bound. We also work to spread awareness surrounding hearing loss in the community. We strongly encourage you to make your hearing health a priority which means going to a healthcare provider who is able to make the appropriate recommendations, whether that be a hearing aid, further medical referral or routine monitoring. If you think you have a hearing problem or any concerns regarding your ears, then you should see a professional hearing healthcare provider such as an audiologist.
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7693945
HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 31
SMALL BUSINESS
Room to grow
Rebranded Genesis Centre has a new home for incubating businesses Story and Photo by Kenn Oliver SaltWire Network | St. John’s
F
or the past 21 years, the Genesis Centre has been building a reputation as a worldclass incubator for technology industry start-ups. Some of the companies that have graduated from the program — Verafin, Genoa Design, Rutter Technologies, and many others — have gone on to earn international reputations and today occupy 180,000 square feet of office and commercial space throughout the province. Now, to further enhance their efforts to diversify and better the province’s economic landscape, the Genesis Centre has a worldclass home of its own. The business development organization, founded in 1997 and having assisted in the development of companies that have since generated roughly $120 million in annual revenue and more than 1,200 jobs, recently moved into a new two-floor space in the Emera Innovation Exchange, at Memorial University’s Signal Hill campus in the former Battery Hotel property overlooking downtown St. John’s. “Here we have gone the way of all the other incubators in North America where we are focused on a collaborative, openconcept space where the companies have the ability to build and grow within their team without having to take another physical office to put somebody in,” CEO Michelle Simms explains of the new space that’s already pulling companies out of the little silos they sometimes operated in at
32 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
The Genesis Centre’s director of programs and partnerships, Angelo Casanas, and CEO Michelle Simms are pictured in the organization’s new home at Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Signal Hill Campus Emera Innovation Exchange. The new open-concept space allows for more collaboration between technology start-ups and with other university entities housed in the complex. It’s a place where business ventures start small, but they don’t always stay that way.
the previous home inside the Bruneau Centre. “When you look in the boardrooms, you always see multiple people from different companies, whereas before they would have stuck to their own.” According to Simms, it’s a building and area with “lots of really good technology karma” going back as far as 1901 when Marconi received the first wireless trans-Atlantic transmission on Signal Hill. In the mid-1990s, when the Battery Hotel was still alive and well, Great Big Sea recorded “Up” and “Play” in a vacant area of the property, one that later became home to Emad Rizkalla’s and Tony Whalen’s ZeddComm, an IT consulting company developed from a university project. When they divided that company, Whalen left to start Group zed — an international firm with 400 employees around the world today — while Rizkalla stayed at the Battery and launched Bluedrop Performance Learning, which now has about 250 employees and is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock
Exchange. After BlueDrop left, local energy technology company
Radient 360 took up residence. “It has been an incubator without even those guys
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SMALL BUSINESS knowing it,” suggests Simms. Being housed in the Innovation Exchange also offers the Genesis Centre and its client companies the opportunity to collaborate and engage with a number of other university agencies. Neighbours at the Innovation Exchange include the Harris Centre, the Gardiner Centre and MUN’s Office of Public Engagement. “Having that ability to work with them to follow their lead is really beneficial to us,” Simms says. It also allows the Genesis Centre to avail of a portion of the $7 million contributed by Emera to assist in sustaining and enhancing student innovation and entrepreneurial programming through entities at MUN. Of course, providing space is just one component of what the Genesis Centre and
its staff offer to companies in one of their five programs. It’s the resources and connections within the community and the start-up ecosystem that truly benefit the start-ups as they move towards commercialization and building companies from the ground up. “The community support that exists in Newfoundland and Labrador is unparalleled anywhere else in the country,” says Simms, noting the provincial government, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Common Ground and Propel ICT, and the university. Angelo Casanas, director of programs and partnerships for Genesis, says the amount of support here is a big reason why interest in all of their programs has grown exponentially in recent years. The Evolution Program, for example, went from about 20 inquiries per year
five years ago to about 300 last year, while the Start-up Visa program, which aims to attract high-potential and skilled entrepreneurs to the province to build their companies here, has seen significant interest since it was launched last year. “If you’re going to Toronto, you’re going to compete with 600 different companies out there for one particular pot of funding,” Casanas says. “If you’re here, you’re not going to compete with that many startups and at the same time people are really keen to actually support you in that regard.” In concert with the move to a new location is a Genesis Centre rebranding completed by Perfect Day Canada. “They developed this amazing logo where it reflects the relationships and the connections that we have with everyone,” Casanas says of the
abstract, but still simple, lower-case g. “The connection to space, the connections to the partners that we have, and the people.” With the move and rebranding behind them, Simms, Casanas and the rest of the Genesis team are ready to return their full attention back to the entrepreneurs. And not just the ones already in residence. “We know there are a lot of backyard inventors out there. We know there are a lot of people in the fishery or in aquaculture or other traditional industries who have probably created some really cool inventions,” says Simms. “We would say, ‘Come on out and join and our evolution program, see whether or not there is a market opportunity that exists for your product or service.’”
kenn.oliver@thetelegram.com Twitter: kennoliver79
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HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 33
SMALL BUSINESS
This year, NL Organics owner and farmer Mark Wilson, left, was able to hire farmhands, including Michael Vanart, right, and Jenna Keats.
Growing success St. John’s Farmers’ Market helps small enterprises blossom Story and photos by Juanita Mercer SaltWire Network | St. John’s
W
hile vegetables are a mainstay at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market, there’s another crop that’s showing promise. Small local businesses are growing — thanks to the market. Many vendors say the market acts like an incubator, providing new businesses with a low-risk way to get started, plus guaranteed access to thousands of potential customers. “The farmers’ market gave us the opportunity to take a
34 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
“The farmers’ market gave us the opportunity to take a shot.” Muhammad Nasir, co-owner, Curry Delight shot,” said Curry Delight coowner Muhammad Nasir. Nasir and his wife, Afiya Altaf, are software engineers with a passion for food. Three years ago, after doing a few informal catering events for friends, they realized people in the St. John’s area enjoyed trying new dishes.
The couple also missed the authentic, traditional food of Pakistan when they moved to Newfoundland as international students several years ago. When Nasir’s mother visited, she trained them in those traditional cooking methods. “She’s a really good cook back home. ...And then she
came and she said, ‘Oh, no, no – this is not the way to do it. I’ll show you how to do it.’ She fixed the way we used to cook.” With her help, they perfected the dishes that people now line up for every Wednesday and Saturday at the market. “We just got into it — like, let’s just give it a try, see how people feel about it — just bringing our own authentic, different flavours to them. It’s been a great response so far,” said Altaf. After three years, Nasir
SMALL BUSINESS said their business has “definitely got very busy,” adding, “thanks to the market.” A place to get noticed On the other side of the bustling building, Kim Cleary chats with several customers about her dried flower-accented jewelry. “When I was able to quit my part-time job, I had more time to devote to developing into my new esthetic, which would be with the dried flowers,” Cleary said, explaining how her Velvet Snow Accessories morphed from string and hemp bracelets into the more refined, delicate necklaces draped atop open books, and earrings displayed in a picture frame. Cleary started selling her jewelry at the farmers’ market about eight years ago. When she first started, she also worked part-time at a res-
Co-owners of market vendor Curry Delight are Afiya Altaf and Muhammad Nasir.
taurant, but her business soon became so busy she didn’t have time to work her part-time job anymore — and she didn’t need to, either. While people can purchase her creations online, she said the majority of her sales happen either at the market or because of the market.
Over the years, retailers have noticed her products at the market and began stocking her jewelry in their stores. Her accessories can be found at seven other locations in the metro area, including Johnson Geo Centre and Twisted Sisters boutik on Water Street. “Even since the new market
has opened, there’s been two new retailers that have been curious and hoping to retail my items for the Christmas season.” With the new location comes better parking and increased public interest. Opening day saw about 10,000 people walk through the building in search of local products. “It’s a platform where I can reach people that I normally wouldn’t meet,” said Cleary. “I’m seeing new people every single week — people that have never seen Velvet Snow before. It’s a lot of exposure, and not only to customers, but also to network with other businesses. I mean, several of my retailers have scouted me out at the farmers’ market, and I wouldn’t have them selling my product in their stores unless they met me there.”
»
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SMALL BUSINESS
» Cleary exhaled after listing
all of the ways the market’s helped her business. “I don’t know what I would do without it, honestly.”
Focus on farmers The market started in 2007 with one organic farmer who wanted to sell off some of her surplus crop. She rented the Masonic Temple and invited other vendors to set up and sell their wares. It was a hit, and a more established market soon took root at Lions Park. It’s since outgrown that space and just this year moved into the brand-new location in the renovated former Metrobus building on Freshwater Road. Through it all, local farmers have been a constant presence. Organic farmer Mark Wilson was involved in the market’s very beginnings but then stepped away – until this year. After several years working to develop his nine-acre farm, this year he’s been able to grow enough produce to start selling at the market. “The market serves a very important role in marketing and sales of my product,” he said, adding, “It’s playing a critical role this year in being
able to make that link to direct marketing that is important for a farm. “I can have a good market and that truly affects the income of my farm.” Wilson said his business is new enough that he won’t personally make any money from it this year, but he’s employing people and building contacts directly with consumers at the market. Because he’s still in the beginning stages of his business, he said it’s “absolutely critical” that he go to the market. “I think it’s definitely the first major year, so I think next year will be more financially rewarding than this year, which is more just rewarding in seeing what’s being grown, making those contacts, and feeding people.” Market as incubator Pam Anstey is the acting executive director for the St. John’s Farmers’ Market. She said the board takes its role as small business incubator seriously. “We can offer an environment where small, local vendors and businesses have an opportunity to either come here as a side business to supplement (their income) or
The NL Organics and Newfoundland Gourmet Mushroom Company stall at the St. John’s Farmers’ Market is stocked with plenty of fresh, local produce.
36 HORIZONS Magazine | 2018
Kim Cleary is a jewelry maker and owner of Velvet Snow Accessories.
Pam Anstey is the acting executive director of the St. John’s Farmers’ Market.
incubate here. “We have vendors who have started here and have gone on to open their own storefronts — their own chains, for that matter.” Examples of businesses that started small, incubated at the market, and have grown exponentially include Five Brothers Artisan Cheese, Newfound Perogi, and St. John’s Soap Works. Many other market businesses have grown their companies through the market
exposure which helped to increase wholesale orders and expand into catering. Anstey said she’s not sure of an exact number, but says there’s “a lot” of businesses that credit their success to their market beginnings. “We are so deeply honoured to be able to provide a venue and to provide the incubator for all of the things that are happening,” she said.
juanita.mercer@thetelegram.com Twitter: @juanitamercer_
SMALL BUSINESS
Legacy is important continued from page 21 “We’ve taken some of our guts that we require for Quidi Vidi Village and we’re putting them in another neighbourhood so that we can build less on the waterfront and be a part of the revitalization of Water west, and that whole area.” It might sound saccharine to some, but Perrin insists he’s “serious as a heart attack” when he talks about the legacy he and Lee hope to leave behind. “We need to be able to sleep at night and we’re able to do that because we feel like we’re doing something good. Not only in terms of having a good cup of coffee or a nice bottle of wine, but something that we can be proud of, something
Quidi Vidi Village offers a taste of fishing community life in the city.
that my daughter can be proud of. “It should get done, it will get done, and we’re going to
make sure that it gets done so that it not only takes into consideration the economics, but also leaves some-
JOE GIBBONS/THE TELEGRAM
thing behind that people can be happy with.”
kenn.oliver@thetelegram.com
Today’s success had humble beginnings continued from page 19 “I had always wanted to run my own business, so when my previous position was restructured, I decided to take a leap of faith,” Michael said. “When I look back over the years, things have been slow and steady here. We always find a way to push forward no matter what the economic climate is like, continue to build the business, and have come out the other end just fine.” He said being located in C.B.S. has been great for him and his wife Sandra, and the community has been good to them since they started with a tiny store in Villanova Plaza to where they are now on the Conception Bay Highway. “The people here have been great — they are great. They
“The people here have been great — they are great. They keep us going.” Michael Walsh, Michael’s Jewellers
keep us going.” He said he and Sandra have worked hard to evolve and grow the business. Their son Brad does repairs on gold, sterling silver, pearls and some custom pieces, as well as custom work, and is enrolled at the Gemological Institute of America. It’s truly a family affair. “We try to give great servic“We try to give great service to all our customers. That way, if they are happy, they keep coming back,” Michael said. “Those people tend to come
back, and we do get people coming here from all over, from across the entire island, Labrador and even from across the country.” And because they are a bit off the beaten path, customers who continue to return have become more than just customers, they’ve become friends. Michael said if people leave happy they will return. “Our service is the business and we pride ourselves on giving good service. Isn’t that what it is all about?” The store features a wide array of necklaces, brace-
lets, watches and more, and is an authorized reseller of brands such as Elle, Bulova, Guess, Citizen, Chisel, Zinzi, Maple Leaf Diamonds, Bella, Elegance, Malo, B Fly and Reflection Beads. “We also carry a fabulous selection of diamonds, gold, TD Financing, sterling silver, sealskin products, jewelry cleaners,” Michael adds. There are eight staff at Michael’s Jewellery, something Michael Walsh is proud of. He said from the humble beginnings of their original location to where they are today has been a great journey. He said Michael’s will beat any price from its competitors.
samuel.mcneish@thetelegram.com HORIZONS Magazine | 2018 37
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Know when you are being scammed. HOW TO FIND A TRUSTWORTHY SERVICE CENTRE Finding a reputable service centre can often feel like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. The issue is compounded by the fact that many people really don’t know enough about cars. “After your house, your car is the biggest investment you will make … but people just don’t know that much about it, which is why there is so much theft and deception in the industry,” says Hubert Alacoque, owner/operator of two Pit Crew Drive Thru locations in St. John’s. While this may not be breaking news to anyone that has been on the receiving end of an outrageous service or repair bill, there are some things you can do to arm yourself the next time you take your car in for an oil change or other service says Alacoque. Disreputable service centers tend to do two things to scam their clients, according to Alacoque, who says he has experienced this first-hand in his own dealings with service centres over the years. “They will charge you for work that was never done, or convince you that you need unnecessary and often highly overpriced services and repairs — immediately,” he says. As a customer, you rely on a service centre to tell you what you need. It’s like taking candy from a baby in many cases, says Alacoque, who has owned and operated Pit Crew Drive Thru since 2004. While people may think taking their car to a dealership is a better
Pit Crew Drive Thru has two locations in St. John’s that offer quick oil changes with no appointment necessary. - Contributed
option, they are franchised, so your experience will depend on the business ethics of the owner.
Engine oil flush
In most cases, this is simply a way for a shop to pad their bill. If a mechanic tells you that you need an engine oil flush, don’t fall for it, especially if you regularly change your oil. A flush can actually cause damage by removing necessary lubricants. All you need is an oil change in most cases.
FILTERS
A mechanic will tell you either your engine air filter (which keeps dust and debris away from vital moving parts) or the cabin air filter (attached to the HVAC system and found in your glove box) are filthy. In many cases they will actually show you a dirty, black filter from another car! You can avoid this by making sure the filter is yours and knowing when your filter was last replaced — refer to your owner’s manual or service records for scheduled replacement times.
UPSELLING
While “upselling” is not unethical in itself, when a customer is put in a position where they feel they have no choice but to shell out more money for safety reasons, it crosses that line, according to Alacoque. When you go in for an oil change and the mechanic suddenly finds a number of “other issues,” always ask questions. When in doubt, get a second opinion.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TRUSTWORTHY SERVICE CENTRE
• Speak to friends, family and associates and look for testimonials. • Look for up-front pricing and guarantees — service fees, labour rates etc. • Look for courteous staff that will patiently answer your questions and show you what needs replacing if you ask. • Look for professionalism in customer service, such as civic, community or customer-service awards. • Look for a neat, well-organized centre with modern equipment in the service bays. • Look for a centre with qualified technicians with proper certifications. • Look for a centre that specializes in the type of work you require. • Finally, always reward good service with repeat business and customer loyalty.
Alacoque says shady service centres and dishonest mechanics are why he started Pit Crew Drive Thru. “Just because a large chain company can afford to flood the market with repeated branding, doesn’t mean they are reputable.” Pit Crew Drive Thru specializes in quick oil changes (10 minutes in and out) with no appointment necessary. Drop by one of the privately owned service centres at 11 Major’s Path or 649 Topsail Road, or visit their website for more information and a full list of services and guaranteed pricing at www.pitcrewdrivethrough.com.
“Marketplace on CBC regularly reports on shady dealerships or large-chain service centres that rob people blind,” says Alacoque. “Some of the antics that go on would astound you,” he adds. “Unfortunately, people go to a dealership more faithfully than they go to church,” Alacoque says, often because they think they have to. While “upselling” is not unethical in itself, when a customer is put in a position where they feel they have no choice but to shell out hundreds of dollars a “service adviser” says they need for safety reasons, it crosses that line, according to Alacoque. To help you determine if a service centre is honest or trying to scam you, Alacoque offers the top three red flags to keep in mind:
When choosing a service centre, it is important to find a trustworthy company that is in the business of serving its customers. Look for testimonials and guaranteed pricing. - Contributed
11 Major’s Path (Corner of Torbay Rd.) 649 Topsail Road (Corner of Burgeo St.) HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday to Saturday 8am-5pm
pitcrewdrivethrough.com
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