|
June 2007:
International Business/ Where in the
world are we?
The Dutch are coming…and the Bavarians
are back here on business, too.
The Transformers
Introducing Vox Pop with
Muggsy, Marty and Mark
Vox populi literally means the voice of the
people—right or wrong—and always irresistible. Edmontonians version
of the Latin phrase is a boulevardier dressed in red shoes: Mr. Muggsy Forbes,
who’s held court at most of Edmonton’s see-and-be-seen soirees, over the past 14
years. Yes, you’ve loved how he covers the city like a blanket… but Edmonton no
longer is a burg; it’s a metropolis at the epicenter of a much wider region. We
need more coverage.
That’s why we created Vox Pop. Marty Forbes—who
is not Muggsy’s father—and Mark Scholtz were invited to come along for
the ride. And they agreed.
This arena of words will reflect what’s really happening
today in the streets. Muggsy, Marty and Mark (M3) will find their words in
overcrowded it-bars, comfortable clubhouses, business backrooms and essential
charity events. Regular readers will be attracted to a compelling undertow of
stories about the pillars of the community—and young blood, too—lounging on
outdoor patios perfect for people watching.
Whether you vie for elbowroom on the dance floor of expert
networkers or settle in at a spacious booth for calamari and cappelini with
heirloom tomato salsa fresca, you’ll be seduced by the sophisticated vibes of
Vox Pop. And you will be left wanting more.
 MUGGSY
FORBES
A couple of weeks ago Dr. Ollie and I hosted a dinner
party. We wanted to catch up on the lives of the former Deputy Prime
Minister Anne McClelland and her “um-er-uh” John Law. Anne’s
gainfully employed at various jobs… but John is so busy it’s easier to get a
picture of the snow leopard in the Himalayas than to sit him down for a chat. A
senior professor in the Faculty of Law, he is currently wrapping up a law
society project in Chicago. Others were Dr. Larry and Kelay Ohlhauser,
Dr. Tom and Isobel Feasby, and Marcel and Shauna Dorias. Marcel’s
company handles life insurance group benefits. We all wanted to celebrate
Larry’s new book, The Healthy CEO, and Tom’s appointment as Dean of the
Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Ollie and Dr. Tom have run
together Saturdays mornings for some time.
The off-the-record dinner had lively conversation with no
shortage of raised voices. I can say one of Anne’s favourite moments was when
she and then Prime Minister Paul Martin were invited to President
George W. Bush’s Ranch and she had a picture taken with the President’s
dogs, Barney and Miss Beasley. Good company, good eats. Dr. Ollie’s cooking
lessons are really paying off.
Just received an e-mail from Howard Worrell who’s
retiring at the end of July after an illustrious 22-year career in the Alberta
gaming industry. He was one of the founders of the Palace Casino 17 years ago,
and oversaw the operation of the Baccarat Casino as well. Since 1998, they have
been owned by Gateway Casinos, chaired by Ray McLean. In 2001, Howard
received the Display of Excellence Award at the Canadian Gaming Summit and
Exhibition.
He says that his time in the industry has been “fulfilling
and enjoyable,” but admits, “In recent years, there have been frustrating
times…” Strikes can cause that feeling. One of his bosses at Gateway
headquarters in Burnaby, Dave Gadhia, acknowledged that “Howard’s
integrity and dedication have been well demonstrated over the past year, when
faced with highly personal and unfair attacks on his character.” Hear, hear.
Move over Olympics: That charming red-headed Gold
Medal skater, David Pelletier, is taking to the ice June 1st to 3rd to
compete in the ProSkate Kids Go Free hockey tournament. Games start Friday
evening at River Cree Resort and the Ice Box arena at Winterburn. Last year’s
division one winning team from NAIT, Collin’s Industries, is not expected to
defend its crown. One of David’s teammates is Patrice Lauzon, half of the
2006 World’s silver medal ice dance champions.
The tournament draws 24 teams of 13 players with three
lines of four plus a goalie; 60 minutes of play… if you can still draw breath.
ProSkate’s west-end store manager Kelly Parks tells us that teams paying
the $1500 entry fee include chiropractors, massage therapists, the Golden Bears,
and a combo from CFCW and CISN.
David’s pairs partner, wife and soon-to-be- mother of his
child Jamie Sale, and Patrice’s ice dance partner Marie-France
Dubreuil will attend the evening festivities—after their day at the spa.
CISN’s Chris Scheetz will emcee the banquet for 400 people. Live
auction items will include jerseys signed by some of hockey’s favourites. Kids
Go Free was started seven years ago by David Hunter and, this year, will
support the healthy snack program at Mother Theresa School. Fun crowd.
Kirk Jensen is living the life of the true entrepreneur.
He started Jencess 24 years ago and has grown it to an international company—a
global leader doing business in over a dozen countries. Jencess creates software
for the management of golf courses from tee times to accounting.
He has a lovely wife Lindsay with two beautiful
children Michael and Kira, but no one was getting much time with
Kirk who was so busy building the business. Recently, Jencess was acquired by
The Active Network, Inc., and it’s been a perfect blend. Active is the number
one company for participatory sports and management with over 5.5 million
monthly page views for education, bookings and league play. It’s a very
aggressive company that had talked to Kirk for over a year before he finally
said yes. He related to the management team whose history included making it
through the tough times of the dot com days as Kirk had. Active is a strong
worldwide organization with head offices in San Diego, CA and Burnaby BC.
Don and Marion Wheaton are an extraordinary couple
whose generous contributions to our community are inspiring. They have raised
their entire family with the belief: “strong families… strong community.” Don
and Marion have also been friends to the State of Israel through their support
of the Jewish National Fund of Edmonton. The Negev Gala Concert on Thursday,
June 14th at the Winspear is a tribute to the Wheatons as outstanding community
leaders and philanthropists. The gala co-chairs are Justice Doug Matheson
and Abe Silverman. The proceeds will go to the youth education program,
established by Don and Marion, to help children in need in Israel. For tickets,
call 481-7881.
You may have seen an item in the papers about Mel-O,
a domestic short hair cat from Morinville that was inducted into one of Canada’s
longest running pet recognition programs, the Purina Animal Hall of Fame. Mel-O
climbed a five foot ladder to wake nine-year old diabetic Alex Rose,
essentially alerting him and his mother to his dangerously low blood sugar
levels. Thanks to Mel-O, Alex was able to take insulin and avoid diabetic shock.
This is a great segue to update readers on our miniature
Schnauzer, Sylvie. She almost died about a year ago and was saved by the
excellent work of the Veterinary Emergency Clinic staff. She’s almost 17… we
don’t go on walks so much as we do “carries” to the little park close by so she
can relieve herself. I never thought I would be buying nappies at my somewhat
advancing age, but doggy diapers are a night-time godsend. It’s a lot like
having an 87 year old aunt living with you. Sylvie eats baby food and mini dog
biscuits. In spite of being both blind and deaf, she gets around the condo,
hardly ever bumping anything. We worry and wonder about putting her down, but
she doesn’t seem to be in pain and appears happy enough. We don’t know if we’re
putting off the inevitable day for our sake or hers. Truth is, we love Sylvie
dearly—the extra effort is worth every minute.
I wrote this item for my column on May 21st and have chosen
to keep it in the present tense as a tribute to Sylvie. It is with a heavy heart
that I inform you that she passed away at 3:30 am on May 27th. We want to thank
the staff of the Edmonton Veterinary Emergency Clinic—particularly Dr. Rupy
Khehra and technologist Liz Hoekstra—for their kindness and thoughtfulness
toward Sylvie, Dr. Ollie and me. It was a very tearful weekend and we’ll miss
the patter of her little feet everyday. We’ll always love you, Sylvie. I sure
hope that you’re young and frisky again in Doggy Heaven.
Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail
mforbes@edmontonians.com
 MARTY
FORBES
I’m one of those proud Edmontonians who is now in the
minority. That’s right, I was born and bred right here in River City.
Being a civic-minded person, I note that having a magazine
that is Edmonton in its full scope is a rare treat these days. I say that
respectfully because consolidation is changing our media landscape at a rapid
pace. We’re getting less and less Edmonton on our radio and television stations,
and in our newspapers and magazines. We often joke about Toronto being the
“centre of the universe” but that’s exactly where most of our media outlets are
now headquartered. To realize the importance of this paradigm shift, I think
it’s wise to chronicle and respect some of the past greats who pioneered local
media operations.
The late Dr. G.R.A. “Dick” Rice began building
Sunwapta Broadcasting/CFRN radio in 1934 and CFRN TV in 1954.
Recently, they became part Bell Globemedia—now called CTVglobemedia—and part
Standard Radio. Standard’s owner, Allan Slaight, who started in the old
Sunwapta log cabin on Stony Plain Road, just became a billionaire when he sold
to Astral Media, based in Montreal. That means The Bear, EZ Rock and
The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio—where I hang my hats as VP and general
manager—are now Astral-owned.
 My late father, Jerry Forbes launched CHED in
the early 1950s with Slaight as his news director… Edmontonians founder Dick
MacLean was one of his reporters. The total talk station is now owned by the
giant Corus operation, jointly managed from Toronto and Calgary.
CHQT is also part of Corus and everybody in the
media knows and respects Lou Roskin for his work at QT in the 1960s.
Ditto CISN, started by legendary CHED announcer Bob McCord.
In its formative years, K-97 was operated by a number of well-known
Albertans, most of whom are no longer with us. Now called K-ROCK, it was
acquired by NewCap, based on the East Coast. Colourful Harold “Hal”
Yerxa founded CFCW in Camrose in the mid ’50s—long before it moved
into Edmonton, but retained its country roots—and hired Dick MacLean as a news
reporter, not long before he moved to Edmonton. Yerxa also put Big
Earl/96X/Mix96/Lite 96 on the air. All are now owned by NewCap. I actually
launched JOE/Power 92 in 1982—alas now part of the Corus network—while I
was with the Maclean-Hunter group, that large Toronto publisher.
In the beginning, Global was ITV, earning
local surgeon and financier Dr. Charles Allard new-found fame in the
broadcast industry. These days, Global and the Edmonton Journal
are among the outlets that form the CanWest empire, owned by the Asper family
from Winnipeg. The Edmonton Sun is managed back east by Sun Media Corp, a
Quebecor company. After many years of “local” publishers who embraced the spirit
of the city throughout the past several decades, Edmonton’s dailies take a lot
of their editorial direction from afar.
 A
Channel was at least put on the air by Craig Media, with western roots in
Calgary and Manitoba. It became Citytv when it was sold to Toronto’s
CHUM. Now manager Craig Roskin, son of Lou, awaits the CRTC decision on a
take-over by CTVglobemedia, also from Toronto.
So, in a long and round-about way, my compliments go to
Sharon MacLean and her team for being a truly locally-owned, locally-run,
locally-focused medium that is highly important to the people in the Greater
Edmonton area. The magazine is so much more than entertainment. It’s about
people—the people who make our great city click on so many levels. Without
Edmontonians magazine, it’s quite possible that much of what you
read, view and hear are opinions, editorial thrusts and news directions
determined, written and/or produced far, far beyond our city limits. With the
current boom changing the landscape in our city so quickly and so dramatically,
I really think it takes an Edmontonian to relate the impact the boom is having
on our residents—not somebody sitting in an ivory tower on Bay Street in
Toronto.
Marty Forbes is VP and general manager of The Bear,
EZRock and The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. Contact
marty@edmontonians.com
 MARK
SCHOLZ
Having been around television/ radio/stage for the
better part of my adult life, I have done some amazing things. Wrestling
with two midgets one morning on The Big Breakfast Show with the former
A-Channel comes to mind. I am honoured to have been asked to write for
Edmontonians. In a world of media merger mayhem, it is nice to be
involved with an independent voice. So please bear with me as I find my way. I
hope to explore life around us with this column, and interactivity is vital.
E-mail lines are now open…
Being a musician—a drummer, at that—I will always
dig taking in live music. A tear was shed when the Sidetrack Café was knocked
down... and more when the new Sidetrack shut its doors. I know it’s about
business and so-called progress but, now that summer is here, don’t you miss
sliding on down 112th Street to the ’Track?
There are still great venues to see live music in
town. One is On the Rocks on Jasper and 117th Street where I recently caught
Johnny McCuaig’s CD release party for Vita. The night was dandy.
Funkafeelya and the Celtic Ceilidh Dancers were also on the bill. Johnny
describes Vita as “true stories and unbelievable happenings about the
band in the last five years.” True, indeed—the song Neverland is about
one of their promoters who got arrested on major drug-related crimes. According
to Johnny, “he won’t be seeing any bands for a long, long time unless they play
in the pen”. I like Vita—somewhat of a departure from his other CDs...
and more musically mature. Check out
www.jmccuaig.com
Eddie Shorts—interesting name for a new pub in town.
Publican Peter Bell has opened this little gem on 107th Avenue and 124th
Street, and promises entertainment soon. Interesting decor, too: mounted moose
head and wooden interior. I think Peter got the chairs from Earls Tin
Palace—those giant shiny metal numbers that look great but take two grown men to
move. Other activity on 124th Street: The burned out Grinder is being
re-built... and Rosie’s Bar & Grill fell victim to the wrecking ball.
My dear old friend Don Marcotte, production supervisor
atCKUA Radio and one hell of a bass player, called me not long ago. No hello...
no how are you... nothing. Just, “Scholzie, you’re going to see the Derek Trucks
Band, right?” Derek Trucks is a 27-year-old guitar phenomenon. He
plays in the Allman Brothers Band, and recently toured with Eric Clapton,
although he didn’t play for the Edmonton show. His uncle is Butch Trucks,
an Allman Brothers Band founding member and drummer. To me, Derek has the spirit
of Duane Allman and the grit of Dickey Betts. But, he’s better
than them combined. I caught him a few years back and he is amazing. The
Derek Trucks Band will bring their thick soul to Festival Place in Sherwood Park
on June 26th. To see him in such a good venue is rare. A complete sellout—if you
have strings to pull, do so. If you want to hear the DTB, call CKUA and request
a tune or two.
Finally, golf season is here. Thanks be to God.
Looking forward to continuing my quest to break 90—actually it’s 100, but who’s
counting? So many golf tournaments... so many worthwhile causes... so many
charities to support... so many steaks to enjoy. I am honoured to host a few of
them. Get in the swing at Edmonton Opera’s 12th Annual Golf Classic. Proceeds
assist the the ESO in bringing us world class talent, and help the student dress
rehearsal initiative. Shotgun start at 1:30pm on Monday, June 11th. Contact
Laura Young at 424-4040 ext. 233 or email at
devassociate@edmontonopera.ca
. Having hosted this event in the past, I assure you it’s a classy affair... and
any chance to golf the Northern Bear is a good thing. Speaking of the
Bear... not to brag but Steve Antle, Dr. Gabriel Cahill, some
other duffers and I won the very first charity golf tournament held there. It
was in support of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. How did we win? Other than
Dr. Cahill’s unbelievable golf adroitness, a fistful of mulligans didn’t hurt.
Whenever Jackie Parker hit the links, he’d say,
“Where is the first tee box and what is the course record?” A new tradition is
in the making that honours his love of life and incredible spirit. The first
annual Jackie Parker Memorial Golf Tournment will be held on Thursday, August
23rd. Edmonton Eskimos equipment manager Dwayne Mandrusiak called to see
if I could host the golf tournament. No hesitation on my part—the chance to pay
tribute to one of the greatest football players ever, a true legend. I’ll let
you know which charity has been selected to benefit from the event. Dwayne had
no problem attracting Eskimos alumni, including Tom Wilkinson, Gary Lefave,
Eric Upton, Todd Storme, Bob Clarke, John Farlinger, Brian Dickinson, Jack
Parker Jr. and Herb Dobbins, plus Shona Wards and other sports
greats and fans to get involved. The event sold out as fast as Jackie could
throw a game-winning pass.
Edmonton’s loss: Long time television producer Kelly
Banks has moved to Nashville. She worked at A-Channel on the Big
Breakfast Show when I was there, and went on to produce Breakfast
Television for Citytv after the station was bought by CHUM. She and
her husband Jason Samograd have opened a spa in Music City, USA. Kelly
helped entertain and inform this city and region for many years. And she did it
from her heart with nothing but class. If you‘re ever in Nashville, check out
Bodyworks Emporium. I’m sure Kelly and Jason would welcome visitors from home.
Mark Scholz, owner of MES Communications Inc. offers a
variety of services including production, creative & entertainment. For more
information or to suggest a story idea, e-mail
mscholz@edmontonians.com
Lead Story: Game on,
Edmonton- After years of going calling—hat in hand—we’re finally being
courted.
By Peter Drake McHugh
Click here to see:
Oiling
Business opportunities globally and
Taking step to ensure the engines of growth can run efficiently
June could be like no other for the Edmonton region. It
could be the June of our dreams.
A confluence of political will and a rush in resource
economies—such as we are experiencing in Alberta—is bringing foreign investors,
ambassadors, politicians, provincial economic development officials, industry
leaders, high commissioners and consuls to our door step. Hard work from
Edmonton’s consular corps could create the breakthrough the region needs to be
less dependent on the single American market and begin to truly play with the
international community. It’s the Edmonton International Business Expo and it’s
about the business of doing business, making contacts and getting to know the
larger worldwide market.
It is not that the region hasn’t enjoyed recognition in the
past but it seems that increasingly Alberta has a cornucopia of assets that are
now (finally) garnering worldwide interest for what it has to export and what it
needs to import. This is the future for Alberta and in June Albertans will get
to meet and greet with the world of global business and maybe—just maybe—close a
deal or two. But you’ve got to be fast, very fast.
While the event does promise to be a barn burner, it only
runs from June 6th to 8th. What it lacks in duration, it makes up for in
intensity. Edmonton is fortunate to have a group of dedicated individuals who
are not necessarily citizens of, nor even ethnically connected to, the country
each represents as an honorary consul. When Mayor Stephen Mandel took office in
October 2004, he immediately recognized the importance of this group and began
to fétè them as a way to get the Edmonton region’s story out to a busy world
economy.
Under the previous mayor, Project Germany was the Golden
Child but it did not always bring the results expected. One German company’s
arrival was announced three separate times and it still hasn’t graced us with
its presence nor put a shovel in the ground. Such is the limited world of eggs
in baskets. Germany is back, but so too are a number of other economic and trade
partners hoping for that most elusive of economic goals: the perfect match.
 In
May 2005, Mayor Mandel hosted the honorary consular corps at a successful,
two-day business expo and tour of local and regional facilities. This year a
second round of meetings grew out of that effort, and have been timed to
coincide with those the province hosts every year for ambassadors, heads of
mission, and consular corps from throughout Canada.
It gets more interesting. By happenstance, the Northern
Alberta Mayors and Reeves’ Caucus is scheduled to meet at the same time. It
consists of 98 municipal leaders who meet to identify issues that affect their
cities and towns—issues such as economic development, tourism and rural
development. For the first time, en masse they will be joining the
inter-nationally-focused event… which could offer some interesting pairings of
national representatives with provincial, regional and small town Alberta.
Whatever the outcome, the object should be to meet and greet, and make the
contacts that can be used as a lever to increase awareness of the myriad
opportunities available in what some argue is a sometimes forgotten part of the
province.
According to the Mayor’s office, there will be a detailed
economic briefing by the City with presentations from the Edmonton Economic
Development Corporation. The Alberta government has arranged for heads of
mission to travel to the Fort McMurray region for a tour of the massive oilsands
operations. And, to put the point across that Alberta’s regions are
interdependent, the group will go to Fort Saskatchewan for a tour of Canada’s
largest petrochemical centre… and to Leduc-Nisku to view Canada’s largest oil
field supply centre and tour Alberta’s unique food processing innovation centre.
They’ll learn more about the University of Alberta, NAIT and the community
college system amongst other things that are commonly accepted as excellent
sources of education in the province, but sometimes surprise visitors with their
depth of community and business involvement.
Then the guests participate in a trade show at the Shaw
Conference Centre. Here they will have the opportunity to display their
country’s goods and services, and to showcase tourist destinations and
highlights.
INTERNATIONAL PRIORITIES
 Everyone
has a favourite. The Mayor’s office is investing manpower in a China desk at
City Hall, while Edmonton Economic Development favours the United Kingdom. Other
municipalities all have big plans for new development, new tax dollars and
markets. However, for this occasion, at least everyone has a common goal: build
that contact book that is so necessary when chasing the golden ring… and, for
heaven’s sake, try to present a united front. Anyway, that’s the plan.
There is much to compete for: Edmonton’s annual economic
output—approximately $42 billion—is greater than six of the 10 Canadian
provinces, and almost equal to the combined GDP of Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick. Boomtown is ripe and everybody wants to go picking. This is a cow
worth milking, and a world hungry for secure oil and the offshoot businesses it
supports has now coming calling. Edmonton has been one of Canada’s top two
growth regions, on average, since 1996. Because this oil boom is being fuelled
by new demand in China, India and elsewhere, economists say that for now the oil
shocks of the 1970s, which collapsed energy prices worldwide, are less likely.
Still, the smart money looks for diversity.
In 2007, Edmonton is host to the World Curling Championship
and the FIFA World Youth Soccer… and the Universade Games return in 2011. The
city is often seen to be the envy of other cities, given its performing and
visual arts festivals literally throughout the long summer days.
According to with EEDC, these events are important to
distinguish us from any number of other jurisdictions. Edmonton is Canada’s 2007
Cultural Capital. Though not a favourite of the provincial government (under
whose authority cities come), a healthy arts community contributes millions to
the city each year and visitors come from distances for the Works, the Folk
Fest, and the Fringe Theatre which is second largest after Edinburgh. When you
trade in the world, culture is sometimes an important linchpin to closing the
deal.
The delicacies of the political minuet are not lost on John
Szumlas, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland and a principal of
Activation Analysis Group Inc.—no stranger to controversy or promotion. Today,
he’s involved in the latter. As chair of Edmonton’s International Business Expo,
you might guess that he is thrilled at the expected turnout. You would be right.
He takes his responsibility as honorary consul seriously.
“From a personal standpoint, there are 138,000 Albertans of Polish descent here,
many of them with dual citizenship… and, for instance, when they need a machine
readable passport, we get to meet a lot of them.” But, Szumlas says there is far
more involved.
In the case of Poland, Northwest Industries manufactures
telephones and Poland is well respected for some of the best electric motors in
the world. There are a number of other Polish companies looking at reciprocal
training, education and culture. “A consular presence in Edmonton shouldn’t be
taken for granted,” he argues, pointing out that Mayor Mandel and his Council
“have been very supportive in helping us get the Edmonton region’s message out
there. I think the Mayor tossed us a challenge and it appears to be going well.”
Szumlas is a bit wistful. While 28 nations are represented
in Edmonton, Calgary has 45 Consuls and, in this the province’s Capital City,
only 24 of the current counsel positions are filled. Still, he is relentlessly
optimistic.
“We don’t want—and we don’t deserve—a reputation of being
hewers of wood and drawers of water. We are leaders in pharmaceutical health and
nanotechnology and a number of other fields… We must stay focused to get our
message out.”
His business partner, former deputy minister of both
economic development and executive council George deRappard, made wise by years
of political eddies and storm fronts and now Honorary Consul for Belgium, is
preparing for the arrival of Belgium’s Ambassador to Canada from Ottawa.
“Belgium is one of Alberta’s top 10 export countries. We send wood products and
petroleum by-products and there is technology interchange. Belgium is important
to us… important to trade.” He remembers in the 1980s when business went chasing
the Asian Tiger economies of Southeast Asia, and Europe was forgotten. “Economic
promotion takes time to build investment… so that the end result has been there
is less happening between Europe and Alberta. Sometimes, it’s a better idea to
watch where the pack is going and go the other way,” he says wryly.
“This is an invitation of the city and consular corps with
backing and commerce opportunities—business should be very interested and
involved,” deRappard urges.
 STRENGTH
IN NUMBERS
When you talk with Myron Borys, vice-president of economic
development with EEDC, the chain is unbroken. There is not only enough business
to go around, he argues but there are also a number of pluses when partnering
with regional governments. “There’s no question from the Mayor on down, we
understand the entire region is successful or will be less successful depending
on cooperation. That’s why, for this Expo, the Mayor’s office liked the idea of
Fort Saskatchwan and Leduc, who are big players in our region, having a greater
opportunity to participate.”
“It’s the Edmonton region,” stresses Borys, “and we are
stronger together.” EEDC is primarily looking at bio and nanotechnology, key
opportunities in manufacturing and processing. He notes that cooperation in the
region is not something new with Spruce Grove and Leduc. But he does point out
that two-thirds of the population live in Edmonton but revenue is only up
one-third and that must be solved. He’s encouraged, however, knowing that, when
it comes to self-interest, the region comes together well.
 Our
neighbour to the south, Leduc Mayor Greg Krischke, is an unabashed supporter of
the Edmonton International Business Expo. “It’s a symbiotic relationship,” he
says. Leduc County and others in the region are in sync with Edmonton. Nisku is
home to the largest oil field service business park in North America, second
only to Houston in oil and gas servicing. It’s twinned with Grimma, Germany,
near Dresden… and has always looked worldwide for business opportunities. When
Krischke travels on business, he identifies himself as being from Edmonton—but
there is pride in his voice when he mentions that Nisku would be recognized by
the oil community in Texas.
“We cannot operate completely on our own in a global
economy. The Alberta Food Processing Development Centre is here and we have a
plan. We’re looking for value added exports. Whether we’re going to China,
Japan, Europe or wherever, we want the products to be developed here. We need to
be looking at the horizon and we need critical mass of the region in order to
compete internationally.”
There is caution in Krischke’s voice, but hope too.
“Sixty-five percent of our companies export. We have learned since the National
Energy Program. If work disappears this time, we can go to the North Sea or
Saudi Arabia or China.
“China is big: In the next decade, 300 million people will
move from rural to urban areas. I was outside Hong Kong in 1999 in a fishing
village of 20,000 people. Six years later, the population is five million. India
too is on the radar screen. It’s a wakeup call to be as competitive as you can
be. This is an opportunity to look outside North America.”
Final words? “We are part of the Capital Region and we feed
off that and how it works in the global economy. It is impossible to be totally
independent and to get the best return for your investment… you simply can’t
compete.”
I catch up with Mayor Mandel between city social events on
an active weekend of flipping hamburgers and pressing flesh in Canada’s most
divided regional area. He is pumped on a topic Edmontonians are familiar with.
Like a morning trout, he is quick to rise to the fly. If you don’t want to know
the answer, you probably shouldn’t put the question to him.
“In the 1980s, I remember the bumper sticker in Edmonton
that said something like; ‘Please Dear God gives us another oil boom and this
time we’ll try not to piss it all away.’ Well, here we are.
“If we don’t work together, everyone can do well in a boom
economy,” Mandel says, referring to the Capital Region’s 27 mayors and reeves
who are all looking for a rocket to wealth. “But, if we work together everyone
can not only increase wealth in a booming economy… but the important thing is
that, when the boom is over, the region can still do extremely well.” He also
reminds me that, if no change comes, growth will be hindered and “in 20 years,
we’ll look back and wonder why all the development, all the jobs went to Chicago
and Houston. We must diversify and work together.”
Mandel thinks the message may finally be getting through to
the heavily rural cabinet of the current provincial government and to
representatives in the region as well. “At the last meeting we had, 17 mayors
stayed at the meeting and five walked out. They didn’t do their constituents a
favour. Believe me, there is plenty of competition out there without the region
competing with itself… We need a plan and we can’t afford to fritter away yet
another opportunity. We can’t go on living in the past—that’s over. I’m not
saying Edmonton should alone decide how to share services or revenues… what I am
saying is we all have to sit down and figure out the way forward.”
His sights are already set on the Pacific Ocean deep water
port of Prince Rupert soon to be competing for world trade with Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. The result means Edmonton is the natural
trucking and railway path to eastern Canada and the huge markets of the American
mid-west and south.
“Probably, it won’t be as big as oil,” Mandel admits,
matter-of-factly, “but it will be here through economic ups and downs and it has
the potential to provide prosperity for the region. Seventy percent of the
regional population can’t continue to subsidize the other 30 percent.”
As quickly as he rises to the bait, Mandel turns tack. “The
consular corps is our way of reaching out to the world and letting them know of
the opportunities here. The cooperation we have for this event is remarkable.
Everyone is aware that diversity is important and that a number of the
decision-makers attending are not familiar with what our region has to offer.
It’s why we have Fort McMurray and Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc and many other
communities fully involved.
“This is a window on the world and we’re all looking
forward to doing business.”
SIDEBAR - EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EXPO
It promises to be a United Nations of business with
corporate and diplomatic representatives from more than 30 countries expected to
attend. They include Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Cote d’Ivoire, Czech Republic,
Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Ghana, Germany, Indonesia, India,
Ireland, Jamaica, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Singapore, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine,
and the United Kingdom.
For further information and to express interest in the
Edmonton International Business Expo, contact the Mayor’s Office at 496-8100.
Oiling Business
opportunities globally By
Peter Drake McHugh
 The
Alberta government sees itself as a key player in helping Alberta business,
people, educators, researchers and cultural promoters reach their counterparts
around the world. Inclusion of the Edmonton International Business Expo
activities as part of its annual June meetings to update the foreign diplomatic
community on the opportunities for involvement in Alberta’s economy is among its
new initiatives.
Alberta has 10 international offices in key markets around
the world as well as three sector-focused trade branches: agriculture and food,
advanced industries, and energy industries and services. The offices are in Hong
Kong, Germany, Mexico, Japan, Republic of Korean, Taiwan, United Kingdom, China
(2) and Washington D.C.
 It
has been a busy year: There were 1,256 introductions aided by the provincial
government. It was a partner in the first World Heavy Oil Conference in China,
attended by more than 1,000 delegates, representing 40 countries including
Russia, Brazil and Japan. Edmonton will host the 2008 conference in March at the
Shaw Conference Centre.
Incoming, there were 181 missions and delegations to
Alberta over the past year. In February a Mexican company met with officials
from the Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence—an international leader
in waste management and recycling. They are looking for Edmonton involvement in
landfills in Mexico.
 Outgoing,
Alberta supported 344 missions and delegations including the Canadian Beef
Export Federation, and facilitated Olds College—one of Canada’s premiere
agriculture schools—in creating links with institutions and businesses in Asia.
The Consulting Engineers of Alberta went in another direction: It received help
linking with labour and business markets in the United Kingdom.
Then there were 157 trade shows focusing on agriculture and
food, advanced industries and energy primarily in Asia, Europe and, Alberta’s
traditional market, the United States.
WHAT DOES IT ALL ADD UP TO?
According to Alberta Employment, Immigration and Industry,
export value has increased by almost 40 percent compared to five years ago, now
totalling $89.2 billion last year. The province accounts for 20 percent of
Canada’s exports, second only to the much more populated and older province of
Ontario.
Top export commodities are crude oil at $31 billion,
natural gas at $23 billion, wheat at $9.0 billion, and beef at $7.7 billion.
Other commodities account for close to $19 billion, and include—but are not
limited to—construction materials, wood pulp and minerals.
Taking step to ensure the engines of growth can run efficiently
by Barb Deters
For years—perhaps decades—the Alberta government has
appealed to the feds for greater involvement and control over immigration to the
province. Enter the Harper Conservatives to the seats of power in Ottawa… enter
Ed Stelmach to the east wing of the Alberta Legislature Building. Voila! We
finally have a new Agreement for Canada-Alberta Cooperation on Immigration.
 Essentially,
the bottom line for both orders of government was that Alberta, with 10 percent
of Canada’s population, deserves the opportunity to receive at least 10 percent
of newcomers to Canada… and that this is a prime example of what can be
accomplished by working together.
Iris Evans, minister of Employment, Immigration and
Industry, is enthusiastic: “The agreement is important because it enables
Alberta to act on many of our action plans. We have taken the best of similar
federal-provincial immigration agreements across Canada and built a strategy
that fits Alberta’s unique needs now and in the future.”
Prior to the signing on May 11th, Evans was already
exploring the potential impact of the changes. “In April, I had an opportunity
to meet with key European government, diplomatic and business people on a
mission to promote international trade and immigration. While we target our
marketing programs throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, the reason I went
to the UK, France and Germany was because of the growing numbers of unemployed
skilled workers in those countries who are interested in immigrating to Canada,
attracted by our enviable education, health and social programs.
 “I
now realize how much of a win-win situation we can create. They have more
workers than jobs and we’ve got more jobs than workers.”
Not to say that there aren’t other difficulties in
attracting and retaining newcomers, but this seems an opportune time to look at
improving the certification process for foreign trained apprentices, and the
evaluation of equivalencies of tradespeople, technicians and professionals.
Evans will also look beyond immigration as a solution to
the labour shortage. She acknowledges, “It is only one thing the Alberta
government is doing to build our workforce. Besides increasing annual
international immigration to Alberta from 20,000 to 25,000 people, we are also
working on developing better trained and educated workers (more apprentices for
example), more innovative and safe work environments, and the employment for
Albertans.”
The Dutch are coming…And
they’re bringing their Prime Minister
- By Rick Lauber
BONUS: See Rock's report below
on Bavarians on business
 “God created the world, the Dutch made Holland.”
These people have done some truly remarkable things in the
past. They created a bailing system to expand their land mass. Giant dikes were
erected around flooded ground and then water was pumped out. Windmills—still
prominent on the rural landscape—first provided the power; however, these have
since been replaced by more modern and efficient electric pumps.
Creating a country is impressive indeed. Testament to the
character and ingenuity of the Dutch people… “highly-educated, focused,
professional, stoic, pragmatic and eminently successful,” as defined by Allan G.
Bleiken, Honorary Consul and economic advisor of The Consulate of the
Netherlands Edmonton.
Imagine the challenges faced by 16.5 million people living
in a country just 16,000 square miles in size. Sixteen Hollands would fit into
Alberta… and Bleiken is quick to point out that if we had the same population
density, our province would be home to 255 million people.
In addition to building their homeland, the Dutch have
built a very tight and trusting friendship with Canadians… a bond forged during
to World War II, when Canadian soldiers boldly fought to liberate the
Netherlands from German occupation… a bond strengthened when Queen Wilhelmina
sent her daughter, Princess Juliana, to live in Ottawa in 1940—far from the
battles and bloodshed. In 1943, she gave birth to Princess Margriet—sister of
Queen Beatrix, the Netherlands’ current ruler—in an Ottawa Civic Hospital
maternity room temporarily ceded by Canada to the Netherlands so the child would
be born on Dutch “soil”. Each year, Ottawa receives 20,000 tulip bulbs from the
Royal Family and the Dutch Bulb Growers as a thank you for sacrificing our
troops and providing safe haven to the Royals during the war.
Our country—and now, specifically our province—holds the
interest of the Dutch and their Prime Minister. The blooms will have faded on
most of the three million tulips in the Ottawa area by the time Jan Pieter
Balkenende stops in the nation’s capital for a courtesy call with Prime Minister
Stephen Harper. Prime Minister Balkenende is actually on his way to Edmonton
because he has taken a personal interest in our oilsands—that pocket of land,
approximately 140,000-square kilometres, rich in bitumen located in the
province’s northeastern corner.
Here’s how it all came about: Working through his company,
Global Trends Ltd., Bleiken recognized a classic case of oil supply and demand.
The world’s “demand for energy is going to increase dramatically… we are going
to have to find 50.5 percent more oil by 2025 than what we had produced in
2002.” In a substantial report prepared for the Netherlands government, Bleiken
writes, “oil will remain as the world’s predominate source of energy… in the
next 20 years, the world will need to find an enormous amount of new energy.”
There are only so many cookies in the cookie jar and Alberta’s oilsands are
practically untapped.
But while we have the goods, we fall short in the
development process. Bleiken cites two major challenges. “Alberta seriously
lacks the necessary industrial resources to develop the oilsands in a timely and
efficient manner… because of this, we are seeing massive cost overruns.” Thus, a
proposed partnership. He is convinced the Dutch could collaborate with us to
increase production from the oil sands.
But why should we partner with the Dutch? Our two
countries’ friendship aside, there are many other reasons. “The Dutch have been
involved in the oil-gas industry since its inception 160 years ago,” explains
Bleiken. “They have expertise in water—a key component in oil production—which
is unparalleled in the world. One-third of the Netherlands is taken from the
sea. The Dutch know how to desalinate soil. They are experts in soil
reclamation.”
In addition, the Dutch are masters when it comes to
shipping. “They are the second-largest food exporter in the world and can
deliver products to 240 million Europeans within 24 hours. It’s astonishing what
they’ve done there,” smiles Bleiken. Once the oil is pumped from the ground, it
needs to be shipped to market. Pipelines and tanker trucks are options; however,
there may be other viable ideas as well. Furthermore, the Dutch are
environmentally conscious—key with today’s concerns relating to greenhouse gas
emissions. With being from such a small country, the Dutch have learned to make
the most of and maintain what they have. And the Dutch are not concerned with
just making a quick buck. “The Dutch aren’t only interested in providing
product. They want to become integrated solution providers.”
Potential international business opportunities will be
explored during this month’s Alberta-Edmonton joint International Business Expo.
Scheduled for the first week of June, the meetings, briefings and tours are
designed to broaden understanding among the international diplomatic corps of
the potential in the Edmonton region. According to Bleiken, “It’s basically to
strengthen and increase the economic linkages between Edmonton and the
international community.”
Edmontonians’ readers may recall a similar expo featured
two years ago. “Mayor [Stephen] Mandel said back then that he wanted to reassert
Edmonton as the capital city and to become internationally active.” To that end,
Mandel approached Bleiken to assist in the organization of the first business
expo for members of the local consular corps. While this past event did raise
some awareness to international business opportunities, the door opened just a
small crack.
But from that small crack, great opportunities exist.
It’s taken him two years of diligence and dedication, but
Bleiken has certainly opened the door to opportunity. Following the multi-nation
get together, 24 Dutch companies will participate in the Dutch Oil Sands Mission
from June 9th to 16th, spending four days in Edmonton, one in Fort McMurray, and
two in Calgary. They specialize in everything from pipeline design, construction
and maintenance, water management and control, to safety services for oil, gas
and petrochemical industries plus many more areas. Collectively they did upwards
of three billion euros in business last year, and employ more than 11,500
people. One company dates back to 1790, two were established in 1868 and 1881
respectively, two in 2004, and the rest in one of the decades of the last
century.
 Pulling together a trade mission of this size is no small
feat. Bleiken worked closely with Jan Kamminga, chairman of the Association
FME-CWM which represents more than 2,700 companies in the technological
industrial sector. Bleiken’s report was reviewed by senior business and
government officials. In December 2006, an oilsands conference convened in The
Hague. Among the speakers was Clive Mather, president of Shell Canada, who gave
a three-hour presentation on the challenges facing the Alberta oilsands
industry. It caught the attention of Prime Minister Balkenende. When Bleiken was
in the Netherlands in early May, the Prime Minister confirmed his participation
in the mission to Alberta—raising the bar on an already significant investment
and trade event. One can only hope that the business community is ready to take
advantage of this opportunity… because in the words of, the head of the mission
Kamminga, “Alberta, here we come!”
Although our city is not yet living up to its full
potential Bleiken thinks Mandel is right: We are the capital city and we must
act accordingly. Bleiken is adamant, “Edmonton has been provincial in its
economic outlook… Edmonton has to think globally.”
Alberta is sitting on a “black” gold mine. We have the
oilsands while the Netherlands has the technology and expertise to partner with
us to further develop, process and ship this oil around the world. And
partnering can be very productive.
Let’s capitalize on the benefits of “going Dutch.”
Bavarians on business By
Rick Lauber
The pile of unread resumés is stacked high on a side table
in his office; however, Bernd Reuscher, Honorary Consul for the Federal Republic
of Germany-Edmonton, can do little with them. It’s not because he doesn’t want
to.
 He regularly gets resumés from German residents seeking
opportunities—opportunities they know exist in Canada. Opportunities for better
careers… for education… for business… for their families. Opportunities they
have heard about at job and trade fairs.
Such possibilities were repeatedly presented by former city
mayor, “Booster” Bill Smith on previous international business missions. Smith,
a true advocate and promoter of Edmonton, often accompanied Reuscher on trips to
Germany to not only evaluate its efficient waste management systems (as a model
for us) but also to market the City of Champions as a place to live in, do
business with or visit.
And the Germans liked what they heard. What’s not to like?
We have every right to blow our own horn. After all, we have the University of
Alberta, the Walter Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, a booming local economy
fueled by immense oil reserves capable of generating enough energy to help serve
our world’s growing needs for many years.
Smith, the consummate salesman, laid the groundwork. He
established Project Germany which was absorbed within the Europe division of the
Edmonton Economic Development Corporation a couple of years ago. Last fall, the
Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce opened an office in Edmonton,
headed by managing director Julius Nemeth, to promote market opportunities for
German companies in this province.
The Germans—most notably the Bavarians—are now visiting us
to learn more of our once-mysterious province. Despite the presence of 165,000
Germans in Edmonton, there has not been the focus on trade and investment that
one would expect from such a large community. From a business standpoint,
“Alberta was not on the map in Germany until 1990,” notes Reuscher. But, times
have changed and dramatically so. “Bavaria is especially active sending
delegations to Alberta… they sent delegations from the Cultural Ministry of
Bavaria last year to study the results of the PISA (Program for International
Student’s Evaluation Assessment) which evaluates students on a worldwide basis
on similar terms… and the Canadian students are always on top.” Those coming
here wanted to learn what made our educational system tick like a well-oiled
clock.
And, a major Bavarian business mission—led by Hans
Spitzner, vice-minister of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and
Technology—will occur this month. This expedition is designed “to establish
contacts and see how German technology can enhance Canadian technology and see
where it fits it… in order to help Alberta minimize the energy consumption for
the exploration of the oil sands,” explains Reuscher. “We look at this like
this: German companies are already involved in the exploration… like Siemens,
for example… we believe that Germany is quite advanced in environmental
technologies.”
Unlike last year’s fact-finding tour, Reuscher hopes to see
things progress “one step further” with partnerships being formed and
solidified. Such hope is echoed in promotional material detailing the trip: “The
oilsands plants create good market opportunities for Bavarian suppliers. Due to
the important profits generated by the abundance of natural resources, Alberta
is investing massively in its infra-structure. The growing demand for supplies
extends to almost every sector of the industry… discussions with decision-makers
from both the government and the business community should help reinforce
economic cooperation, identify concrete business opportunities for Bavarian
enterprises and provide contacts with potential Canadian business partners.”
Good partnerships benefit all involved. The Germans call a
relatively small area of land home and work hard to preserve this. While the
oilsands lie rich with undiscovered treasure, mining and developing can be
damaging, and the Germans believe they can teach us a thing or two about
environmental protection. Reuscher shudders when thinking of the potential harm,
“Back during the reunification of Eastern and Western Germany, brown coal, a
different type of coal than the darker type of coal, was mined through strip
mining… those companies that did open pit strip mining were not environmentally
concerned.”
An understatement, easily. Strip mining raped the German
land; “… they left behind a landscape like the moon,” remembers Reuscher.
However, through a massive rebuilding process, the land was rejuvenated with
“artificial lakes for recreational purposes, beautiful arrangements where people
have their boats… recreational facilities like artificial beaches.” He suggests
the same type of redevelopment process here. “We believe that there is a
potential to do the same thing in those areas in Fort McMurray.”
It’s important to note that the visiting delegates are not
only interested in oilsands developments. The mission will focus on numerous
infrastructure sectors: construction, energy and environment, machinery,
oil-gas-chemicals and robotics. During their whirlwind provincial tour,
scheduled from June 12th to 17th, respective members will attend the “Go Expo:
Gas & Oil Exposition 2007” trade show in Calgary; tour the oilsands plus meet
with Iris Evans, minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry, as well as
Dr. Indira Samarasekera, president of The University of Alberta—a sizeable
undertaking for the sizeable group. Clearly, the mission is not designed for
casual sightseeing; the Bavarians will be all business. Reuscher is expecting 33
representatives in total—“a huge delegation of government officials, experts
other than the government, business people and scientific specialists.”
Over and above this tour, one doesn’t have to look far for
proof of interest in our city: Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens and the Universe Machine
Corporation are among the many German businesses that have successfully set up
shop locally. The owners have situated here because they like Edmonton and
Canada. Reuscher himself is a prime example. He left his position as managing
director of Siemens Indonesia to move here and has built at a number of
companies in various sectors such as fast food franchising (Edo Japan), food
processing and commissary operations, non-banking financial services (automatic
teller and credit card imprint machines), and construction of high-end upscale
commercial and residential properties. He served as president of the German
Canadian Business Association prior to his appointment as Honorary Consul.
“In Germany, there are so many people in a small space:
They have 1,000 people on one square kilometre and here we have only four people
on one square kilometre,” notes Reuscher. “They like the openness… they like the
nature… they like the people. And they like how we’re making an environment
which is socially secure now.”
 And, about those resumés piled high in his office, will the
new Agreement for Canada-Alberta Cooperation on Immigration make a difference?
Reuscher is cautiously optimistic, recognizing that this is a
“government-to-government” arrangement. His real concern is with the limitations
imposed on newly immigrated workers who must reach the requirements of their
work permits within 180 days. He has written to the Alberta Apprenticeship Board
and Doug Horner, minister of Advanced Education and Technology, regarding the
plight of foreign workers in the compulsory trades who are not proficient enough
in English to pass their certification tests. Oddly, he says, “workers who want
to learn the English language at a continuing education institution are not
permitted to study because of their [work] visa restrictions… workers fail their
theoretical tests almost solely because of language difficulties, not because of
their practical abilities.” Reuscher is asking for more time, one year actually.
He estimates that about 70 percent leave Alberta for other provinces where there
is more flexibility, or return home.
At the same time, he cites the efforts of Alberta
Employment, Immigration and Industry to attract skilled workers at recent job
fairs in Essen and Berlin as paradoxical. Reuscher points out, “While we are
trying to maintain the economical momentum of this province with the help of
foreign workers, our efforts in foreign countries to attract enough skilled
workers to join Alberta’s workforce will not be successful if we are not
flexible enough to compromise, and this will eventually affect our economy.”
“We are working on a number of fronts to increase
immigration,” says the minister responsible, Iris Evans, who recently traveled
to Europe and the UK, “such as strengthening our international marketing
programs, enhancing settlement services and foreign credential recognition
programs. We are working with the federal government to streamline the process
to hire temporary foreign workers and expanding the capacity of the Provincial
Nominee Program that fast-tracks the permanent residency for selected foreign
workers.”
Reuscher has also requested that Alberta officials work
cooperatively with institutions, like Schweiss-technische Lehr – und
Versuchsanstalt (SLV) Duisburg, to evaluate apprenticeship training conducted in
Germany to determine the level of equivalency. For example, he suggests that
“the training for welders in Germany has high standards and is comparable to
that conducted in Alberta.”
For more information on this upcoming Bavarian business mission, check out
www.alberta-canada.com/germany/44.htm
Photos by Terry Bourque
For Lynn and Jen Carolei of Sublime Swim and
Sunwear transformation meant taking their business from a small mom ‘n’ daughter
shop to a thriving corporation. “Timing is everything,” as the saying goes: They
met publish er
Sharon Maclean who introduced them to Edmontonians Transformers Steffany Hanlen,
Tom Bradshaw, Les Brost and Colin Williamsen. Jen and Lynn were given extensive
coaching in winning attitudes, relationship building, conflict management,
effective communications, and health and wellness. Their progress was aired
weekly on City TV’s Breakfast Television. Verdict? Now settled in their new
store, Lynn and Jen agree the transformation was “remarkable” on every level.
 Chad
Williams, Jen Carolei’s paramour, will open his new CrossFit Edmonton facility
in October. Don’t look for machines at his place in St. Albert: Williams
believes “that was the easy way out” for big gyms to pack in clients using a
minimum number of staff. He’s returning to the basics with push-ups and
sit-ups. 
Nord-Alta’s Robert Breault took over the
construction contact for Sublime after an earlier contractor submitted plans
contrary to the building code. Next he presided over a reality check on the
budget but all were delighted with Peggy Millard’s final interior design for the
much larger retail space.
 Citytv’s
producer extraordinaire Marina Michaelides made television magic. She worked
closely with Edmontonians Transformers to transform their words of advice into
10 segments for a mini-reality series. Citytv’s Breakfast Television showed up
for the early morning grand opening… and the evening party with a lively steel
band. Ryan Jesperson chatted with Edmontonians Transformers Steffany Hanlen and
Tom Bradshaw. 
President of the St. Albert Chamber of
Commerce Rob LeLacheur assumed new duties as director of sales at the Gold Dust
Casino a few months ago. He and the Chamber’s Executive Director Lynda Moffat
cheered on the new bikini store.
Lynn and Jen Carolei had a “very good
business plan with good projections,” said TD Canada Trust branch manager Erwin
Lehnert who attended the opening with small business advisor Sandra Peters.
Banks want to know how small businesses “can make it work” which means knowing
entrepreneurs can service a debt without going belly up.
| 
