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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1991-05-15, Page 5irrs YOIJR BIJSThJESS Times -Advocate, May 15, 1991 Page 5 American company here to supply Canadian market By Ray Lewis HURON PARK - In the midst of this recession, it seems almost com- monplace to catch yet another com- pany packing up and relocating south of the 49th parallel. So when you actually find a company mov- ing from the United States into Canada, it's almost a shock. Since August of 1989, Pent - Canada has been operating out of Huron Park, to supply a meed in the Canadian market. "A lot of people think we're still Fleck," said plant manager Clar- ence Ferguson. "We have a few similarities, but we're not the same." • Pent -Canada operates from the old Fleck building which, since Fleck's relocation, has been divided into three new plants with Pent - Canada utilizing about 65 percent of the total space. The company manufactures elec- trical wire and harness for office furniture and equipment such as computer desks, cubicles and porta- ble walls. They were established as a supplier strictly to fill the needs of one company, Steekase in To- ronto. "Right now we are the only such company in Canada," said Fergu- son. "And as they go, we go." Steelcase is an office furniture manufacturer with its head office in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Pent - Canada was created because it was cheaper to supply the Toronto based plant from within Canada and by placing a supplier in Canada it alleviated customs hassles. It makes things easier for the compa- ny to go back and forth across the border, but unlike other companies Ferguson says his is a lot different because they are supplying a Cana- dian manufacturer. Pent -Canada is a division of Group Dekko who has 56 plants in total, with all but this one located in the US. They do supply goods and services to Japan and Europe, but the majority is to Canada's neigh- bour. Dekko's head office is locat- ed in Indiana, and they own five Pent plants whose sole purpose is again to supply the demands of Steelcase plants. Unlike Fleck, little of their prod- uct is automotive related, but most of what they do manufacture is used b}' them in one of their related plants m a bid to become self suffi- cient. They make their own wire, have a plastics molding division and develop their own machines for manufacturing their parts. They do use outside suppliers, but in general they have someone who makes what they need. "They have almost something for everything," said Ferguson. "They've got everything covered." In Canada however, their philoso- phy as far as suppliers goes is a lit- tle different, because Ferguson op- erates utilizing the Canadian market. If he can get a better price from some other company in Cana -da, business is business and even though they may own a company with a comparable product, they don't force him to buy it. For example, he buys his wire in Ontario from Cable Tech in Toron- to although Pent has a subsidiary company, Hoosier Wire, in Indiana. "Its a competitive thing, but one woblem is always freight," said Ferguson: "I can certainly get it from Toronto to Huron Park cheap- er than from Indiana. Ferguson says there were many. reasons for the parent company choosing Huron Park. In addition to having a building available, they thought that since Fleck had been located here that it may be easier to find experienced workers. The ma- chinery used IS not unique to the electrical industry, and a lot of it Fleck had. Ferguson agrees with their logic. "Just from watching the people who work here, I think quality and productivity are both much better here," said Ferguson. Pent -Canada currently has five full-time employees in the plant and three in°its office. There is a lot of machinery, but it is very labour intensified. They manufacture about 156 different paras which have basically the same end result, but all have something a little dif- ferent about them. Sales last year totaled about 1.2 million in Canada with some of their products sent to the United States. Currently, the company is preparing to supply the European market, and have made a bid to ob- tain some of the Japanese. "We have a fairly large invento- ry," said Ferguson. "If the call comes, we'll be ready." 23uedir -oh]Tcosg CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS New Act means 611 business names have to be registered TORONTO - All unincorporated businesses operating under names other than their owners' are now re- quired to have their names regis- tered. Ontario's new Business Names Act, 1989, proclaimed May 1 this year includes companies in the previously -exempt service in- dustry. "This new legislation will better protect consumers and businesses in Ontario," said Consumer and Com- mercial Relations Minister Marilyn Churley. "They will have easter Kime, Mills, Dunlop. Chartered Accountants Daniel B. Daum, B.A., M.Acc., C.A. Manager 412 Main St., P.O. Box 2405 • Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S7 (519) 235-0345 Fax: (519) 235-3235 John A.M. Norris CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT 497 Maims t.South, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S1 Tei: (519) 235-3240 Fax: (519) 235-3246 acess to information about busi- nesses with which they deal. This type of information is particularly important to people trying to settle disputes." Through registration, business names are placed in public files maintained by the Companies Branch. This allows consumers and other interested parties to find the owners behind the name. Anyone may search business -name informa- tion contained on the public record fora fee. MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES FRED SIMMONS B.A. %S R : nowt party - / nner was • / n onour o asco p ant manager Joe Rider (right) Friday evening at the South Huron Recrea- tion Centre. Taking over as head of Exeter's biggest employer will be Terry Bourne (left). RRSP Rules Have Changed! ir- m - in -r Presented by: Brian Hall, Chartered Life Underwriter Topics to Include • Changes to RRSP rules effective in 1991 • How much will you need to retire? • Minimize taxes while building your retirement income • New strategies for RRSP • What's new in RRIF's This seminar will be of special interest to anyone planning for, or nearing retirement. This seminar is free - but seating is limited, Please call for your reservation • 238-8892 Oakwood Inn - Grand Bend (Hotel Entrance) Wed., May 29 7:15 p.m. Refreshments served Scotiabank cordially invitesyou to be ourguest at a Retirement Income Discussion. 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