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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1983-10-12, Page 26Times -Advocate, October 12, 1983 Page 7A 'Real' CTC store provides features for staff, customers "It looks like a real Cana- dian Tire Store!" That was one of the many expressions of praise which one CTC store owner passed on to Gerry Walker when the latter greeted area dealers and some ouier invited guests for a sneak preview 0, the new facility which opened this week on Exeter's Main St. The grand opening festivities get underway this morning (Thursday) at 8:30 p.m. when several dignitaries and those involved in the new building will be on hand for the official ribbon cutting. Ron Roberts, senior direc- tor, dealer finance, will repre- sent the Corporation at the opening ceremonies and will be joined by Mayor Bruce Shaw and Gerry Walker. Frayne Chev-Olds, owners of the 12,500 square foot building, will be represented by Mike Williamson and Rick Frayne, while Ray Field and Cliff Marsden will be on hand to share in the accolades on behalf of the builders, MF Builders and Designers. Walker and his wife, Carol, wore beaming smiles as they welcomed guests for Mon- day's sneak preview of the building. Many area dealers were on hand for the event and most were lavish in their praise for the design and set up of the new Exeter store. Among those attending was Jim Reeves, a former owner of the CTC dealership in Ex- eter, and new operator of a store in Sutton. He was among the more appreciative of the new facility, having worked in the cramped sur- roundines of the former store. The Exeter store has been a "training" store for first time operators of CTC dealer- ships in the past, but Reeves predicted that the new sur- roundings would soon put the dealership into a higher bracket. "Fantastic 'was the word used by Mike Williamson to describe the new store as he and Rick and Ray Frayne surveyed the finished product with which they have been so closely involved. But it was Walker who was obviously exuding the most enthusiasm for the store, which will enable him to more than double his retail area. The brightly colored and lighted retail section of the store contains 5,200 square feet of display area, com- pared to the 2,300 square feet that was available in the former store. Customers are greeted by row after row of merchandise displays, each carefully categorized into its special section to make shopping more convenient. Even more colorful is the five -bay service section of the building, fully equipped with the latest in technology. The former facility provided only three bays. While it may have gone un- noticed by many of the early - bird visitors to the store, the huge warehousing area was the improvement singled out by some of the store employees who were on hand to conduct tours and greet guests. Receiving merchandise in the former was a laborious task, and a challenge for the truck drivers who had to manoeuvre their vehicles through the twists and turns off James St. to get to the rear of store. They now can back in off Andrew St. to a delivery door, where the boxes are quickly hoisted onto the second floor storage area via a conveyor belt. The employees were also raving about their new lunch room and rest area next to Walker's plush office on the second floor. The brightly decorated room for the employees features Gebel cabinets, a large dining table and individual lockers for each staff member. A third room in the same area is used for accounting, ordering and will house the firm's computer when it is in- stalled later this year. From his office, Walker has visible access to the retail and service areas of the store. A huge parts section, with direct access to the service department, completes the structure. However, one area that will be appreciated equally by customers contains no facilities at all. It's the huge parking area in front that should more than meet the store's needs. Asked what special features he appreciated most in the new store, Walker said there were so many im- provements over the old facility that it was impossible to single out any one that was more significant However, he did laud MF Builders for the insulation benefits built into the facility. Despite some cool evenings this fall, the main gas furnace has still not been turned on as :he heat from the lights and the electric baseboard heaters in the office area have provided enough energy to make the store comfortable. It is also fully air-conditioned. ee�i Waeo (11J1R©IAT1 TIRE on the opening of their new store in Exeter We were pleased to have supplied the concrete Hy'Test Ready Mix Ltd. 420 Bayfield Rd., Clinton Clinton 482-3431 Forest 786-5781 Congratulations to the on the opening of their new store in Exeter We were happy to have supplied the cabinets for the office facilities G.b.I Cabinets Ltd. RR 2 Luton, Ontario 227-4431 Good Luck to Canadian Tire on the opening of their new store I was very pleased to have done the Heating and Cooling System (IlflhlDhIlfl TIRE Forrest Heating and Cooling 54 Gidley West Exeter 235-2032 Good Luck on the opening of their new store in Exeter now and in the future Overhead Door Company of London Division bf London Door System Ltd.