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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1995-03-01, Page 13ii aaPAW _ Frenchman's I Restaurant Everyday 5 to 6:30 p.m. Dinner starting at $16.95 235-2008"i Servont South flArcn - Since 188?3c ! 7 Kaschper sculls are known world-wide The factory in Lucan has been turning out the rowing shells for the past 25 years By Fred Groves T -A staff LUCAN - Some of the best row- ers in the world have found them- selves stretching their ability to the maximum while sitting in a scull created by Jacob Kaschper and his staff from Lucan. For the past 25 years Kaschper Racing Shells has been building sculls which go across the globe. Some stored in the factory now are headed for Taiwan. From the singles to doubles, quads and right up to the 53 -foot long super eights which can cost in an excess of $20,000, the shop in Lucan is a very busy place. "We started out with a very small building, 3,000 square feet and we eventually had 16,000 square feet," said Kaschper during a tour of the factory on Monday. According to Kaschper, there are about 80 rowing clubs in Canada and many of them are his com- pany's customers. "We sell some to the national team. Most of our clients are locat- ed in Canada and the United States," he said. It's a very interesting process which creates some of the finest, fastest and best looking sculls in the world. The factory is divided into several rooms and each one has a separate function. One room has the big super - eights being moulded into form. Another is where the fibreglass is put on and another has finishing touches of paint put on. The basics of rowing has never changed but what the sculls are made of certainly have. They've gone from being wooden to fib- reglass, or composite as Kaschper describes. "Our production dropped off in wood about five years ago. We be- gan switching over to composite about a year -and -a -half ago." Wood or fibreglass: He said composite is a combination of items, certain clothes and carbon fi- bres. And which is better, wooden or composite sculls? "It's pretty well up to the in- dividual coach. Some coaches still prefer wooden shells. In my opin- i(M, as far as speed is concerned, there is no difference." Between the designer of the scull, i this case Kaschper, and the per- son buying them, usually the coach, tlbere can sometimes be a conflict to what works best. "The initial design is done by us. That is in conjunction with some of the input of the rowing coaches. It's never constant there are changes in material as well as design. Some- times we have differences of opin- ion but that's normal." It's a safe assumption to say that Kaschper is an expert. He worked for a leading company in Europe before starting his own and he is no stranger to sitting in the sculls him- self. "I started rowing again last year down at the U.S. nationals. My last race was 30 years ago," he con- fessed. The big super eights which can cost up to $20,000 and the smaller singles which are around $5,000 take different amounts of time to produce. With his talented staff, Kaschper is making the sculls fairly quickly. "From scratch, the eight is in the shop for about 26 days. Some of the pine period is shortened down to about half -an -hour or an hour per day." Kaschper said there are six differ- ent categories of sculls and each one has about three different weight classes. "Right now we have a capacity of 200 (per year to make), which we're .not using right now." Jacob Kaschper works on one of the sculls in his Lucan facto - /Y. O 0 0 .1 0 a 0 0 0 0 El 0 The rooms at Kaschper Racing Shells are filled and the boats are in various stages. 0 El CI 0 Astaltilitio Pant Hi, I'm your neighour. You see me on the street, in church, at your favourite El restaurant, at the skating rink, in the swimming pool, at school, gardening... just like ® you. I am a dedicated hardworking person, like you. I believe everyone deserves a job ® who wants one, like you. I'm trying to make a living, like you. I pay my taxes in the ®community, like you. I try to support all community activities, like you. I have a pride in what I accomplish, like you. I keep a tidy house, like you. I care about our 0 community, like you. I believe I have a right to know about a product or se -vice, like ® you. I believe in helpful and courteous service, like you, I like bargains, like you. I like to receive good value for my money, like you. Cl 0 1 AM YOUR T.00AT. SHOPKRFPF° I've overheard your excuses for not shopping locally.... 'they sure know how to charge' 'they watch my every move' ' I feel I have to make a purchase before I leave' O ' they don't have enough to choose from' ' I can never find what I'm looking for' 0 YOU SHOULD BE AWARE that if you don't support your small town retailers, your 0 small town retailers will be history, just like me... just like your community... just like you. Megastores won't support your activities; won't care about your recreational 0 Facilities, churches and schools; won't care if your main retail areas die -- more for 0 them; won't care if your job disappears; won't contribute to your small community's ® tax base; won't care about neighbours. ® 0Their bottom line is MEGAPROFIT. My bottom line is survival -- enough money to pay my bills and raise my family in a small town, just like you. 0 Presented by, 0 CI 1 0000 000000010000000 fey OEM El 0 0 0 O 0 a 0 Cl 0 0 El 0 O O Cl O 0 0 0 C3 0 EMU0 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz;; tl Tasty Nu Fine Quality Products Canadian and Imported Cheese "Fresh off the Block" at sk NEW Lower Prices! N ►1 ► 14 This'1%Vuk !Teaturrsl Fresh Baked Country Buns Carrot Muffins Butter Tarts $1.49 doz. 1.99)04. of 6 1.99 pkg. of 6, Pumpernichel Bread aso g. 1.29 Cheese (fresh off the block) Mozzarella $3.99 lb. Gouda, mild or spiced $4.99 lb, - weekly specials - fast friendly service - always fresh - volume discounts for clubs, church groups etc. 1 N444 Main St. S., Exeter 235-0332 Tasty(beside Canadian Tiro) N 4 ZZZZZZz2ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzix •