Village Squire, 1976-11, Page 41BUSINESS
Fred Looker has turned his basement into warehouse, office, printshop and computer
workshop. Here he works at the input keyboard for his hobby computer.
For the man who has everything --
a computer for Christmas
For the person who has everything how
about a Christmas present with a
difference this year: a computer.
A few people in Canada will indeed be
getting themselves that present either for
Christmas or at some other time of the year
and they'll most likely be getting it from a
business in Goderich that few people in
town probably even know exists. The
company is Tyzl Ltd. and is run by Fred
Looker. his wife and son-in-law.
It has no fancy offices or show room, just
the organized confusion of the Looker's
Warren Street basement. But in the past
year. through sales of various technically
oriented goods. it has doubled its business.
The computers are just the newest item
on the long list of things you can buy
through the mails from the company. The
company specializes in , books and other
information for amateur radio operators.
Actually the company is just a part-time
thing for Fred. who is manager of a Clinton
wholesale company on a full-time basis. Its
growth has been so strong. however. that it
is a full-time business for Mrs. Looker and
half-time for their son-in-law Roger
Clayton.
The company was formed in 1973 but
had its beginnings earlier in 1970. Fred has
always had a deep interest in amateur
radio and electronics. A 30 -foot radio tower
sits in his backyard and he's been a radio
amateur for many years. He's also been in
the electronics business for 35 years,
beginning with Canadian Marconi in
Montreal and later being in charge of
several electronics firms in Toronto and
Montreal. It was with one of these
companies that the beginning of his own
"underground" company began. The
company was in the business of selling to
radio amateurs across Canada but there
was just no easy way to do it. The only
magazines for radio buffs were from the
U.S. which meant that if you advertised.
most of your money was thrown away on
U.S. readers in order to reach the five per
cent or so of the subscribers who lived in
Canada.
With this in mind, Fred began to
organize a mailing list of all radio people
living in Canada. The job of looking after
the mailing list was given to his wife to do
at home on ,a part-time basis. Later the
company decided to terminate this part of
the business and Fred got permission to
keep the mailing list which included about
1500 names, all people who had bought
from the company so were proven serious
Dehghftul
Gifts for
DeIighftul
Lades
TABLE TOP GIFTS THAT SERVE AND
ENTERTAIN
DIAMONDS AND GEMSTONES FOR
PRECIOUS MOMENTS
ONEIDA - GIFTS IN STAINLESS OR
SILVER
ROYAL DOULTON FIGURINES
• QUALITY JEWEL CASES
A store o-exqusib
get giving ideas
OennJeweHers
V ingham and I isto%el
Village Squire/November 1976, 39