Times-Advocate, 1988-05-25, Page 5Times -Advocate, May 25, 1988
Page 5
New factory pouring out
the
Street the sweet taste of success
By Jim Beckett
A delay of about two months in approving a nuijor expansion of Im-
age Cleaners has resulted in a loss of a potential 20 jobs for Exeter.
But Exeter's loss is Hensall's gain, as Image Cleaners has purchased
the middle portion of the former Agripress location for their new dry
cleanin ► and laundry plant.
Len flume's original intent was to locate his plant in Exeter. at the
former Dan Brie building on Highway 83. In fact, the new plant would
have been there if it wasn't for a hitch in the bureaucratic system which
took over two months to grant approval for the location according to
Hume.
When Hume first approached the town with his plan he never thought
Exeter would do anything other than approve.
Instead, Exeter's Building Official Brian Johnston .decided to get niore
opinions on whether the location qualified under their zoning require-
ments. Town planner Richard Dclinkas (who works for a London firm)
and the Huron County planning department both agreed that Humc's
business was a service rather than a manufacturing operation and should
not be allowed to operate under the M2 zoning in '\ hich the Dan Brie
building is located. -
Johnston feels Exctcr should not be made out to be the "big bad. wolf"
in this deal because the town gave Hume the green light for expansion
weeks before the decision was made to locate in Hensall.
"We also had to consider water use and effluent control as well as zon-
ing," he added.
"We acted quickly and arc not responsible for Hume failing to pur-
chase the Dan Brie building," Johnston concluded.
This is where confusion comes in. Did Exeter cause the delay or did
Humes refusal on principle to make an application for a .zoning change
when he believed he didn't have to clog the process' Iiume never die:
make an application because he believed he already qualified under
present zoning. -
Meanwhile, time was passing by. When Exeter council finally acted
against the wishes of their pimping advisors and granted approval, it
was too late. Hume had proved his point and convinced Exeter Council
(who went against the advice of the Huron County planners) that his
business was a value-added service which conformed to zoning require-
ments, his opportunity to buy the property had slipped by. .
"Our first choice was Exeter but it just didn't work out," flume added.
He stressed Image Cleaners will still be maintaining a strong presence
in Exctcr with their retail and coin -laundry operations.
"Fortunately for us, Hensall welcomed us with open
arms immediately with no bureaucratic hangups," I fume said.
Hume doesn't hold any malice toward anybody regarding the slow ap-
proval.of his coming 10 Exeter but he adds that "bureaucracy is all-
powerful". "If somebody tells you that you can't do something, even
though you know you're right, there seems to be no avenue of appeal,"
he added -
Delay also cost Hume an additional 57,500 because when he- was fi-
nally in a position to order his S750,0(X) in new equipment the provin-
cial sales tax had jumped to eight percent. -•
-
If the same set of circumstances existed today and I lune had wanted to
expand, Mayor Bruce Shaw believes permission would have been grant-
ed without any problem. -Exeter has asked the. Huron Couniy planning /
department to change all zoning in this area to include both industrial
and highway commercial uses.
"This will update our zoning and allow us to he more flexible," Shaw
added.
Peter Darbishirc, Exeter's new Economic Development Committee
Chairman, said one of his priorities is to work toward establishing prac-
tical areas for development as well as making applications easier to •pro-
cess. He doesn't want to lose any chance for industrial growth. •
Many players in the cleaning -plant story feel things would •be difif'crent
if Image Cleaners were starting out now with their request for official
blessing on expansion plans, but back in January things seemed to get
off on the wrong foot.
Exeter appears to have all the safeguards including: a building inspec-
tor, a Planning Advisory Committee, an Economic Development Com-
mittee and professional planners on call in both Godcrich and London.
No undesirable growth could slip by all these guardians of our zoning
regulations.
Exeter has been advertising in publications across North America to
attract new development and for years has been actively promoting the
town as a great place to locate an industry.
Now, a local businessman walks in the town hall door with plans to
bring 20 jobs to Exctcr. How can the story end a few months Tater with
Hensall getting the jobs and Exeter appearing to follow all the paper-
work in an efficient manner'I
Exeter's goal and Len liumc's were the same back in January but
somehow everything got lost in the shuffle.
Exeter wants industry Hume wanted to come to Exctcr. It didn't
happen.•
Hensall wants growth as wcll....and now they have a plant which,
whcn completed in July, will potentially employ tip to 20 pcoplc and
make a substantial contribution to the tax base.
Could it be the only advantage Hensall has is someone who will take
the initiative and say "yes"?
4-H discuss erosion
By Chris Weigand
EXETER On Wednesday, May
4, the South Huron 4-1-I Conserva-
tion Club held its third meeting in
Stephen Central School with six
members present. With the help
from our leader we worked in our
workbooks and filled in the blanks.
We talked about soil erosion
caused by water. Here arc the four
types: Sheet Erosion, Rill Erosion,
Gully Erosion and Strcambank Ero-
sion.
We discussed no -till planting and
what modifications you must make
to your planter and your mind.
On April 26 the club met in the
board room of the Ausahlc Bayfield
Conservation Authority offices.
Robert Traut was our guest
speaker. He showed slides of soil
erosion problems and then showed a
video tape of conservation tillage
methods and methods of controlling
erosion.
Before dark we examined the two
•conservation tillage machines
which the authority -uses under con-
tract with local farmers.
When we returned to the warm
board room Mr. Traut answered
questions on conservation tillage
and pointed out the economics and
considerable savings which farmers
may achieve through conservation
tillage methods.
WANTED
PUBLIC INPUT
ON YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT
SUNDAY
SHOPPING
Sunday Shopping will be discussed in Open Exeter
Council on Monday, June 6. 1988 at 7:30 p.m.
Any concerns should be received by June 2nd, to
the Exeter Municipal Office or Council Member.
Elizabeth Bell
Clerk-Treasuer
Well Mr. Wonka, all that I
can say is that I've neve r
spent a. more fantastic day
anywhere...in my whole
fife.
Roald Dahl
Charlie and the
-Chocolate Factory
By Adrian Ilarte .
Chocolate. factories are always
places of magic and dreams come •
true. Ask any child and you will be.
told this is so.
Exeter now has its very own
chocolate factory on highway 83.
Sugar and Spice, run by Cherie
and Paul Seldon, has been making
.its"wares famous for a decade and
has transferred production facilities
to a brand-new building where the
chocolate delights will continue to
please customers from near and
afar. _
The new factory opened last Fri-
daywithout much fanfare or a grand
opening, but Cherie Seldon promis-
es an open house in October to let
.customers tour the factory and celc-
"1 want people to
go by and want
to pull in
brate the tenth_ anniversary of Sugar
and•Spicc.
The main reason for the new
property is to 'escape from the
'crowded quarters' behind the Main
Street store. While it had sufficed
until now,- Seldon explained that
peak times of the year became a
little too much to handle. .
"We had Easter bunnies coming
out of our ears and there was no
place to put them," _she said. The
new building now has .2,400 square
feet of space, including new offices
for administration, storage for _or-
ders, and another retail store the
ro"
"IRST CHOCOLATE - Paul Seldon divides up mint chocolate bark, the -very first chocolate to be
and Spice's new factory on Highway 83.
same size as downtown. The new
store will not replace the old, but is
aimed at attracting new customers.
"What we're trying to do is catch
the traffic that never stops in Exctcr
because ¢here's no parking," said
Seldon. She hopes drivers on their
way to and from Grind Bend will be
tempted to stop because of the sign
and decor of the new building.- -
"I want pcoplc to go by and want
to pull in," she said.
Seldon has arranged everything to
make the customer feel at home. A
. r:rndah has a pair of benches and a
•
table where pcoplc arc welcome to.
sit and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Unlike the downtown store with
its large selection of collectible and
gift items, the new store will keep
mainly to Sugar and Spice's own
produce. This will give Seddon a
chance to display some of the choc-
olates customers have never seen
before because of a tack of display
room.
The only other items for sale will
be a handful of collector plates,
some. lithographs, and one very spe-
cial doll.
Because Sugar and Spice has been
a strong customer of porcelain dolls
from Meggan's Doll 1 -louse, the
manufacturer has made a limited
edition doll especially for Sugar and
Spice's tenth anniversary.
"I'm the third store they've done it
for," said Seldon. Only 1(X) "Annc-
Lynns" will be made for the indi-
vidually marked and numbered ser-
ies.
Sugar and Spice has 20 full-time
and part-time employees for the fac-
tory and the three stores, but Scl-
don's daughter Melissa handles the
wholesale orders for about 20 cli-
ents from as far as Sudbury or Bur-
lington.
The company also takes on cus-
tom work for businesses who want .
to have something a little more per -
made at Sugar
sonalized to their needs. An exam-
ple. is the 13,700 chocolate busi-
ness cards Sugar and Spice made for
3M last Christmas. Not only was
every card poured into the custom" -
made molds by hand, but the foil
wrappers had to be carefully applied
to outline the logo in the chocolate
beneath. Scldon is not sure if she
-made any profit on the cards, but is
pleased with the publicity such
items generate for Sugar and Spice's
chocolate.
The busiest limes of year for any
candy manufacturer are, naturally,
Christmas and Easter, which is why
the Scldon's opened. the Bayfield
store to keep retail sales strong
through the summer.
With thc new production facili-
ties, Sugar and Spice may find de-
mand for their chocolate will some-
day require another dipping machine
so that the present one docs not
have to be shut down and stripped
to change types of chocolate.
"We think our wholesale business
will increase," said Paul_Seldon.
If everything goes well, the new
factory property's extra land may be
put to use in. the future. In fact,
there is room to double the size of
the new facility.
Will this ever happen?
"Maybe five years down the
road," hinted Chcric.
Rated
SPECIAL EDITION - Cherie Seldon holds up one of the limited edition
"AQne-Lynn" porcelain dolls 10 be made especially for Sugar and Spice's
tenth anniversary. The doll comes with a genuine Sugar and Spice choco-
late in its hand.
rime Stoppers
Crime Stoppers of Huron
County Inc. and the Ontario Pro-
vincial Police at Godcrich are ,
seeking the assistance of the
public in solving a series of break,
enter and thefts which took place
in Stanley Township.
During the period of Novem-
ber 1987 and April 1988 the
Godcrich OPP have investigated
three break, enter and thefts in
Stanley Township. Police be-
lieve the crimes may be con-
nected.
At Snowden Acres the thieves
forced a ground -level sliding
window into thc kitchen. Once
inside they went from room to
room removing articles. The to-
tal loss from this home was in
excess of $3,700. Articles such
as a TV, a VCR a receiver for a
satellite dish, a Candle Micro-
wave oven and a portable micro-
fumace were stolen. '
A total of over $6,600 of prop-
erty was taken from two other
homes in Stanley township. in
both instances, electronic items
such as TVs, turntables etc. were
taken. in addition to the electronic
equipment, alcohol was also sto-
len in all three cases.
if you have any information
about this or any other serious
crime call CRiME STOPPERS
OF HURON COUNTY toll -fret
at 1-800-265.1777.. Your call will
not be traced, nor recorded and
your anonymity is guaranteed. if
an arrest is made you could earn a
cash reward of up to $ 1,000. You
will not have to identify yourself
nor testify in court. Remember
crime doesn't pay, but Crime
Stoppers does.
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Owner acceptance of John Deere Lawn Tractors has
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Come and take one for a drive or contact one of our
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HWY NO. 4, N.
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(519) 881-2231