Loading...
The Times Advocate, 2005-01-05, Page 3Wednesday, January 5, 2005 Exeter Times -Advocate 3 Hensall company works all over the world Daryl Keys, president of Hensall's Industrial Drive Service Inc., stands with a motor control system the company recently sold to a gold mine in Venezuela. (photo/submitted) By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF HENSALL — While it may be a small local company with a staff of only six, Hensall's Industrial Drive Service Inc. (IDS) does business all over the world. IDS manufactures motor control sys- tems for many automated processes, including the gold mining business. Not only does the company build the motors in Hensall, but employees travel around the world to install the systems, presi- dent Daryl Keys told the Times - Advocate Monday. Recent international work for the company includes the sale of a 600 horsepower motor starter and control system for the Hecla gold mine in Venezuela and another sale to a mine in Peru. The company works with a min- ing consultant in Burlington to get most of its leads on mining work. The biggest part of IDS's business is industrial motor controls for uses such as hoisting and extrusion. The company did all the controls for Kongskilde's Exeter plant and still does work for the company in the U.S. IDS has also done work with United Plastic Components in Exeter, but Keys says most of his com- pany's business is in northern Ontario, with about 25 per cent of their business in the U.S. Other international sales have taken place in Tanzania and China. The company does little local work, something Keys would like to see change. IDS has been in business for 16 years and, while Keys admits Hensall is "a lit- tle out of the way" for such a business, it wouldn't matter where he located IDS, because employees would still be travel- ling around the world installing prod- ucts. Keys decided to situate IDS in Hensall because he's always lived in the area. UTRCA delegation speaks to council By Mary Simmons TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF LUCAN — A delegation from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) pre- sented its preliminary budget to Lucan Biddulph council Monday night. General Manager Ian Wilcox and Lucan Biddulph's representative on the board of directors, George Marr, made the presentation and fielded questions from council. Wilcox told council the conservation authority provides excellent value to its member municipalities through staff expertise, efficient programs and financial leveraging. He said municipal con- tributions are matched and often exceeded through other sources of revenue, but additional revenue is required from all sources for 2005 to meet minimum environ- mental protection needs. Wilcox also explained that although capital costs have not been included in the budget for the past 10 years, it has been added to this year's budget because it was becoming unmanageable and there were health and safety issues. The 2005 preliminary budget, which will be dis- cussed by the board Jan. 11 and go to a vote Feb. 22, is set $9.6 million, of which member municipal- ities contribute 33 per cent. Lucan Biddulph is being asked to pay $4,734, an increase of $770 from last year, although this figure could change if the board makes adjustments. Of this figure, $4,386 goes to the general and flood control levy, $82 goes to specific projects and $266 is a capital sur- charge. Wilcox also outlined the projects which benefitted the municipality in 2004. He said there were three Clean Water projects, 335 trees planted, ongoing surface and groundwater monitoring, flood monitor- ing and warnings, Species at Risk research, develop- ment application reviews and outdoor recreation and education activities at the Wildwood and Fanshawe conservation areas. Council accepted the report and agreed to dis- cuss any concerns about the budget with Marr so he could take their recom- mendations to the board. COMING SOON South Hurons�- r r% Fitness & Golf :' Centre �1 g0 Tarot Rt E a 4. Watch for further details Ethanol sites submitted By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF GODERICH — The Huron County Panning Department has narrowed the list of potential sites for a proposed ethanol plant from five sites down to four, which will be sent to the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association (CRFA). Huron County planner Monica Walker -Bolton said the sites are being put forward on behalf of Huron County. They are based on what the planners believe are the best fit for the criteria requested by the CRFA in its letter in late November requesting proposals. Walker -Bolton said the goal of the proposal is to make Huron County look like an ideal location for an ethanol plant. "Each of the sites has its own special things about which we think makes them attractive and give us a competitive advan- tage over other regions." The four sites to be sub- mitted by Huron County are in Goderich, Seaforth, south of Exeter and Hensall. The CFRA letter outlined a lengthy list of criteria a site would have to meet including rail access, a water source capable of providing 1.5 million to 2.5 million litres of water per day, natural gas and elec- tricity. Secondary site require- ments include a steam host, grain handling facili- ties, nearby feed markets as well as any incentives offered by the municipali- ty. According to Walker - Bolton, the CFRA is not an investment group and is acting as a pre-screening group for potential investors to make the pro- posals available for investors. Although the letter received from the CFRA proposed five ethanol sites across Ontario, Walker -Bolton said it wasn't known for certain there would be that many, with several already locat- ed across the province. "But we do know from the provincial announce- ment ethanol is going to be mandated at least five per cent in all gasoline for 2007, and we have also heard it is going to go up in 2010 to 10 per cent. There is going to be a long term demand for more ethanol availability so it is good to have our name out there as a location for the future too." "So the angle we're tak- ing on it is we want to establish ourselves out there in the potential mar- ket place as a region that is very ideal for this type of industry, to attract the jobs it would create and to make use of the agricul- tural product grown here. We think it would be a very good fit." Walker -Bolton added let- ters of support have been received by the depart- ment from across the county. The deadline for the cri- teria to be received is Jan. 7 although Walker -Bolton said it wasn't the same as most other proposals. "It's more a situation where they want to have the information available at their fingertips and they want to promote and pro- file a number of communi- ties in Ontario to the potential investors...but we won't know we're the win- ner until an investor is knocking on our door and talking to us about setting up a plant." BIKINI BOB'S Restaurant and Beach Club WINGS!!! All Day Tuesday & Sunday DOOR CRASHER SPECIAL $4.99 Steak Dinner Anytime after 4:00 P.M. CONTRACTOR LUNCH Everyday Under $5.00 Main St., Grand Bend 238-2235 "We'll work for your Business" 771 c 0 Hearted Community Credit Union Limited Where membership makes the difference CanHelp DISASTER RELIEF FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA Heartland Community Credit Union is accepting donations at all branch locations towards disaster relief for victims of the devastating tsunamis in southeast Asia. Donations of $10.00 or more will receive a charitable donation tax receipt. Funds will be channelled through the Canadian Red Cross, which will be the organization to issue the receipt. Please Give Generously. Head Office, Clinton 48 Ontario Street, Clinton Ph. (519) 482-3466 Fax (519) 482-3743 Exeter Branch 118 Main Street, Exeter, Ph. (519) 235-0640 Fax (519) 235-0261 Listowel Branch 161 Inkerman St W. Listowel Ph. (519) 291-6189 Fax (519) 291-6191