.. Saturday, April 4, 1992 my

Your business is
our business
Jonathan Green
365-7266

Nine to FIVE

RED INK
BLUES

One year after
announcing an
amazing financial
turnaround,
Woodward's Ltd.
has reported
another large
loss — $19.5
million last year
compared with a
$1.2 million profit
in 1990. Sales
fell by 9.6 per
cent last year to
$613.3 million
from $678.4
million, although
3.5 per cent of
that decline can
be attributed to
the removal of
the federal sales
tax, which was
done to
accommodate
the introduction
of the GST.

OFF THE
MARK

Mark's Work
Wearhouse Ltd.
continues to pile
up losses. The

Taken To The Cleaners

Vito Esposito
came to Canada
41 years ago from
his native Italy and
hasn’t regretted it
one bit

Jonathan Green

NEWS REPORTER

In his thick Italian accent,
Vito Esposito isn’t afraid to
share his thoughts about
Canada.

“I love this part of the world,”
he said. “This is my home.”

Esposito came to Canada 41
years ago with his mother and
nine brothers and sisters from
Cossenza in southern Italy to
Trail, where his father was
living.

After six months of studying
the English language, Esposito
joined an industry that he still
works in today, dry cleaning.

“It was the first job I had in
Canada,” he said. “I liked it
then and I’ve stayed with it.

“The first job always sticks
with you.”

At 15, Esposito joined the
industry at a time when it was
undergoing some important
changes.

During. the 1950s, dry
cleaning fluid went from a
petroleum to a synthetic base.

By doing so, Esposito said the
cleaning process time ‘was
reduced in half to about 30
minutes.

In switching to a synthetic
base, he said there wasn’t the
risk of fire present with a
petroleum base.

As well, with the synthetic
base, clothes that went into the
machine went in dry and came
out dry.

Esposito said the dry
cleaning process takes, on
average, about 35 minutes.

In a way, he said dry cleaning
is similar to the household
washer and dryer, except. the
process takes place in one

machine.

For the first seven minutes,
fluid is introduced, the clothes
are cleaned and the fluid is
extracted.

For the last 28, the clothes .

are spun in a high-speed dryer,
removed and pressed.

Esposito said that since his
livelihood depends on proper
care of customers’ clothes,
mistakes are a definite no-no.

he said.

And to know it, Esposito likes
to keep on top of things by going
to seminars and following up on
recent developments in the
industry.

“We never stop learning,” he
said.

In the last few years, two
trends have had an effect on the
amount of business dry cleaners
are doing.

‘I?m doing OK because I work hard. That’s what the
key is.’

— Vito Esposito

“It’s very touchy work,” he
said. “You’ve got to know you're
fabric, you’ve got to know what
you’re doing every minute.”

Although he’s a 40-year
veteran of the business,
Esposito says he doesn’t allow
himself to become complacent.

“I’ve been at it for 41 years,
so I should be able to know it,”

algary-based
clothing retailer
announced
Monday that it
lost almost $6.5
million from
continuing
operations on
sales revenue of
$132.7 million in
the fiscal year
ended Jan. 25.

PLAYING

DEFENCE

The department
of national
defence has
expanded its
largest contract
ever awarded —
to MPR Teltech
Ltd. in Burnaby
to develop a
secure satellite
communications

technology firm

now has a
research contract
worth $33 million

With an emphasis on a more
relaxed look, business people
are moving toward the
casualness of blue jeans and
away from the semi-formal look
of blazers and suits.

Also, the number of clothing
manufacturers that are
incorporating man-made
materials instead of natural
into their products allows more
people to clean dressier
garments at home.

Esposito estimates that
because of this, some 1 million
jobs in the industry have been
lost in the last 20 years.

“It’s less and less every day,”

“Those jobs have

disappeared.”

But because of a desire to
succeed, Esposito has done his
best to buck that trend.

“I’m doing OK because I work
hard,” he said. “That’s what the
key is.”

And it’s hard work that has
allowed the affable Esposito to
open own four stores, two each,
in Castlegar and Trail.

A certified master dry
cleaner, Esposito said the traffic
for dry cleaning is greatest in
the spring and fall when people
are putting away their
wardrobes for the respective
seasons.

Although his schedule sees
him working six and sometimes
seven days a week, Esposito
enjoys his job from both sides of
the counter, business and
personal.

“It’s a combination of both,”
he said. “I enjoy my business, I
love dealing with people.”

News photo by Jonathan Green

Vito Esposito has gone from working at a dry cleaners to owning four of them since coming to Canada in
4951. He says the job and the people he meets make him look forward to going to work each day.

And with that kind of zeal for
work, does Esposito have any
qualms about leaving his
Motherland?

“Since that day, I’ve been a
proud Canadian,” he said. “I’ve
never had the urge to go back.

“I’m quite happy to stay
here.”

@ Saturday, ‘April'4, 1992

_ Business fellowship.

hosts singing guests

Special interest to those
who enjoy Black gospel music
will be the April 9 visit of De-
witt and Kim Jones and fami-
ly from Yakima, Wash.

They visit Trail as guest
speakers of Full Gospel Busi-
ness Men’s Fellowship at the
April 9th meeting in Trail’s

Riverbelle Restaurant, ae
ing its full Italian dinn

The couple sings together
as Dewitt plays the piano,
bringing new songs of inspira-
tion as well as a testimony of
the faithfulness of the Lord.

For information, contact
367-6147 or 365-5180.

Answers to today’s Crossword Puzzle and Cryptoquip

if

|| mi) x}

Djm) njm/o}

|

Wa) ES

im) 2|C}O}

—|-|m| of m] | >[ n/m

Ci) WERE BEE

-|—|<|m i -| >| D/O RE mir-|o)

12) 0) Bid hed

A} 0) C| DRE Z| | >| OME Mim) 4) >/D

ORR O|m|<|>|-|O RE D|>|/S/0/0/0

jm}r-|m}D)

DEOBRBRBED BEHHEO OSE

| 4} Z| >| —| OM Dim) <)

Z}>/O}—|=)

Answer to Sunday, April 5 Cryptoquip:
SAID CAREFREE PIANO SALESMAN TO AIDE: “I’M

GOING OUT TO LUNCH,
FORTE.”

siness CASTLEGAR

FO CHAMBER OF

COMMERCE
365-6313

Castlegar V1N 4B7

N
ENTRE

55-6th Ave

as Happy 50th ~—s‘9
Wedding Anniversary
Jake & Mary Hendricks
April 4, 1942

SO PLEASE HOLD THE

Bluetop
Burger

Pp. From Dave, Maryann & kids. %

All Our Prices include the G.S.T.
NEW HOURS - 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
1521 Columbia Ave. 365-8388

Call Ahead Drive Through Service

Oa

1.0.F. POT LUCK AND SWIM PARTY
Sunday, April 5, Castlegar Aquatic Centre. 1-3 p.m. No charge to
127

members and guests.

_CHIRSTIAN WOMEN'S CLUB SUPPER

Evening h g Grads, Th

day April 9th, 7 p.m. Fashion Show by

Ely's Boutique. Singer: Kirstin Mason. Speaker: Vicki Kreuzer.
Reservations: Polly 365-8025, Sally 365-3886. 2/27

CASTLEGAR & DISTRICT ANNUAL GUIDING TEA

The Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders

Spring Tea will be held on Sunday,

April, 12th from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall,
Castlegar. There will be craft and bake tables. 4/26

Coming events of Castlegar and District non-profit organizations may be
listed here. The first 15 words are $5 and additional words are 30¢ each.

Boldtaced words (which must be used for headings) count as two words.
= second insertion white the third com:

‘charge fora
insertion is half-price and the fourth and fifth consecutive insertions are

b AUCTION

se onsen

Rion aaa
399-4793

Brian L.

Brown.
CERTIFIED GENERAL
ACCOUNTANT

270: Columbia Avenue
Castlegar - 365-2151

Surgenor & Rogers

CERTIFIED GENERAL ACCOUNTANTS
1444 Columbia Avenue, C: , B.C.

Morrison Painting

& Insulation
¢ Blown Insulation
° Batts & Poly

DUNCAN MORRISON
650-Sth Avenue

365-5255

CASTLEGAR
PLUMBING & HEATING

For all your plumbing
needs and supplies
+ FIXTURES
¢ PARTS
+ SERVICE
CALL 365-3388

TRAIL CUSTOMERS

ONLY CALL

364-0343

NEIL E. SURGENOR, C.G. A.
RESIDENT PARTNER
Bus. 365-7208 Fax. 365-3908

co.
apikd §STRI ey
RENOVATIONS

Pre-
eingineered
Steel
Buildings -
- COMMERCIAL
- INDUSTRIAL
- AGRICULTURAL
For more information, call
your Authorized Garco Builder
Midwest Construction
Services Ltd.

428-3332
Box 1633, Creston, B.C.

oe

i —~RES ieee =o
cP} SUETS

MASONRY DESIGN
& INSTALLATIONS
e Fireplaces
e Patios
e Walls, etc.
“Use Real Stone — It Will Last Forever"

FREE ESTIMATES

Phone 365-7051

only half price for the two of them. Minimum charge is $5 (whether ad is
for one, two or three times). Deadlines are 5 p.m. Wednesdays for

Saturday's paper and 5 p.m.

y's paper. h

should be brought to the Castlegar News at 197 Columbia Ave.

COMMUNITY

lg

Please recycle The NEWS

CASTLEGAR
FUNERAL CHAPEL

Dedicated to kind; itful service.
COMPLETE FUNERAL SERVICE
Cremation, Traditional Burial and
Pre-Arrangement Plan Available

Granite, Bronze Memorials,
Cremation Ums and Plaques

PHONE 365-3222

REFLEXOLOGY
1D FOOT CAR

PLUMBING
AND
HEATING

° GAS CONTRACTING
+ REPAIRS & RENOVATIONS
+ COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL
PLUMBING
24 Hour Emergency Service
Ph. 399-4762

+ Guaranteed Work
¢ Fair Prices

- i iness

¢ Free Estimates
JAMES SWANSON
AND SONS
Ph. 367-7680

‘OIL & GAS FURNACE

SERVICE & REPAIR
HERCULES HEATING
& PLUMBING
365-4948

ARROW LAKES
AIR CONDITIONING
& MECHANICAL SYSTEMS |

¢ Plumbing

¢ Air Conditioning

¢ Refrigeration

° Furnace
Service &
Installation

¢ Controls

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

365-2485

cS CLEAN-SCENE

CARPET CLEANERS

+ Most Advanced System

Gets more deep down soil than any other

cleaning method

+ Upholstery Cleaning Too

— SATISFACTION GUARANTEED —

Why Not Call Us Today! _

FREE

Moving & Storage ltd.

18 Branches in B.C, Alberta & Sask.
2337-6th Avenue,
’ Castlegar
Invite you to call them for a free
let our

representative tell you about the
many services which have made
Williams the most respected name in
the moving business.

Ph. 365-3328 Collect

COLEMAN COUNTRY

BOY SERVICE
Sump & Septic Tank
Pumping Phone
365-5013
3400-4th Avenue
Castlegar

Sore feet?
Foot problems?
We'll help you
solve them at
LYON'S SHOE STORE
553 Baker Street, Nelson
352-3034

TRAIL STAGES
"Charter for groups
Anytime, Anywhere!”
1355 Bay Ave., Trail

368-5555
OR CALL TOLL FREE
1-800-332-0282