Page AG - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 27, 1993

BUSINESS REVIEW

TERRACE -— Don’t expect to
see many more of those massive
grocery stores being built,

New stores will be smaller than
the ones of the last decade, Over-
waitea president Brian Piwek said
during a visit here last week.

That's because they will cater
more to the region they serve, he
said,

“That translates into smaller
buildings and lower foad costs
because our costs will be lower,”
said Piwek.

Although grocery store com-
panies have always had a good
handle on what their customers
want, tiew technology at the cash
registers will better define those
wants and necds, he said.

One example of this trend is a
new Overwaitea store in Ed-
monton. It’s 72,000 square fect
compared io the previous stan-
dard of 78,000 square feet.

TERRACE — There’s a
growing switch in the area
away from gasoline-powered
vehicles, says the manager of a
Jocal natural gas outlet.

Dave Storey of Farwest
Fuels says his shop was doing
a conversion 4 day in the latter
part of 1992.

He | estimates that 380
vehicles in the area are now
powered by. natural gas or
Propane

THINGS ARE booming in the alternate fuel business, That's
John Geier of Farwest Fuels checking out one vehicle already
converted to run, on compressed natural gas.

-_Life’s a gas for
alternate fuels

The new cash register technol-
-ogy is also being used by Gver-
' waitea in its Select Plus program
scheduled. for introduction here
this spring. It offers cheque cash-
ing, immediate discounts at the
till and leads to bonus points
which result in gift certificates,

Grocery stores change
to meet evolving needs |

Although grocery store companies have always had a
good handle on what their customers want, new technol-
ogy at the cash registers will better define those wants and

Brian Piwek
Piwek said Overwailea believes
the concept of immediate savings
will be important in the 90s as

people are more concerned about

their household costs.
*That was a conscious decision

at the top, And since we own the

Select Plus program, we can
change itif we want,’’ he said.

Piwek predicts that grocery .

stores will also expand selling
commodities in larger packages
and that bulk product lines will
continue lo remain strong,

Stewart, for instance, does
not. have natural gas so
propane is the preference there.

The increase in conversions
means an increase in business
and Farwest has added to its
compressing capability to

handle the demand.

And it will add one more dis-
penser and two hoses this
spring to fill vehicles.

‘Including buses, we service
160. vehicles a day,”” | Said

;

Storey figures.

“Tt just skyrocketed, 7” said
Storey of conversions, ‘‘An
average conversion takes 16-
22 hours so you can tell how
busy we were.’

Farwest js also in the running
for a major part of the more
than.100 vehicles the. provin-
cial government wants to con-
vert in the northwest.

Some of the those will be
converted to propane because
of the area in which they are
driven. -

"approximately "10~"="
pet af all atea vehicles, -
exch ingt onés mun on diesel,

“is hastening that along.

™statey..* ee T

“Storey is also predicting the :
demise of the diesel run
vehicle, saying mew clean air
legislation in the United States

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needs.

“We have 200 lines right now
in bulk commodities,’ said
Piwek. ‘‘Bulk foods were intro-
duced in 1982 and proved very
hot for the first six years and will
continue to be a major part of our
business.’’

As for the local Overwaitea
store, ils recent $1 million
renovation should be sufficient
for at least five years.

The company had wanted to

build a larger store but could not
find cnovgh land at an econom-
ical price to do so, said Piwek.

“We wanted to do that without
moving out of the downtown
core, but it was not possible,’’ he
said.

And although the renovation

did not include a . pharmacy,
Piwek said that option remains
open.
“At 27,000 square fect (the size
of: the local store) a pharmacy
would have been difficult but we
do have several floor plan ‘op-
tions,’’ he said. ,

Piwek is a former Terrace resi- —
dent. He moved here in 1964 ©:
while in Grade 11, graduated -.
from high school and became a
junior clerk at the Terrace Over-
waitca store in 1965,

He transferred to Kitimat in
1967, then to. Prince George,
Creston, Cranbrook and Chil-
liwack before retuming to Ter-
Tace as store manager. ; :

Piwek was named president of
Overwaitea at the end of 1990

aid in doing so, continued a.
strong Terrace-Overwaitea con;

nection.

The person he replaced ai as presi-
dent, Doug Townsend, was also a
manager at the Overwaitea store
here, .

Piwek said _ the Terrace-
Overwaitea _ connection * exists
elsewhere in the company with
several senior operations and
merchandising executives having
served here at one time or anoth-

We Have Moved.
Copper Mountain
Electronics Ltd.

3389 Hwy. 16 East Terrace
Phone 635-9054 :
T.V. - VCR - Home and Car Stereo - C. b, :
Auto Electrical - Repairs and Installations o,

Cummins, for instance, is al-
Teady producing a factory nat-
ural gas engine and the major
North American auto makers
are on accelerated programs to
produce diesel engines.

‘Storey said the: increase ‘in
the number of natural gas sta-
tions across the province has
made using the fuel more con-
venient and practical for longer
journeys,

UT AND azouy’ /™

TERRACE — There’s no word
yet if or when the local Sears out-
let may te sold to somebody who
will act as an agent.

The company announced the
conversion plan for the majority
of its calalogue. stores last No-
vember, saying. it will take place
over a three-year period,

“ haven't scen Terrace on any
list. I can’\-see if it will be in the
current year or the next year. or
when,” said Sears. spokesman
Ross Rigney last week. :

The sale of the catalogue stores

saves the company. money. and.
adds to the stability of the busi-

ness which buys it, said Rigney.

For those stores already sold,
the company has been encourag-
ing new owners to keep existing
employces, ©

Ok ok |

Nass Valley ‘resident and
Nisga’a Tribal Council member
Collier Azak is one of 20 people
named to a First Nations Forestry

Council created by. the provincial ;

government last week. :

The council has 12 native repre~ ,

sentatives and eight industry rep-
resentatives. -
Tits goal is to increase native in-
volvement in the forest industry.
Aliso‘ on the. council is Gary
Russ of the Counell of Haida Na-
tio,

The ‘first meeting of the council

is Feb. 15 and- -appointinents are
fora two-year term. * -

kkk Kk
This Heat's | Minerals North con-

ferencé and trade’. show ‘takes,
place March 31-Aptil 2. in Fort

St. James;

It iterates yearly ‘ween

_ florthwest municipalitics.

Terrace last year.

The conference was held ‘in

Scheduled to speak so far are
energy and mines minister Anne | |
Edwards and Tom Waterland,
from the Mining. Association of
B.C.

Also on the list is Keith Some-
rville from Geddes Resources, the
company which wants to develop
the Windy Craggy copper deposit
in the far northwest portion of the

province.
Drummond McCall

i) Division of Fedmet Inc,

—— 815 Enterprise Ave.

Kitimat, BC V8C 2P1

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