Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 25, 1981, Winnipeg, Manitoba 16 Winnipeg free fess saturday april 25, 1981 mines polish image Toronto up the Ontario min ing Industry is trying to improve its image tarnished partly because of the deaths of 20 people in mining Acci dents in the province last year with a advertising Campaign. Walter cur look about to begin a one year term As president of the on Tario mining association said the Industry has a big Job to do to reverse the widely held mud and blood View of mining. Safety in the mines although a major concern of the association is no worse than in similar industries Curi ook said. The association s advertising Campaign follows the results of a Survey conducted by Goldfarb consultants of Toronto that showed Many Ontario residents regard the Industry As one of dangerous unhealthy conditions and dirty jobs. Initially the association which rep resents 33 mining companies in Ontario plans a series of five theme ads that will appear this month and next in 22 daily newspapers and magazines across the province. The themes focus on areas where the association says most misconceptions exist affect on the environment employment opportunities health and safety Northern lifestyle and Revenue distribution. Cur look also president of Inco metals co., a division of Inco Ltd., of Toronto said the print Campaign will last six weeks. After that the association will assess the results and decide whether to do More of the same or switch to television ads. Although the number of mine Fatali ties Rose sharply in 1980, from five in 1979, the association described the in crease As dramatic and and contended its safety record is no worse than in the manufacturing and construction industries. Cur look said the mining Industry s image now makes it difficult to attract the kind of employees it needs and to get financing to expand production. Business not All Canadian Firmi striking Gold in u. S. Walter cur look must reverse mud and blood View of mining. You be heard How Canada s ambitious companies have been pouring into the . They re showing americans How to get things done with those live wire Guys from North of the Bor Der. Well some have fallen hat on their backsides. While most of the invading canadians have done Well especially real estate developers and Oil Gas seekers there s been the occasional disaster. When big Fellows such As Inco and Northern telecoms stumble badly you know almost any one can. Several others have. The heavy Cross borne by Inco is called Inco electro Energy. It s the re named reorganized successor of Esb inc., an american maker of batteries that Inco fought doggedly to take Over in 1974. There must be times now when Inco people wish they d stuck More closely to their traditional Nickel Copper and other resources. They were trying to reduce their dependence on those often highly profitable but erratic items when they won the bidding War for Esb for which they paid about Mil lion Inco electro s thorny problem is being a major supplier of batteries for cars. Sales of cars Aren t what they were in North America. It s a fair bet they la never again be As big and buoy ant a part of the Economy As they once were. Never too Good Inco electro is Large but never has been that great a profit maker. Its .-Doliar operating earnings fore certain expenses and other items of million in 1979 were called disappointing by Inco. They were to become much More so. Last year there was an operating loss of million on sales of million. In this year s first three months the loss was million As a result of the continued poor performance of its Auto motive Battery Jack Mcarthur Inco electro has closed some plants and is in very difficult according to Inco chairman Charles Baird. He says there s no present move to sell it. But that May happen Given Inco s feeling about redeploying assets that Don t meet corporate goals. Along with some troubled non Cana Dian mining ventures Inco s diversification into batteries is a reason Why its shares have been uninspired in the Stock Market. This year s Market trading Range of to is somewhat below typical prices of the mid-70s. While Many other metals minerals stocks now have Tri pled or More from their unusually depressed 1978 lows Inco has failed to double. The american Shock for Northern telecoms was even nastier if Only be cause the telecommunications Whiz seemed such a world beating outfit. It also reflects in the Stock Market. Worst is Over Northern telecoms shares bounded from less than in the mid-70s to a High of Early last year. Then . Problems Drew blood by the Multi Mil lion and the Stock dived to around this year s revival to More than indicates a Strong feeling that the worst is Over. The worst was horrendous. It resulted in write offs and other special loss provisions of million last year. That helped turn Northern telecoms s profit of million in 1979 into a loss on operations of million last year. Add to that the portion of the red Ink treated As extraordinary and the total loss ballooned to million. It stemmed from great and unexpected difficulty in digesting two . Companies acquired in 1978 at consider Able expense. Secor inc. And data 100 corp. Had the computer terminal know How that signalled Northern telecoms s fast move into the hot Field of electronic office systems. Poised for the the company said when it reported on 1978. More soberly when reviewing its office sys tems for after Plant closings and an operating loss of million in the business Northern said future brighter we feel that while it is expected that electronic office systems will lose Money in 1981, we Are now on the right track toward seeing significant operating improvement. And future profit there have been other problem Chil Dren. Wilroy mines managed to blow about million within a few months recently As it moved into and out of the shares of another Canadian company with an american Gold Prospect. Insurance firm Reed Stenhouse says it s still trying to earn a Good return after seven years in the . Loblaw went through lengthy pains and reorganizing in its Large . Operations before getting them turned around. In a quite different aspect of Ameri can adventuring a number of canadians have been rebuffed in attempts to buy control of american companies. That has happened lately to Seagram and Canadian Pacific enterprises. That s a risk anywhere Canada included. There Are however times when it appears that a spirit of Star s and stripes nationalism makes it tougher for canadians to buy certain . Corporations. On the other hand Inco probably would be happier today if it had failed in its wooing of the Battery business and found another Home for its million. Go net hits million by Chris Smith general distributors of Canada plans to expand in Winni Peg unlike other companies leaving the City presi Dent Albert Cohen told the annual meeting yesterday. The company plans to consolidate its data processing systems in the City As part of a broader plan to make greater use of technology to achieve productivity gains Cohen told shareholders. Winnipeg is the Best Centre for Cohen said. It s centrally located and the time zones Are right both East and Don t see Why other firms Don t see that. Perhaps they la follow our consolidated sales for the year ending Jan. 31 were a record million an Over All increase of 19 per cent Cohen told the meeting. Net profits from operations Rose by 48 per cent to More than million. The improved profit Levels allow the company to continue expansion without the need for outside financing i m sorry to say to our underwriters and Cohen added. Sony of Canada continues to increase its sales and profitability he said despite considerable fluctuation in the japanese yen and United states Dollar the two currencies in which the company trades. Cohen said Sony simply does not speculate in those currencies but rather buys its Forward requirements for both currencies and adjusts its Price list two or three times a year in relation to their performance. General distributors principal subsidiaries including Sony Are metropolitan stores Greenberg stores Saan stores Cam guard Supply and Gendis business services inc. Cohen said All divisions contributed to the company s growth last year the retail chains experiencing a combined growth of 18 per cent and the electronics distribution companies combined for a 25 per cent growth rate. The Board of directors declared a dividend of 48 cents a share yesterday morning Cohen said a per cent increase Over last year s 36 cents. Profit plunges at Sherritt Toronto up depressed Copper prices lower pre Cious metals prices and production shortfalls sent Sherritt Gordon mines Ltd s first Quarter profits for 1981 tumbling More than 90 per cent from the same period last year the company says. Sherritt Gordon reported profits for the three months ended March 31 of slightly More than million or eight cents a share Down from million or 85 cents a share for the first three months of 1980. The company said the lower metals prices and production shortfalls at its Ruttan and Fox mines in Manitoba resulted in a million loss by that division alone. While fertilizer and chemical operations showed a modest profit increase during the first three months of this year Nickel sales volume dropped 42 per cent from the same period last year and profit from fabricated metals was Down substantially. Sherritt Gordon also said exploration costs increased by million from the corresponding period in 1980, with much of those funds spent on the company s Cargill phosphate division in Northern Ontario. Costs of on unsuccessful joint venture Oil and Gas drilling were written off. The Toronto Star unreserved Public auction construction truck equipment Milton Ontario mile South of 401 off Hwy. No. 2 wed. May 6th transport equip. 10 tand. Dumps 79 Western Star 6 79 Chev Bruins 77 Ford lts9000 73 . 5 Sfa dumps 2 74 1800 72 co1610 73 food 500 12 Dodge Oslo d800 tand. Tractor 74 . 4070a mechanics service truck 76 35 Sander trucks 74 6500 Dumbo 750 Sander 73 Dodge d800 wc6 cd. Sander fire truck 49 Dodge school 71 Chev c50. 42 pass 5 cab Chassis 2 Ford 73 ln700 8 350 7? . 5500 211.h a 70 1600 s 70 1710 Flat deck trucks 73 Dodge d200 73 Csc stake 8 dump trailers 51 75 rom dec 26 lands 4 74 King 26 Tri axles sliders 2 Van trailers t Mobil 5 Brown 45 land s pick autos incl 77 Chrysler n port thurs.may7th construction equip. 2 Hyde. Or. 8 hoes 73 l Boll 5000 "65 Tinslev 560 or. Crane 65be 25b screen ing Plant 75 Kolberg Mulder port. 10 4 2 deck 3 or. Loaders 21 j 0 78 350c 74 450c 75 Cal 931 9 or. Tractors 76 Case 8508 61 cat 75 03.12 d7f 73 wd7k Winch 70 Winch. 21 69 in Winch 65 08h Winch 06 72 td20c wheel loaders w cat 79 966. 78 950. 75 988 659668 762500. 76 3uoo. 73 1700 63 30da who. Loader backhoes 2t pc d. 79 Xiii s 76 3dii 61 cast 11778 h765boc 73 580b logging equip t i3wolvo 7j sm868 7j 868 forwarders 73 Petti Pool lgi5ja loader 5 Mot graders 2l Adams 550 66 Aav facet 300 63 Champ d062 a 2 Mot. Scrapers 2 70 e211 pull scraper Cal -135 2 95 a 92 paver 75 a att b200 compactor duo mat r77 farm equip 79moll 90" fun for super j tractor 6 forklifts 75 m f 4500 it 74 Whitt 5000 t a 4000 h Mobil lift 6000lh 60 trackman 6.000m 21 Rock trucks 2 Euc b3fd a 36fd 4 Crane trucks Foffel. 77 f600 8 2 77 76 f750 Vav wilmans 77 Chev c65 a Hijab line trucks 72 Ford 800 Funi Revne ii Turret Boom 71 Ford Boom a bucket King 60 Ion land 6 ton in land Fra office trailer 81 custom coach .10 8 travel trailer "70 Road runner 1400 . Bombar Dion Vav tailor 5 compres sors 12510600cf.m port. Light Plant Onan 6 k w vw6q Tower t i Ghis Ponc Wulc 01 Watro lot brochure 0097707 Wilson s Industrial h auctioneers Ltd. F o Boi d mm.ononmtiol9t.n3 data w is coming to Winnipeg some of the most important topics on computer communications in Canada Are coming under discussion this june 15th. 10th and 17th Here in Winnipeg. And you re invited to listen and take part. It s data 81, our 4th annual computer show and data communications conference at the Winnipeg convention Centre. If you want to know what the communications experts Are predicting about our future plan to be there. Well be discussing Canada s computer communication policies. How Strong Are they especially in current pressures Many think that As a nation we re fumbling away the real economic opportunities that could help to secure our future. N other talks and pane discussions Well also examine the Home of the future including the work that Manitoba Telephone is doing in this area. Well also look at questions surrounding the computer Industry and its effects on society Fibre optics in telecommunications videotex distributed database design interconnect microelectronics in Canada and Manitoba personal computers and business applications initiated in the Home. Our speakers Are a Stellar group All experts in their respective Fields. They include Howard Anderson president the Yankee group Cambridge mass. Mike a san manager product development Manitoba Telephone the Hon. Sinclair Stevens my former Treasury Board head James c. Mcdaniel National sales director a nip announcing the 4th annual computer show and data communications conference Gordon Thompson manager communications studies Bell Northern research Ted White president Amdahl Canada Ltd Richard Taylor president. Dat Crown Ltd Ian Sharp president . Sharp associates Donn b. Parker senior management consultant sri International Ltd Thomas Moorehead president inter Iscom systems Ltd or. Witold Kinser director Industrial applications of microelectronics Centre inc University of Manitoba Mike Doyle department of computer science. University of Manitoba Grant Murray vice president. Ism Canada Ltd and William Lowen president com chef sen ices Ltd. These three information packed Days will be an excellent Opportunity to catch up on the future while involving yourself in the debate. Registration for the conference is for three full Days or per Day. Fee includes conference sessions exhibits receptions and River cruise. The concurrent exhibition will show you what the talk is All about. It will be supported by leading data comm and computing suppliers and supplemented by exhibitors from Manitoba s science and technology Community. As Well a number of new product announcements Are planned for the show. Registration for the exhibition is free with an Advance ticket from a participating exhibitor or at the door. The 4th annual computer show and data communications conference is endorsed by the data processing management association Winnipeg chapter. For additional details Call or 1-416-967-6200. Data communications conference computer exhibition Whitsed publishing limited Man life Centre 55 Bloor St. A. Suite 1201, Toronto Ontario please Register me fore 3 Days at 1 Day at name please Send show details u title company address prov. Whi1sed publishing linked 5o Bloor Street West suite 1201, Toronto Ontario m4w 3k2 ;