Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 8, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba July 1997 b6 Steve email Winnipeg free press business trucking firm in receivership by Murray Mcneil business reporter one of Canadas largest ing firms has been placed into throwing at least 75 Winnipeg employees out of Mississauga based Interlink freight systems which was Canadas last nationwide Carrier of Lessith Astruck Load freight and its third largest car Rier in terms of was placed into the hands of receiver Coopers and Lybrand on a total of jobs will be lost after the Century old company completes its final deliveries in the next few a spokesman for Coopers and Lybrand could not be reached for com Interlink freight collapse puts 75 in City out of work ment but one source said about half of the workers at Interlink Winnipeg terminal were still working and that the terminal would Likely remain open for at least a few More Days until All local deliveries were no Severance pay a spokesman for the transportation communications Union said Interlink employed 75 Union workers and a handful of nonunion personnel at its Winnipeg Dennis Deveau said an agreement has been worked out with the receiver that will enable Interlink employees to receive whatever vacation pay and pension benefits Are owing to they wont receive any Severance he the Canadian press yesterday quoted a Coopers and Lybrand official As saying that it was still unclear what would happen with employees pen Deveau said the workers will also lose whatever Money they invested in the company when the employees Pur chased the Money losing operation from Canadian Pacific he added that he didst know How much the Winnipeg workers had invested in the Deveau said Interlink appeared to be in danger of closing when the employees took it since then Treyve collected More than Mil lion in wages and benefits that they might otherwise have never he so i dont think there is any ques Tion they still came out the president of the Manitoba thick ing association expressed optimism yesterday that most of Interlink truck particularly the Long haul will soon find work with other local trucking there is a definite shortage of qual experienced Jim Tevann i would think that for the Dri the class 1 Highway the prospects Are Trann said the economic recovery has Given Canadas struggling True ing Industry a boost in the last six to 12 most people indicate volumes Are getting better and opportunities Are he which is Why Many firms need More experienced although another transportation communications Union official blamed Interlink demise on deregulation of Canadas trucking Ontario trucking Industry officials told Canadian press the problem was too Many trucks and too Little v free press Grain commissions Michael shows Barley to Chiles Hernan Beer makers hop into City for sniff of Canadas Barley by Murray Mcneil business reporter Beer and malt makers from As far away As Japan and South Africa have gathered in Winnipeg this week for a taste of what Canadas malt and malting Barley industries Are All the 32 Industry experts from 13 countries Are Here at the invitation of the Canadian International grains Institute to take in lectures and Laboratory demonstrations and to tour a local Grain ing Plant and Grain research Labo later in the embark on a six Day Western Canadian Field trip that will also see them touring research Grain Termi nals and malting plants in Saska Banff and Dave Cigis director of feed technology and coordinator of the institutes sixth International malt and malting Barley said participants include natives from countries that already buy Canadian malt and malting bar countries like Costa Rica and Panama As Well As countries that dont but hopefully soon Chile is a Good example of the latter that country largest Campania Cerv Cerias Unitas has sent two representatives to including Daniel manager of its agriculture Baerwald said in an interview the newly enacted free Trade agree ment Between Canada and Chile has opened the door for More imports of Canadian malt and malting that will allow us to import both malting Barley and malt from Canada with a Zero tax percent Baerwald exports he said his employer now buys most of its malting Barley directly from chilean it produces some malt and buys the from malting plants in Australia and but if Canadian malt and malting Barley turns out to be As Good As Industry officials say it Baer Wald said he could see his company buying 75 to 100 per cent of its malt and malting Barley from Canada within the next two to three that kind of talk is music to the ears of cig officials like who Are trying to get More foreign Beer and malt makers to buy More Canadian malt and malting Hickling said exports of both products have jumped dramatically in the last three or four fuelled by rising Beer consumption in Many foreign countries and a growing awareness that Canada is producing some of the worlds Best malting in the 199293 for Canada exported tonnes of malting Barley and 252 tonnes of Barley by exports had jumped to million tonnes of malting Barley and tonnes of Barley virtually All of Canadas malting Barley is produced in the Prairie Saskatchewan leads the producing million tonnes in 1996 Alberta was second with million tonnes Manitoba was a Distant third with Manitoba also is Home to one of Canadas four malting plants Dominion malting the 69 year old Winnipeg firm produces tonnes of malt per year and has a staff of 38 Dominion malting is one of the plants Baerwald and the other for eign experts will be touring during their two week Gold tumbles to lowest Price since 1985 australian Selloff Sparks metals fall by Gregg Stein associated press new York All that Gold does not the precious metals Price fell to its lowest level in 12 years yester driven Down by Surprise australian Central Bank Selling that piled upon years of investor Gold fell to close at us an ounce in new Down a stunning 64 per cent from its High of in Jan uary when hoarding bars or coins was considered a shrewd hedge against runaway inflation and global it last was at this level in the drop also hit Canadas biggest Stock the Toronto Stock the Benchmark tse 300 which is heavily weighted with Gold almost one per cent of its value stunning decline but even with golds stunning decline from Levels above an ounce As recently As Early shop pers wont see bargains when search ing for necklaces and said Steve a jewelry dealer in manhat tans Diamond the Price is not going to be 20 per cent less if Gold Falls 20 per because youre not paying for the Gold theres also labour and profit Spivack said the biggest discrepancies Are found with intricate designs or jewelry made in the United both of which have higher labour there have been desert ers in the army of investors who had bet on i think people Are throwing in the Towel on said Robert chief economist at Nikko securities International just if you had invested in Gold Over the last 10 years instead of the Stock it woul Dve been a invested in stocks that make up the Standard and poors 500 Index would be Worth about not including the dividends those stocks the latest round of bad news for Gold began last when Australia Central Bank said it had sold two thirds of its Gold More than 180 earlier this year for an Esti traders buy and sell Gold stocks in new York mated the announcement meant More Gold was on the open reducing the value of existing and sparked fears that other countries would Fol Low Gold plunged an ounce and did not Trade Friday in new York because of the july 4 holi Day the fallout expanded to other stocks of big Gold producers fell heavily in Active trading in new Canadian company Placer dome fell to and its Toronto based rival Barrick Gold dropped to prices of other precious metals such As Platinum and palladium were led lower by golds Central Banks hold an estimated 25 per cent of the worlds and often use the Metal to pay their Bills to other but Many have been look ing for investments with better Canada and the nether lands were Selling Gold reserves Well before according to John Nutley of the Gold a Wash into based Trade who next a number of these Central Banks started swapping out of Gold so they could earn some he the concern who going to be next another concern for Gold investors is Low when Gold hit its Peak in Early inflation had just come off a year in which it Rose per cent and was on its Way to going up an additional per with world Oil prices still on the Way no one was betting on inflation Cooling so far this consumer prices have risen at just a per cent annual rate and Canadas have been similarly Iraq helps Small firms develop technology Winnipeg based lbt enter Prises and retrospect have two things in both developed new technologies for performing common construction let enterprises developed a Hydraulic tool for cutting the Concrete piles used in constructing Large buildings and piers retrospect developed a Low Cost method for testing a building for air these firms received help from the National research councils Industrial research assistance pro Gram Iraq to develop their tech Small businesses often Lack the personnel and financial resources needed to develop new they May also be unaware of research Cen tres dedicated to the development and enhancement of the technologies they Are using craps role is to help Small Busi Nesses by putting them in touch with the appropriate resource Centre or helping a business develop the technology on its Iraq can also help managing 2000 Robert Warren a firm develop a Market for its product by making other Iraq representatives aware of the product and by discussing the product at Trade shows or with potential this does not mean information provided to Iraq is not kept quite the confidential Ity of Iraq is an important part of its ail information a firm pro Vides is strictly confidential and is Only released to outside parties with the company at the Centre of this program Are the Industrial technology advisers tas Are Industry specialists and Are quite often this ensures they understand the products and technologies they see and Are up Odate on the latest developments inthe Manitoba is Home to several Itas specializing in everything from construction to Iraq makes sure its representatives Are seen in the Community by locating As Many of their offices As possible in universities or Industry association Robert for is an Ita responsible for manufacturing and he is located in the Alliance of manufacturers and exporters of Cana Das Dean a construction works from the Winnipeg construction associations office although these representatives have office Loca they Are rarely found in them because Iraq stresses onsite visits and regular client Contact another Way Iraq differs from traditional government programs is the level of reporting required rap reports Are Short and simple they do not require the company involved to Lay out its entire history and just the Points concerned with the technology under in this Iraq is quite in order to help a business it needs to know As much As possible about the its design and use before it will agree to support its this is Why confidentiality is so without a firm would be providing All its ideas with Little Protection from competing Iraq assistance can take a Vari Ety of forms and involve multiple for was involved in three two of these involved hiring summer the first student project involved building a test chamber for the product and the second involved develop ing a chemical solution for the system in Iraq funded an Engineer in training position to help retrospect develop its product the company eventually hired the Engineer and one of the this shows another of craps by helping Small firms develop new jobs Are created Iraq provided similar support to lbt enterprises in the development of its Concrete pile its initial involvement involved the design and construction of a platform to hold the Concrete piles during testing Iraq helped lbt locate a sup plier for the steel used in the cutting Blades and a system for testing the Quality of the incoming Iraq is not unique to there Are representatives and offices across the country drawing on the resources of each other and the National research if a Manitoba business requires expertise or assistance not available a local representative can make the Neces sary for More information about the Indus trial research assistance Call the Field advisory service office at 984 6479 or visit their site at Waffen is an instructor at the University o Manitoba who specialises in marketing and entrepreneur tie fan be reached at ;