Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 9, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press business july Steve email pona@ffeepres9.mb.ca b3 Jeff de body Harlequins Scott Malabar in South Pacific grass skirt costumer Hopes to increase theatre harlequin trying out for bigger role by Murray Mcneil business reporter a Winnipeg company is hoping this is the year it lands a bigger part in the giant theatre costume its been about three years since Harle Quin costume first broke into the american Market with a Small contract to Supply some cloaks and crowns for a Florida theatre since the company has been slowly building its business South of the Bor sales have grown from Between and i that first year to about last company co owner Scott Malabar said but with word of Mouth now starting to work its Malabar is hoping this is the year its sales begin to Over the next year to year and a half wed like to see our business triple Down he said in an he said the company has already landed four contracts Worth a total of about so far this they involved supplying costumes to two theatre Compa Nies in Florida and one in As the company recently received verbal confirmation of a contract to Supply costumes to a theatre company in Malabar its now awaiting the arrival of a written reputation growing Malabar noted the Michigan and Cali fornia contracts both came about As a result of Wordofa Routh advertising with in the theatre he said although harlequin plans to do some marketing of its own in the the atre Community this it is word of Mouth advertising from theatre people who have seen and worked with its costumes that will have the biggest Impact on that is the he said it also helps that harlequin has already sold costumes to a number of theatre it shows that you can get them to them on he and that you know How to meet customs although harlequin Hast had to hire any extra employees to handle the extra Malabar said if sales Start to take off the company Likely will need to add at least one More sewer and one More Cutter to its staff of 15 last year was a Tough year for Harle which was launched 15 years ago by Malabar and his a fire destroyed the second floor of the company Hargrave Street production and Malabar said it took about six months to Complete the necessary repairs and to clean up or replace damaged or ruined but this year has been he thin tank subdued in Outlook by Gord Mclntosh Canadian press Ottawa in the current round of buoyant forecasts for the Economy this the conference Board of Canada has emerged As the leading the economic think tank predicted in its latest economic Outlook yesterday the Cana Dian Economy would grow per cent this year and per cent in some forecasters such As Nesbitt Burns Are predicting economic growth this year of per cent while others Are Between per cent to per but the Board said recovery in consumer spending will be contained by a Range of fac including record household dwindling a record number of bankruptcies and a lingering problem of con Sumer the Economy May have generated new jobs in the last three but spurts of employment growth have never held in recent years and there is no evidence labour markets will function any differently this said Paul the boards chief econ we dont think that the employ ment is going to keep clicking along As some of the others he in mrs International is forecast ing growth this year of Between per cent and per Rob an mrs said cur rent employment numbers Are the Best the Canadian Economy has seen since when interests rates were not As we acknowledge that the personal savings rate is at historical lows and that Consumers Are still levered to Palombi but because interest rates have come Down so much and because they have remained stable and at Low that has substantially reduced debt servicing so the ability of Consumers to take on More debt is also More optimistic was John economist at the Royal which is fore casting per the Royal expects employment numbers will hold for the balance of the year and that will Lead to higher employment which will be Felt at retail Cash Ana Nia Darby was also pessimistic about the hous ing sector even though construction of new units turned in a Strong first buyers pushed up their purchases to Early in the year in the belief interest rates we rent going to get any he and that will mean new housing sales will drop off As the year goes Money troubles continue software firm goes bankrupt the troubles for a once vibrant local com Puter company ame Ritel an online hotel reservations is in Bank the company was part of world Star holdings a computer software company that once employed More than 30 ame Ritel filed for bankruptcy in late but its problems began much owner Michael Burke recently told the free press that ame Ritel want producing much Revenue and its failure was responsible for Wip ing out company Bank including an account with employees resp Burke was unavailable yester Day for comment on Amer items a spokesman for Coopers and the bankruptcy trustee for said the company had no the trustee said world Star was the secured creditor for ame Ritel and recently had seized Amer items the trustee didst know what world Star would do with the world Star Laid off its employees in Burke has said the company will reorganize and pay off its but will never be the size it ame Ritel allowed customers to make hotel reservations Over the internet with registered it had a Deal with Saskatchewan tourism to develop a reservations system for the he said the experience with world allowed the province to set up its own which it purchased in new kid in air Marks first year greyhound battling to stay alive amid ruthless Competition in sky by James Mccarten Canadian press Calgary Grey hound air is Strug gling to avoid falling victim to the ruthless com petition it helped create last year when it became the second Wester based Dis count Crews and employees took time yesterday to Cele brate the company first said Grey hound chief executive Dick we took the Opportunity to at least have a piece of cake As a result of the first Huisman hats the airline served anniversary cake to Passen Gers on All 11 flights out of Winnipeg a com Pany spokesman and balloons and party hats were handed out in the air lines departure lounge at Winnipeg International air a party for local staff is planned for this the fledgling citrate car which lost million in is fighting to sur Vive As airlines across Canada Battle for a share of the lucrative summer travel everyone waiting to see whether greyhound can do Well enough this summer to survive the lean Winter said Anthony a University of Calgary business the operation is a partnership with Kelowna flight Craft air charter a charter service which operates the greyhound handles the tick eting and the idea of linking flights with greyhounds existing bus routes to tap outlying markets had Poten but the airline never got around to Selling itself that said University of Cal Gary Jim i dont think Treyve been Able to Market that he if they cant get the two together the bus and the dont think Grey hound has a Heck of a lot of Chance in the near inter modality is still a key said the whose Hub is in was in a hold ing pattern for nearly three months last Spring after competitors complained the company ownership was too heavily concentrated among the delay resolved after greyhound Parent dial of bus links kept a secret a look at greyhound which took to the skies one year ago partners greyhound Canada transportation formerly Grey hound lines of Canada of Kelowna flight Craft air charter of people about 80 pilots and 120 flight plus existing ticket agents and support program Basic National airline service Small Fleet of Boeing 727200s supported by Grey hounds network of bus routes and ticket problem compete greyhound air lost 1 nearly million in marketing analysts say greyhound failed to promote itself As having linked air and bus sched sold its interest to a new Canadian holding firm Cost the airline an estimated last year was a Tough one for airlines in Cal Gar based discounter West Jet airlines was grounded by transport Canada for a month in sep tember after inspectors Dis covered it was using the wrong manuals to service its Boeing Canadian airlines inter National nearly vanished in december when a Cash Cri Sis forced the company to design a restructuring plan to save flexible greyhounds Low fares have attracted business travellers who often have to travel on Short notice and keep their plans said Barry a transportation expert at the University of the Carrier also decided in april to sell tickets through travel an expensive but valuable ser vice it had avoided to Cut greyhound May be forced to forge partnerships As Canadian carriers Are increasingly doing with for eign Prentice that kind of Alliance could make great sense in terms of sending Passen Gers Back and i think that a potential for them for the big Banks shed earn Praise Small businesses say lenders better at meeting needs Wypa Ulmcke business reporter Ken free press Korniat with Dinosaur Fossil got help from the Royal to a sceptical Public it May seem like a Small Busi Nessman praising the big but Mike Korniat happily provides the Korniat is president of Earth a rapidly growing Winnipeg Small business that makes and distributes one of its biggest products is Dinosaur fossils that kids Chip out of a hot seller right now Are the fossils with the the lost world Jurassic Park Earth lure May have 50 employees now and a growing customer list around the but business was it always so Korniat credits the Royal Bank for helping him through the Early they believed in our when we needed support from sup pliers they were there for said Ive never had anything Good to say about but i think there slight improvement but there Are still dissenting Dan Kelly of the Canadian federa Tion of Independent business said his members Are still not As satisfied with the Banks As they were in the late we have noticed a slight improve ment in satisfaction with the Banks for Small said Kelly he said 8 per cent of crib Mem Bers recently surveyed still said availability of financing was a major compared with 15 per cent in the but Anne Royal Banks Toronto based senior Vic president of Small and medium said the Royal has developed All kinds of programs and Loans tailored to the Small business were getting increased aware Ness of the i would have to say that theres More negative press about the Banks not supporting Small said a recent summary of Small and medium sized businesses by the Canadian Bankers association Cuba shows that Banks appear to be meet ing needs of the Small business oper Brenda Cuba regional director for Manitoba and for that 87 per cent of loan requests from Small and medium sized enter Prises sees Are she said that up three Points from a year the rate for Manitoba and Saskatchewan was 89 per Kelly said that rate can be deep it Doest include people who decide after a preliminary meeting with their banker that there not going to get there Are a Large number of Busi Nesses through bad experiences with the have Cut themselves off from Bank Kelly said the Cuba carried out by Thompson Lightstone and indicated that obtaining financing want even the i priority for Small in Manitoba and Saskatchewan the top three issues were a weak Economy and obtaining continued please see ;