After almost 60 years downtown, Irene Roluf Drew sells business, p. 3

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Ro/uf s business." Roluf-Drew said she also couldn't have managed "without the good Lord carrying me through every day." When she turned 75 this past April, RolufDrew knew it was time to retire "because I i have a fabulous staff that the business can carry on without me." Vadhera said he is not only retaining all 10 current employees but also adding two new people to look after the front of the store and the travel agency. His wife, Geeta, is a licensed travel agent and will manage the travel agency located at the rear of the downtown store. Vadhera recalled the story of how he purchased Roluf's. He was operating his 10-year-old textile business supplying socks to Toronto businesses when he decided that the couple and three children would return to their native India last November. "We stayed there for one month and we couldn't take the heat. We also missed Toronto and we decided to come back," he said. Vadhera started surfing the Internet for a suitable business opportunity when he spotted the listing for Roluf's and contacted local real estate agent Bill Bird. "I decided as soon as I stepped inside the store (Roluf's) that I would buy it," he said. That was two months ago and he worked out a deal with Roluf-Drew for the business and building. Less than a month into the business, Vadhera has already implemented some changes. He has been adding such merchandise as watches, jewelry, cosmetics and musical cards on the retail floor. He will also carry cigarettes, magazines, soft drinks and coffee. "And for the first year, the coffee is free. It's on me, as a welcome gift," he said. Vadhera's biggest purchase, however, will be a $143,000 digital photo lab over the next month that will enable staff to process digital cards, burn CDs, touch up 'red eye', produce index cards and process prints up to eight inches by 10 inches. "We couldn't do all these things in our existing lab," he said. "I'm just trying to givfe better service to the people of Belleville and;I am very open to suggestions." Vadhera is also expanding his business hours. He will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. He's even considering opening Sunday mornings from 8:30 to noon. "And next year at this time, I will open an Indian cuisine restaurant either upstairs or in a new downtown location," he said. Vadhera said he's happy to be in the Village of downtown Belleville "I want to give people a reason to come downtown and visit my store," he said.

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