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Contact: Rod Jerred Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 5559) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com W'l I >\l !SI )AY. II M J ( BUSINESS k )_ >·1 Local company excels at dealing in smoke and minors By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STA FF While Decor & More Inc.'s product may be as ephemeral as a pleasant memory, the company itself is based on a foundation as solid as stone. One of Canada's largest special event design and decor companies. Decor & More creates breathtaking illusory envi ronments for corporate functions and themed events that last for a brief moment then are quickly dismantled. Unlike a spotlight glow or a strain of music, however, founder and president Leslee Bell says her business will be around for the long haul thanks to its well-entrenched ethics and commitment to exceed customers' expectations. " We have an amazing staff who I adore." says Bell, who started Decor & More in January' 1990. "They treat every project like they want their signa ture on the comer of it." Decor & More's beginnings can be traced back to when Bell helped her husband. Tom. plan a convention while she still worked for a Toronto-based management company. She believed she had a feel for concept planning, but going out on her own was a bold step. At left is Fire while Ice, at right, proved a winning combination for Decor & More w hich won Best Theme Decor for the display. "It was terrifying," Bell admits. Today, the company's home base is a 30.000 sq. ft. North Service Road East "imaginarium" filled with every con ceivable prop plus a custom carpentry department, award-winning floral team and more. It's from there that in 2(X)I. 40 full-time and 30 part-time staff pro duced more than 650 events from con ventions to gala fundraisers, used 1,8(X) rolls of gaff tape, spent in excess of 25.(XX) hours on set-up and 14.5(H) hours tearing down, but suffered no work-related injuries in the process. "People are the strength of the com pany." said Bell, who makes it clear Decor & More isn't just a prop compa ny. but designs entire environments. "It's definitely not 9-to-5. There's a lot of love that goes into these projects." Bell explained that Decor & More -- which she says supports, rather than com petes with, event planners -- draws employees from a host of sources and puts a premium on ethics and values. Nothing speaks more to the compa ny's Hair and success than Christmas in the Big Apple, held on Nov. 30. 2(X)I at Casino Rama. Expectations were high and the sensitivity to producing a holiday event saluting New York City in the shad ow of Sept. 1 1 was key. (The Canadian Government had also chosen Nov. 30 as Canada Salutes New York City Day.) Decor & More was hired to design and produce the event in three weeks and came through with a three-dimensional New York sky line 35-ft. high and more than 4(X) mnning feet long. It included a huge stage dressed as Rockefeller Centre complete with the famous ice rink with skaters plus all the interior room decor needed to fill the 50.000 sq. ft. entertainment complex and seating for 1 .000 guests for dinner. At one point, a horse-drawn buggy sauntered through the Central Park din ing space, chauffeuring skaters to the artificial rink. "It was incredible," said Bell. "The attention to detail was unbelievable." There were also steaming manhole covers, a cabby and even such elegant touches as printed Macy's bags and Sak's ribbons. The event became the benchmark by which Beil and her staff measure all subsequent productions. " It raised the bar for us," said Bell, whose staff dismantled the whole thing in 12 hours. "It was a milestone." In fact, at last month's Canadian Special Events and Meetings Expo 2002 . Learn The A B C s O f Incom e Trusts a n d Exchange Traded Funds Plan N ow To A tte n d This Special Free S em in a r Investing In Income Trusts Can Provide A Monthly Income That Is Currently A t A Higher Rate Than M any Bonds. This Seminar W ill Cover: · Investing Philosophy & Managing Risk · Techniques To Protect Your Investments · Market Opinion (Current Situation & M arket Outlook) · Recommended Asset Allocation · Exchange Traded Funds · Income and Royalty Trusts · Questions and Answers. Julie Fairrie · Special to the Oakville Beaver Your Host: Mike Zamora , Branch Manager and Investment Advisor Leslee Bell is president of Decor & More, an award-winning local company that's one of Canada's largest special event design and decor companies. Dates: or or Sun. June 9, 2002 2:00 - 3:00 P.M. Mon. June 10, 2002 7:00 - 8:00 P.M. Sun. June 23, 2002 2:00 - 3:00 PM . Location: Oakville Public Library, Auditorium 120 Navy Street, Oakville RSVP Now: Seating Is Limited! IS U N I O N S E C U R I T I E S L T D . Bronte Village Mall 2441 Lakeshore Road West Oakville, Ontario L6L IH6 Tel: (905) 827-6100 Fax: (905) 827-2390 Toll Free: 1-866-283-3808 wu'w. union-securities. com Union Securities is a successful independent investment dealer which was incorporated in 1963 and assists clients from offices across Canada. The success o f the company is based on trust, honesty, integrity and commitment to client service. M em ber o f The Investm ent Dealers Association o f (Utnada M em ber o f C anadian Investor protection Fund At the Canadian Special Events and Meetings Expo 2002 in Calgary. Decor & More won Best Theme Decor Over $30,000 for Christinas in the Big Apple. in Calgary, Decor & More continued its w inning ways by being nominated for six awards and coming home with Best Theme Decor Ov er $3().(XX) for Christmas in the Big Apple and Best Theme Decor $I0.000-$30.(XX) for Fire and Ice. "The team is getting better every year." says Bell, who sees herself as a "big concept person" who lets her stall' handle the specifics, and " do what they do best." Bell prides herself on the ability to walk into a space and envision it fullyoutfitted for a memorable function, a quality she sees as a gift. Even better, those attending these events remain unaware of the many technical hurdles her staff has overcome and can simply enjoy the magic they've created. " It's all smoke and mirrors." she laughs. Fern mi School LIM ITED PRESCH O O L SPACES AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEM BER 2 0 0 2 Getting help starting a small business According to a recent opinion survey of entrepreneurs conducted by PROFIT Magazine (M ay 2(X)2), Canadian entre preneurs will be successful through hard work and their own sense of innovation. To help Halton-area entrepreneurs get started, the Halton Region Business Development Centre offers seminars called Starting A Small Business. Aimed at assisting people interested in starting a home-based or small busi ness. the sessions will be held twice monthly at the Halton Region Business Development Centre at 1151 Bronte Rd. Topics will include: Do you Have What it Takes to be an Entrepreneur?; Financial Considerations; Registrations. Regulations. & Licensing: Marketing Research: and Business Planning. June dates and times for Starting A Small Business seminars are: Monday June 10 from 1-3 p.m. and Wednesday June 26 from 7-9 p.m. Cost is S20 per person and sealing is limited. Call the Halton Region Business Development Centre at 905825-6000. or Toll Free at 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866). or e-mail busdev@region.halton.on.ca. For details on other events and seminars visit www.haltonbusiness.com. Fern H ill School captures the im agination of each child in the early years of their elem entary education, inspiring a life-long love ot learning through hands-on classes. In the preschool and primary grades, emphasis is placed on the basic skills ot reading, w ritten expression and mathem atics. French, music and drama instruction begins in preschool ;ind continues throughout th e Fern Hill years. O ur teachers are experienced elem entary and preschool professionals. They stress all aspects of language - reading, writing, listening, and speaking - and work with children on the essential skills and concepts th at will form the foundation of their future education. Fern H ill S ch o o l, O ak ville 3 3 0 0 N in th Line Road, O a k v ille, O ntario L6J 4Z 2 (9 0 5 ) 2 5 7 -0 0 2 2 or ( 9 0 5 ) 6 3 4 - 8 6 5 2 w w w .fern h illsch ool.com · ad m ission s@ fern h illsch ool.com Preschool to Grade 8