The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, Sept. 13, 1994 - 5 Co > PORT PERI STAR MMUNITY 'Golden Handshake' launches successful venture in recycling laser toner cartridges " By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star acques Lachapelle has gone from the Golden Handshake to the crest of an eco- nomic wave in just a few short years. He's watched as his JBK Industries has moved out of the basement in his family home to | occupy two units in Port Perry's industrial park on Reach St., and lodged growth of 700 per cent over its first year; another substantial increase is sure to be marked on the books when 1994 comes to a close as well. : And he did it all by seizing upon an idea that seems, now, incredibly obvious. "Primarily, we are in the recycling industry," | the energetic 44-year-old said of his young busi- | ness. JBK hegan as an operation for recycling | toner cartridges from laser printers -- the service | saves offices money, as they previously were able only to buy new cartridges -- and has grown to include repairs and sales of copiers, printers and | other office equipment, and, just recently, accept- ance as the area dealer for the entire line of Panasonic copiers. The enterprise began in the summer of 1991 | when Mr. Lachapelle received the "golden | handshake" from the company for which he'd | worked more than a decade. A victim of downsiz- | ing, he quickly set up his own business moving | the commodity he knew best, welding supplies. Then the dollar fell and the bottom dropped | out of the metals market; so he decided to make the leap to a new enterprise. | | | | | | | Began business from the basement Jacques Lachapelle has built JBK Industries into a of their family home Coincidentally or not, he recalled reading an article on laser printer cartridge recycling. The story provid- ed details about franchising, but Mr. Lachapelle opt- ed to try and begin an operation here independently. He and wife Barb began JBK's new operations in the basement of the family's home in Port Perry, and started pounding the pavement, looking for potential customers. The business took over the basement, successful venture in a few short years. then rooms in the house, and then the garage. And then it was time to move JBK to the industrial park, where offices and still located. Mr. Lachapelle says he's not that surprised now by the way his enterprise took off. First, it's an obvious cost-savings: Recycling the toner cartridge for laser printers is 30 to 60 per cent cheaper than buying new ones. "Basically, just about any office environment | prints," he said. "People need to find something #| cheaper; we happen to have an industry that is creating products at much less cost. "We're basically responding to a need, which is to cut office costs." All the fears of any small business. You risk everything! In addition, Mr. Lachapelle notes, he seized the opportunity at a time when recycling is perceived as a sensible and economical practice.That's not to say he entered his new field looking through rose- colored glasses, though. "The challenge was certainly there," said Mr. Lachapelle. "Of course you get all the fears you do with any small business. You risk everything. "I remember the first month, we sold 200 bucks." And then the phone started ringing. By the time the books had been closed on JBK's second year of operations, business had grown by 700 per cent. And Mr. Lachapelle said in an inter- view last week it's not unrealistic to predict a 150 per cent increase this year over those numbers. Now with 400 active accounts and a growing | sales, service and office staff, JBK Industries is a | success story amid countless tales of economic | gloom. But it didn't come without a tremendous | effort. "I have a very straightforward idea about busi- EFF ELL Por rERrv San. ess, and that is that the product is merely the means to an end. And the end is making money for your employees and yourself." He added that undertaking a new business involves a huge investment of time, money and energy. "Know before you start whether you can get the financing you need," he advised. "Know where you're going, and be prepared to change your business plan in mid-stream. Because your business isn't going to go the way you want." "And be prepared not to pay yourself for three years." Joy ride is costly for local man A joy-ride through a farm- er's field ended up costing a Scugog Pt. man heavily after police caught up with him last week. Durham Regional Police Sgt. Ken Hudson said the man was ticketed for a traffic offence after the incident, which occurred just after midnight last Sunday (Sept. 4). Extensive damage was done to the field, at the south- west corner of Devitts Rd. and the East Quarter Line of Cartwright, during the spree, said Sgt. Hudson. "A Jeep went roaring through a corn field and caused about $500 damage to the crop," said Sgt. Hudson. Police pursued the vehicle after a report of a near miss on the roadway, he said. "When he came out of the corn field, he nearly struck a vehicle," said Sgt. Hudson. A 20-year-old Scugog Pt. man has been charged with failing to share the roadway. A man has also agreed to pay for the damage done to the cornfield, said Sgt. Hud- son. about his life. years ago." to know." } a manual. Grandpa's book chronicles life stories for grandchildren A local man has given his grandchildren an inheritance worth more than any sum of money. : In 1980, Epsom resident Don Asling began writing stories He recently had them published in a book entitled "Grandpa Tells All-Most-All," and has dedicated the book to his eight grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. "The reason I started writing the book was to let my grandchildren know what life was like when I was a kid," Mr. Asling said. "Things are so different now than they were 50 But the book does not stop at his childhood. It's packed full of stories that chronicle a lifetime of memories. "One of the things that happens when we grow older is that we ¢ collect quite a few memories, and if we fail to record them they > will be lost forever," Mr. Asling writes in the preface. "I know this for a fact because when my father left us at the age of 89, he | took with him the answers to many questions that I would like | "It is for this reason that I write a few things down and add a few pictures to help you understand the stories a little better." The project was a labor of love for the 74-year-old Epsom man. [fad \ - Many of the stories were written by hand on Sunday afternoons | or in the evenings after a hard day's work. He would then take the stories to neighborhood friends to be | typed, and when he felt he'd worn out his welcome, he suc- cumbed to technology and purchased his own typewriter - albeit Mr. Asling recently purchased an electric typewriter, complete with spell check and numerous other fancy features. It is on this typewriter that he is composing his next book. "Let's Look At Limericks" is a collection of verses, word search- es, and pencil sketches all pertaining to animals and birds. Copies of "Grandpa Tells All-Most-All" are available for $12 and can be purchased by calling Mr. Asling at 852-6607. By Julia Dempsey Tests ded RHEE EARE é Re -- § ; i 9 7 %. JULIA DEMPSEY PHOTO A lifetime of stories can be found In a newly published book entitled "Grandpa Tells All-Most-All." Epsom resi- dent Don Asling began writing the book in 1980. He says the motivation behind chronicling his life was to help his grandchildren better understand how life has changed. wow vw Mw. -- GR a RGR Ny EN GUI Sr i ------------