BUSINESS
editionap.ca
Local company acquires global recognition
When Kimberley Thompson painted her first bucket for her husband to use as an outdoor ashtray, she never dreamed it would be the first step to forming a new company. Smoking outside the house has become pretty common these days and it’s the same rule at the Thompson home. Her husband smokes outside, but she didn’t like the look or the smell of the cof- fee can that held the smoldering cigarette butts. “If I have to look at your cigarette waste, then I want to look at them in something nice,” she told her husband. Hand painting a decorative floral pattern on a simple, galvanized metal bucket and filling it with sand was the answer to the problem of cigarette butts safely contained while keeping the backyard or deck attrac- tive. And so, the Backyard Bucket was born. Once Thompson’s friends and family no- ticed the new addition to the backyard, they began asking if she could make some- thing similar to display in their own back- yards and homes. “After everyone got their freebies, they started telling me I should try selling them,” she said laughing. But Thompson was already one step ahead of them. She had heard about the self employment assistance program through Job Zone and pitched her idea. She was ac- cepted and launched her company, Right In My Own Backyard. Based on customers’ requests, the Back- yard Bucket has since taken on a new identi- ty as a gift basket and container for all types of uses and occasions like: The Congratula- tions Bucket, The Get Well Bucket, The Baby
Bucket, TheWine Bucket, The Corporate Gift Bucket, and more. And while she still enjoys the paint work, Thompson says that adding the use of sign vinyl has opened the product up for person- alization with names, logos and phrases. Made-to-order custom work is the bulk of what she does. She also says her line is growing to include other products like vas- es and party tubs, and that there are further plans to incorporate other materials like glass and wood for backyard lighting and signage. She also hopes to see the backyard ash- tray outside the businesses of Cornwall, each sporting the business logo of its own- er. And to think all of this started with one hand painted bucket from her own back- yard. “We are very excited that Kimberley is enjoying success so quickly”, said Candy Pollard of the Cornwall Business Enterprise Centre. “I understand that Right In My Own Back- yard has now gone global, and has already made one shipment to Japan and two to Australia. This is a wonderful success story.” Thompson confirmed she has shipped her product overseas.. “But Right In My Own Backyard’s mission is to provide Cornwall and the SD&G area with functional and attractive backyard ac- cessories and unique gifts that are created right here in our own backyard.” For more information about Right In My Own Backyard’s product line, look for it on Facebook or visit it online at www.rightin- myownbackyard.ca
Kimberly Thompson has created the Backyard Bucket for smokers to deposit un- sightly cigarette butts. Few fatalities are accidents
23 000 copies
With the final summer long weekend just ahead, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is poised to step up enforcement on roads, waterways and trails and is reminding On- tarians to respect the rights of every hu- man being to be safe over the weekend. OPP officers will be taking tough mea- sures this weekend against those who place others at risk on roads, waterways and trails as part of their ongoing efforts to decrease fatalities and injuries caused by aggressive driving, distracted driving, seat belt non- compliance, impaired driving and failing to obey Move Over laws. Sadly, heading into the last summer long weekend of the year, it is shaping up to be a bad year for road fatalities with 232 people having died on roads and highways within O.P.P. jurisdiction as of August 27, compared to 195 during the same time pe- riod last year. According to O.P.P. Commis- sioner Chris Lewis, the solution to eliminat- ing collisions and the senseless loss of life is as simple as making a firm commitment
to good driving behaviour and obeying all of the laws in place to keep everyone safe. Lewis noted that the term “accident” is no longer commonly used among OPP mem- bers when referring to collisions because it implies that no one is at fault when some- one dies or is seriously injured. According to Lewis, there is almost always someone at fault and quite often it is not the person who is injured or killed. “If someone else dies in a collision be- cause you were speeding or texting while driving, or because you decided to drive af- ter having consumed alcohol, this is not an accident - this is a preventable incident that was caused because you were careless and chose to break the law and in the process, an innocent life was taken. Tragically, the person or persons who died had no hand in the costly decision that you made and this is what makes it extremely difficult for the families of the victims to deal with,” added Lewis.
625, ch Montréal, Cornwall, Ontario K6H 1C3 Tel.:
613 938-1433 • Fax.: 613 938-2798
Bertrand Castonguay , Président • President , bertrand@eap.on.ca Roger Duplantie , Directeur Général • General Manager , roger@eap.on.ca
François Bélair , Directeur des ventes et développement • Sales and Development Manager , fbelair@eap.on.ca Julien Boisvenue, Dir. de l’infographie et du prépresse • Layout & Prepress Mgr. julien.boisvenue@eap.on.ca
Publicité • Advertising : jcornwall@eap.on.ca, tara.sullivan@eap.on.ca Nouvelles : katina.diep@eap.on.ca • News: greg.kielec@eap.on.ca Classées • Classified : blair.blanchard@eap.on.ca Distribution : jcornwall@eap.on.ca Publié tous les mercredis par • Published every Wednesdays by La Compagnie d’édition André Paquette Inc. Imprimé par • Printed by: Imprimerie Prescott et Russell 1100 Aberdeen, Hawkesbury (Ontario) K6A 3H1 Tel.: 613 632-4151 • Fax: 613 632-6122 1 800 267-0850 Total Distribution totale: 23 500 copies # convention: 0040012398 Toute reproduction du contenu est interdite à moins d’autorisation écrite au préalable. No content may be reproduced without prior written permission.
Représentation nationale/National representation Sans frais / Toll free : 1-800-361-6890
Made with FlippingBook Annual report