www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 18, 2007 - 41 Second Longo's in town By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Longo's is opening a second and much bigger store in town. The 50,000 sq. ft. grocery store is among some 90 retailers who will be taking over a large plot of land at South Service Road and Burloak Drive. Longo's held its official groundbreaking ceremony on the site Tuesday on a plot of land near Home Depot, which is already in the works. According to the grocery chain's co-founder Gus Longo, it's expected to open in March of 2008. "We've been in Oakville since 1978, we've been in Burlington since 1972. We thought it would be great to have a store between the Burlington and Oakville border," said Gus, one of three Longo brothers to co-found Longo's. "Most of our customers and people in this area already know us." Gus, Tommy and Joe Longo were joined Tuesday by Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, shovel in hand, for the groundbreaking. The new store will be 15,000 sq. ft. larger than the Longo's at Dundas and Trafalgar, Gus said. "It will have a bigger offering of prepared foods for people to take home, or to enjoy in an eating area," he said. "We're going to have a Starbucks in the store, a pharmacy in the store." With housing development slated around the area, the Longo brothers recognized the need to provide for those who will be mov- ing near the Oakville/Burlington border once building starts. "It's a new area. I think it's going to be a great area. We always wanted to be right on the border of Burlington and Oakville," Gus said. "This store means that thousands of new residents of Oakville out here are going to have access to some of the best food you can buy," added Burton. Joining the store in the new development will be a Cineplex Odeon movie theatre, Home Outfitters, Bulk Barn, a TD Bank and various other retailers. "It could be a one-stop shop," said Gus, who noted Longo's will be a free-standing structure, and not attached to any other stores. Do business with government Halton Region's Business Development Centre will teach local companies how to do business with government at a June 7 seminar. The event is for Halton business owners who want to understand the procurement process at different levels of government. "The government and broader public sector are significant markets for Halton's businesses," said Regional Chair Gary Carr. Procurement representatives from the provincial and federal governments will discuss sourcing methods, bid solicitations, evaluation and selection criteria, recourse options and how to market to the government. Specific government purchasing initiatives will also be introduced by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). A question and answer period will follow. A representative from Merx, the provider of electronic tendering services to the federal government, will give a demonstration on how businesses can access millions of dollars of sales opportunities, find competitor intelligence and recognize government spending and public buying trends. The seminar will run from 9 a.m. to noon in the Scotch Block/Merton Room at Halton Regional Centre, 1151 Bronte Rd. There's no registration fee, but pre-registration is required. To sign up for this seminar call 905- 825-6000 or e-mail busdev@halton.ca. For information visit www.halton.ca/business. BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER OPENING IN MARCH: Tommy Longo, Paul Collette Construction Project Manager, Gus Longo, Joe Longo and Mayor Rob Burton at the groundbreaking ceremony for the second Longo's in Oakville. This one will be at Burloak in southwest Oakville. Indoor Lighting. Outdoor Lighting. Exclusive European Imports. SAVE UP TO 50% Call for a free quote on home and cottage installations. Phone: 416.201.7584 1.800.6HARPER x 584 guardian@harperpowerproducts.com www.harperhomepower.com