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Page 13, Wednesday, February 22,.1989 1989 BUSINESS SHOWCASE 0 Much U.S. business for Cuimns By Debbie Luchuk Look at a large truck on the road and chances are that it wiIl be running with a Cummins die- sel engine, produced in 'Whitby. Cummins Ontario Ltd. pro- duces Cummins diesel engrnes and related products, and does repairs to the engines, according to manager Ben Macara. "Our customers are large truck fleets, owner-operators, and are from around the world. We get a lot of business from the United States," Macara said. Based in Toronto, Cummins Ontarlo has been around for 50 years, and opened operations in Whitby in April of 1979. There are five other branches. The company is Canadian- owned, Macara said. Cummins Whitby employs 14 people, and Macara said, "h at's probably it for a while." Although a Thunder Bay branch has on- the-jOb training for high school stu dents in the summer, Macara said the Whitby branch does not hire studlents in the summer. The workforce is pnionized, employees belongig. to the United Steel Workers Union. Expansion of the facilities is not PI anned in the near future. Free trade will probably help Cummins, he said. "It will not affect it at all, if anything it wilI help us. The p arts we get are from the U.S. Theymcre at a reduced cost (withreciprocity).» TEE SONY of Canada Ltd. location in Whitby is parts distribution centre and manufacturer of headsets and speakers. Frce Prees photo Skydome sereenqýILFJJ now in sections at Sony 'in Whitby .Currently in 8- by 5-ft. and 6- by 6-ft. sections at the Sony of Canada Ltd. centre in Whitby is the Jumbotron, the giant screen that will be among the highlights of Toronto's Skydome now under construction. The screen, larger than a foot- ball field, recently was transpor- ted in sections to Whitby from Japan. Soon instalment will bern at the donie stadium. ~e Whitby Sony plant built in 1982, is the parts distilution centre for an area extending from Winnipeg and Montrea, but is the only Sony centre that can supply parts for ail of Canada. Parts, mostly from the U.S. and Japan, are for both commer- cial products, including broad- casting equipmnent used by the CBC and- CTV, and consumer producte. Trhe plant recently underwent a $5-million, 100,000-sq.-ft. expansion, «doubling our ware- housing space," according to Chuck Maxwell, general mana- ger of the administrative division which employs about 60 people. Julian Lo is distribution mana- ger. In addition to parts distribu- tion, the Whitby plant also now manufactures speakers and headsets, that division employ- ing from 15 to 30 people. I n Canada, Sony is 51 per cent controlled by Gendis (General Distributors), which also owns the Metropolitan> stores. The partnership in Canada, which Maxwell says came about on a handshake between Albert Cohen of Gendis and the Japanese president of Sony, is uni quefor Sony. Maxwell, a former Toronto police officer in the intelligence division, came to Sony after con- cerns over security at the plant. "It certainly is a change going from a semi-military job to pri- vate industry," says Maxwel i of his move. By Debbie Luchuk The first company to be -built on the former Camp X (World War II spy training ) property in Whitby, Crown Industrial Pro- ducts warehouses industrial che- micals for dlistributors ail over Canada. Crown warehouses the chemi- cals in bulk or aerosol for 250 distributors across the country. The conipany is a subsidiary of the parent company in Hebron, Illinois. Vice president Fred Smith is proud of the fact that the com- pany was the first te, be built on the Camp X land and that the court on which it is situated, Crown Crt., is named after the comp any. There are four eniployees in the 10,000-sq. ft. building. «We've been in business for over 40 years, and in Canada for approximately 23 years,» Smith saxi. "It bas been a good year, and we're looking forward to te future, and further success and growth,» Smith said of business in 1988. "Since we've been here, we've been growing very satisfactorily, with a lot of demand for our products.» Crown bas no expansion plans currently, but Smith said there is room for expansion if needed in the future. The chemical business will not be affected b y free trade in the near future, Smith said. "It will be approximately 10 years until chemicals are duty free; we just don't know (what effect reciprocity will have). "I think free trade will be good for the country. You can't stand still. You've got to go out there and selI and be conipetîtive." B Downtown Whi*tby Business Improvement Area 105 Mary St. W., Whitby 666-4189 Wdr m'thebusneuofprovidng the best location for your business!1 We'r ii th busnes of Cail us!I We Are Your Customized Trini Centre In Durhami Region: e arwodForumKI LN-ýDRIE D # Dressing and Sot twood Lumber è*rsmn Faccilties éHardwood and Sot twood Plywoods -- # C 2ust?2?Tr'ima Made to your order on premises RECEVE 5 OFFPINE TRIMI MA 38 Rtso Rod NothOshwaOntario L1G 5P8 (416) 725-4744 FAX 725-5727 %MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm# u a corner of the past roads to the future. Free trade effect not ï-inediate for Crown Industrial