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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, March 31, 1993, Page 13 WHFTBY FREE PRESS By Mike Kowalski Free Trade with the United , • States has ( à increased busi- ness for at least one local com- pany. Paramount Packaging Canada Inc. has seen its workforce grow from nine employees to almost 70 since moving to Whitby five years ago. While it may be stretching it some to say the company's growth has been solely attribu- table to free trade the plastics packaging manufacturer has benefited greatly from the Canada-U.S. trade agreement. "Our largest customer expan- ded operations in Canada," said administrative manager Barry Wilde. "As their volume has grown so has ours," he said. An American-owned firm, Paramount produces plastic packaging products such as wrapping and bags for a variety of consumer goods. Company policy does not per- mit him to identify Paramount's customers, Wilde said. The company has been based in a 65,000-sq. ft. factory on South Blair Street since 1988, after having previously been in Bowmanville for two years. "There was an. expansion, we quadrupled our plant space," said Wide in explaining the rea- The Federal Business Development Bank recently launched its newest business management program, 'Family Businesses -- Managing the Present, Planning the Future.' The program has been developed to help ensure the prosperity and continuity of WILLI LINKENS, managing director of the 'International Transfer and Service Centre' of Baesweiler, Germany was one of a three-member German delegation visiting Durham Region last week to promote the Aachen area to local businesses interested in expanding overseas. The visit was organized by Whitby's William Little Marketing and Motivation Ltd. Oshawa's Escalator Handrail has set up shop in the centre to better serve the European market. Photo by Mark Reesor, Whitby Freee Press son for the move to Whitby. Although there are no plans for further expansion on the horizon, if future growth does occur it will take place on the Hopkins'site, Wilde said. "It's hard to determine at this point," he said. "We had rapid growth the last three years, I'm not sure if we can continue to maintain it. "I hope so but I don't know if it's possible." family-owned businesses. Family-run businesses are at the heart of the country's ecçnomic development, represen- ting an estimated 90 per cent of all small- and medium-sized businesses. Two-thirds of the men and women who build these profitable enterprises want their businesses to continue and stay in the family. Yet statistics show that 70 per cent of family-owned businesses never make it to the second generation and a staggering 90 per cent never see the third generation. "Through our research, we learned that many entrepreneurs encounter challenges in operating their businesses on a daily basis because they do not adopt a management approach that separates family issues from business issues," says Frank Reiter, vice-president and regional general managèr for the Federal Business Development Bank in Ontario. "Furthermore, many entre- preneurs do not realize the impact that family issues like generational conflicts, sibling power struggles and their own inability to deal with succession, can have on the continued growth and prosperity of the business for future generations." The bank's new program has been developed specifically to help the owners and managers of small- and meiium-sized family businesses deal effectively with the daily challenges of balancing the conflicting roles of spouse or parent versus antrepreneur, and the needs and wants of family members versus the economic demands of the business. THE OSHAWA & District Real Estate Board received the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) education merit award for 1992. Receiving the award from OREA president Jamie Edwards are Oshawa board president Christine Kendall (left) and Oshawa board education chair and director Marlene Kerr. Award for real estate board The Oshawa & District Real Estate Board (ODREB) was recently presented with the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) provincial education merit award. The award is given to an Ontario real estate board that "holds educational activity above and beyond the call of duty." Activities such as the support of the ADREA's education course, their newsletter, real estate libraries, member and public education seminars and a host of other events are encouraged. To capture the award, ODREB hosted numerous seminars and professional development courses as well as OREA education courses such as a financial seminar, Microsoft Works training course, power of sale seminar, listing and selling innovations seminar, computer training courses, risk reduction seminar and a home weekly semnar. They also updated their member real estate library and provided the training for instructors to teach members computer ourses. Throug.Nout the year, ODREB's continuing education and orientation committee advertised these seminars and courses through internal communcations. The Oshawa & District Real Estate Board (ODREB) presented their Hall of Fame Award to board member Anita Witty, broker/owner of Witty Real Estate in Ajax, at ODREB's annual general membership meeting recently. The award, sponsored by the Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC), was presented by CMHC represen- tative Kathleen Twaites. In her community, Witty has been described as the "cream of the crop" for fundraising for the Ajax/Pickering Hospital and the United Way of Ajax/Pickering. She was presented with the first life membership of the Kinette Club of Ajax in 1984, after being a member since 1972. Anyone can fil in the tax forms. emmmemopFinanclal Concept Groupj But it takes proper action to reduce your Bring in your '92 tax retum and l'Il show Free trade helps Whitby firm grow Program helps family bus.nesses Call 666-RRSP for a complimentary consultation. DEREK DUTKA 1 mm Taxes...it's too latefor 1992... tax pay you what steps to take. Redzice your 1993 taxes ... start planning NO W!