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Wednesdsay July 28, 1999 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER D5 Business SmithKline Beecham celebrates decade of corporate merger, community involvement B y Howard MozeJ OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF SmithKline Beecham Pharma has always been so committed to building a bright future, says President Eddie Gray, that it is only now that the com­ pany has paused to reflect on its past. Gray made his comment during Monday's official ceremony acknowl­ edging the 10th anniversary of the 1989 merger between the SmithKline Beckman Corporation and The Beecham Group. A year later the firm moved to Oakville. "It was a significant event in the life of the organization and the people involved," said Gray, who explained that little time has been spent looking back - until now. "It was an incredibly exciting time." SmithKline, he continued, was built on the premise of looking ahead and assembling the best people to create a "completely different company." The plan, said Gray, has paid off when one considers the firm has achieved much more than anticipated. Vice-President and General Manager Tim Wright said the merger integrated both the consumer product and pharmaceutical ends of the busi­ ness to create a total healthcare compa­ ny, but one that is still striving to be the best. "Everyone involved can attest that we have come a long way," said Wright, who sees the past 10 years as almost preparation for the upcoming decade. "The next 10 years will see a great deal of change." Gray said he was keen to stay with SmithKline in the merger's wake in light of the values and integrity exhibit­ ed by those he worked alongside. 'The reason I'm still here years later is because the company has lived up to that," he said. "I'm pleased to look back now and celebrate the merger." Human Resources Director William McCarthy credits this success to SmithKline's employees and to the fact that the company puts its values ahead of all else. After all, as SmithKline grows, so does its willingness to give back to the community. Substantial donations include those to the United Way, while sponsorships range from the Oakville Symphony Orchestra, the Oakville Centre and the Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital Classic to Senior of the Year, Community Impact Awards, Special Olympics, the Santa Claus Parade and Sheridan College scholarships. SmithKline is a founding sponsor of the Oakville Waterfront Festival and has supported the event for the past seven years. Through the Art Angels program, SmithKline saw to it that dis­ advantaged families received free tick­ ets for Oakville Centre events. SmithKline also gave nearly 200 used laptop and desktop computers to volun­ teer organizations. SmithKline's efforts have been rewarded by a "caring company" desig­ nation from The Imagine Corporation for continuously giving at least 1% of net profits in cash, in-kind donations and time. As part of the week-long anniver­ sary celebrations, SmithKline employ­ ees will once again take part in their annual "Day of Caring." This involves volunteering throughout town for a number of worthwhile agencies while still being paid. Plates proving popular (Continued from page D6) under development will require Oakville addresses to be visible at all times, day or night. The new bylaw will to be intro­ duced to town council in the fall. Hellstem admits the curb plate has some minor limitations she's working on. Many residences don't have curbs, such as most of south Oakville and rural areas, and a heavy snowfall will cover up the plate. Hellstem is designing a ground plate that is visible at all times for residences without curbs. Hellstem's current customers are located mainly in River Oaks, Oak Park and Glen Abbey where she has sold over 500 curb plates. She is planning to expand sales into Burlington, Mississauga and Toronto, and hopes to eventually franchise out the business. The curb plate will be used to raise money for Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in the fall. Each HomeFinder Curb Plate costs $25 including installation. For more information phone Home Hi-Liters Inc. at 337-7964. Photo by Peter J. Thompson Smithkline Beecham President Eddie Gray (left) and V.P. and General Manager Tim Wright prepare to cut a ceremonial cake with fellow employees as the company celebrates it's 10th anniversary merger. Booklet can save you service fee costs In the world of banking, Canadian consumers are a pretty savvy group. More than most countries, we've embraced electronic banking technology, such as telephone and Internet banking, debit cards, and ABMs. But when it comes to navigating service fees, some of us can use a helping hand. Like any product or service you buy, you can control how much you pay in service fees. Did you know that 45% to 67% of bank customers, depending on the bank, pay no service fees at all? All banks offer low-cost accounts and ser­ vices, and some offer no-cost accounts. The best way to get value for your fees is to arm yourself with knowledge. The Canadian Bankers Association (CBA) has taken a step toward demysti­ fying service fees with its new publica­ tion Getting Value For Your Service Fees, a guide to service fees and getting the most for your money. This free book­ let provides an overview of different ser­ vice fee options, and includes a con­ sumer profile designed to examine your banking habits and help you select the most effective service fee package for your needs. It also answers key questions such as why banks have service fees, and how customers benefit from service fees. Here are 10 tips for reducing your ser­ vice fees: 1. Carefully identify and document your needs. 2. Use your own bank's ABM to avoid paying Interac fees, and be aware that there are also non-bank ABMs that will charge you fees for their use. 3. Make one larger withdrawal instead of several smaller ones. 4. Bill payments made at ABMs can sometimes be combined into one trans­ action incurring only one bill payment charge. 5. Use your debit card instead of writ­ ing cheques - it may be less expensive. 6. Set up pre-authorized payments to pay monthly bills. 7. See if your bank is one of the many that waive fees if you maintain a mini­ mum balance in your account. 8. Consider a monthly flat fee plan to reduce the cost of transactions. 9. Use telephone, PC, or Internet banking to save time and transportation costs. 10. Consider consolidating your accounts if you have more than one. And here's another useful tip - if you have access to the Internet, Industry Canada has an interactive calculator (www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/ssg/ca0058e.htm 1) that allows you to compare monthly service fees among various financial institutions. Getting value for Your Service Fees is one of a series of 14 free booklets pub­ lished by the Canadian Bankers Association. To receive a copy of any of these booklets, call the CBA at 1-800- 263-0231 or visit its website at www.cba.ca. This article w as provided by the Canadian Bankers Association. S m i ' t h K I m e B e e c h a m j SMITHKUHt B IC C H A M IO TH ANNIVERSARY * C E L E B R A T IO N HILLTOP ROOFING Residential Specialists ALUMINUM \ d , Soffit, Fascia, Eaves • Over 30 years experience • Quality products and workmanship second to none • An honest, affordable approach to home improvements Come see the widest selection ndise Please call: 469-5936 The Character Warehouse is an exciting new retail store. 9.000 sq, feet of licensed Character nerchandise dedicated to al your favourite characters - fron apparel to accessories and everything in between. Disney. Looney Tunes, Barbie. Sesane Street, Star Wars, Teletabbies. "We Top Them A ll99 FREE any time Children are invited to watch their favourite cartoons and use our 3 video games during store hours. 'Quality Licensed Character Merchandise" Erin Mills Centre 3 0 5 0 V e s a B lv d . , D u n d a s / H w y 4 0 3 Tck 905-828-5511 i * i l http://www.strategis.ic.gc.ca/ssg/ca0058e.htm http://www.cba.ca Business By Howard MozeJ ROOFING Residential Specialists Soffit, Fascia, Eaves Please call: Children are invited to watch their favourite cartoons and use our 3 video games during store hours. 3050 Vesa Blvd., Dundas / Hwy 403 Tck 905-828-5511