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PAGE 32 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1, Business Week Douglas County jam There‘s nothing else like it in the world be an "overnight success". The break will be the result of three years of research, development, marketing and sales work in Canada, the United States and Europe. Directing it all is Pruss, a former restaurateur living in Waterloo and working out of his basement. His product: stawberry jam. But not just any strawberry jam. Pruss‘ product is known as "Douglas Country strawberry freezer jam." It‘s a high quality product with no competiâ€" tion, said Pruss. "It‘s got a fresher taste and the color is much brighter." The better taste and color is because the jam is not cooked; it is merely blended and frozen. Pruss uses only plump Mexican strawberries that are sliced in half, and the jam is 70 per cent fruit. The ouly other ingredients are sugar and modified corn starch. "And the aroma is véry different than for a cooked jam," he added proudly. People can buy the jam at area supermarkâ€" ets, including Zehrs and Mr. Grocer, said Pruss. As well, it may soon be available across Canada and the United States and throughout Europe, he said. It‘s been an interesting three years for Pruss since he first pondered the idea of a freezer jam. "I knew the product was so much tastier than regular jam. | wondered why it was not available on the shelf." 2 He turned first to Waterloo‘s Canadian Industrial Innovation Centre to discover if he in fact had a potentially saleable product. He received a favorable reply Next, he approached the Wilfmd Laurier University Small Business Consulting Serâ€" vice to conduct a taste test survey. "The results were very favorable. I made my decision after that test to go with it," he Pruss turned to the Ontario Centre for Farm Machinery and Food Processing Techâ€" nology in Chatham. Assisted by a federal grant, the centre developed the formula and machinery required to produce a freezer jam commercially A Waterloo commpany does the actual proâ€" duction, with Pruss overseeing to ensure ~]~m'-â€"â€"'- _P‘rn-_r Mj\l‘m lncky break to d over + VGaAnARTFY VaTPIANI I UA MMNIGITAW _ "When you‘re starting up you can‘t afford to have a single bad one." Then there was the need to develop a package design and begin setting up a Waterloo consultant to get the product into Realizing it would take a while to set up a network, and having nothing else to work on now, Pruss decided if the consultant "was looking after Canada, I‘ve got the rest of the world to work on." He took his product to the World Food Show in Cologne West Germany in October 1987, the world‘s biggest food show. "I found nothing like my product in the whole world. We immediately set the wheels in motion to sell to the world." The Canadian government embassies and consuls have been useful in helping Pruss American brokers, and is in at least three grocery chains in the northern United States. And Pruss is negotiating with Loblaw‘s to have his product chosen for the "President‘s Choice" label. No matter how good your product, it is difficult today to get it onto a supermarket shelf, said Pruss. ‘‘The grocery industry is becoming more and more concentrated, with big conglomâ€" erates buying each other up." With an estimated 10,000 new food products being developed yearly in the United States alone, the competition is tough. As well, many supermarket chains charge food companies for the shelf space they allow them. "I‘m utterly convinced I‘ve got a superior product or else I wouldn‘t even try to get to "Once the customer tastes the product, they can tell the difference." It‘s a slow way to build sales, but Pruss believes in the eventual success of his product. He‘s mortgaged his Waterloo home to pay the costs for the company so far. And he‘s already working on a raspberry jam that he says tastes even better than the strawberâ€" There are contracts pending in Europe, he WINTER SPECIALS KITCHENER 893â€"7380 1500 Weber St. E. WATERLOO 886â€"1980 65 University Ave. E. (st Weber) CAMBRIDGE 621â€"9171 350 Hespeler Rd. Pruss needs just one break to be an overnight success. Pruss is hoping to Ww&mm&mmmm.mmm America and A lan Kiriby shoto lru-b bffwcmielicizinintned I Now onLy ES . c l and long hair extra. 79*‘“.0!‘ 1 HAIRCUTS I NOW ONLY J mee so.95) _ oÂ¥ ,va‘ b------------i I chiroren‘s Haircut i now onry . $495 [ 2s ts Fob. 15/89 $9995 $795 pdltentiim ntrican qnonmoum.mm‘ I MAKE HOUSE CALLS. 1, 2, 3, 4 AND 5 YEAR TERMs Alistate You‘re in good hands. Alstate insurance Co. of Canada "Mastate insurance Company R.R.S.P. 10.5% 894â€"2310 Jan Kirk®y ghoto