All posts by Club West

FROM THE PUBLISHER (PREVIOUS EDITIONS)

From the publisher January/February 2016

ClubWest

(To view our January/February 2016 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

There is never a shortage of great stories to unearth right here in Niagara West.

They are as plentiful as the harvests our area farmers reap each fall. This publication is a bit of an unusual one, though, as three young “performers” in completely different areas of interest all came together as feature subjects in a matter of weeks. The theme was undeniable, so it was easy to package.

A lot is said and written about the youth of today. Typically, the good is often overlooked for the more sensational and usually negative news slants, but not this time.

This time, we have three great examples of what teens can do when they apply natural talent and mix in effort, dedication and the helping hand of family support. Each is very different.

Cole Burniston showed ability from the start and realizes he is very fortunate to have parents who are willing to make major sacrifices in allowing him to chase his dreams.

In Melissa Temkov, we have a mom and grandparents working tirelessly, who also had the smarts to get her out of a situation which was not working for her. The results speak for themselves.

And last but not least, we have Stephanie Deshane, a plucky 16-year-old who has opted to take a somewhat less travelled road as she strives to ensure her unique interests are not muddied in an attempt to fit in. It is most often in ones late 20s when one realizes there are people out there with the same interests, but it can take you a while to find them. She is perfectly willing to keep on looking, all the while developing her craft of singing and song writing. More power to her!

I’ve been writing for a long time. This was the first time I put anything together where the combined ages of the subjects was younger than I. That was unnerving.

Yet each goes to show, we have a lot of great things – people, events, organizations, you name it – going on right here under our collective noses.

Your job is to root out those stories and tell them to you, good reader, via words and photos. So why not start while some of these subjects are honing their skills. Who knows?

Maybe one day Cole will be a power back for his beloved New England Patriots playing in the Super Bowl. Stephanie could be asked to be the halftime show and Melissa could be performing as part of that artistic spectacle?

One can dream, yes?

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft

CLUBWEST, FEATURED ARTICLES (PREVIOUS EDITIONS)

Stanpac does anything but stand pat

ClubWest

(To view our November/December 2015 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

By Mike Williscraft

When a business deal goes sour, it can often be said that an individual should make lemonade from the bag of lemons which was just acquired.

But what does one do when the bag they were just handed is opened to find nothing – not a single lemon?

“I was young (25) and had no experience, kind of stupid, really,” said Stanpac founder Steve Witt of the time in 1971 when he bought the company’s predecessor, then based in Burlington.

Stan Pac recycle
Matt, left, and Andrew Witt formally took over management of Stanpac just over one year ago. The company takes the environment very seriously, recycles extensively and constructed its own water treatment system. Bryan Macaulay – Village Studio Photo

“I think I owned it for about 10 minutes before I realized it was in bad shape.”

The cornerstone of what was there was a simple cap for milk bottles. Using that as a base, combined with years of long hours and hard work, Witt’s company struggled to survive.

IN 1973, a change of location from Burlington was in order.

“Stoney Creek was $25,000 for what we needed. Beamsville was $12,000. Smithville was $4,000. So I said, ‘wouldn’t it be great to live in Smithville,” said Witt with a grin.

With that change came an eye to expansion as he knew diversification was the only way the company would not only survive, but grow.

Today, Stanpac is comprised of 400,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space in Smithville’s industrial park – with another 37,000 sq ft currently under construction – and another 350,000 sq ft of space at their other operation in Texas.

That growth did not happen overnight. It was slow and steady over decades and there were some major potholes along the road to business success.

For many in the business world, 2008 conjures memories of financial devastation.

For Witt, that was certainly a strong possibility when he rolled the dice a second time purchasing part of Solo Cup Company, which manufactures disposable plastic products, among other items.

“That was a huge deal and really extended us. I knew it was a risk. What I didn’t know was it would happen right before the financial crash,” recalled Witt, which set off a period of extreme caution in the banking sector and made borrowing money for business deals, even strong deals, very difficult.

“We were in a great spot, buying up competitors and growing. We had expended into making glass bottles in 1990 by buying a mould to manufacture them. We had it all,” said Witt.

Other external factors put Stanpac in the right place at the right time, too, with milk prices dropping independent suppliers were forced to sell to large corporations.

This opportunity helped create the now-thriving niche market for high-end independent milk manufacturers.

“We were organic before organic was cool,” said Witt.

…

See the full article in our online edition.

CLUBWEST, FROM THE PUBLISHER (PREVIOUS EDITIONS)

From the Publisher November/December 2015

ClubWest

(To view our November/December 2015 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Heritage, community cornerstones and people who go above and beyond to make the world around them a better place…what do those things have in common?

West Niagara.

When we developed the “concept” of what ClubWest Magazine would be – a portrayal of people who made and make this area one of the best places to live anywhere in the world – the subjects of this edition’s features are exactly what we had in mind.

One could spend a lifetime looking for a better community partner than the folks at Stanpac in Smithville. It is not hard to understand why employees love to work there and community groups speak in such glowing terms about the support they have received from the company over the years.

The cornerstone of their philosophy, keep the company in the family and avoid the inevitable dissolution which comes with corporate ownership. They invest in their people and their community, and their staff and town in which they live is better off for it.

They fall under the “It is great to see good things happen to good people” category.

From the private sector to public sector…I laughed out loud when Angela Maccaroni related the story about driving right by Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School when she came to scout it out after accepting a job there. The maze of portables, back in the day, did not look like much of school. From humble beginnings, a thriving music program has evolved at BT with more than 100 students involved, almost 10 cent of the school’s population.

You talk about passion…this lady personifies a passion for music and teaching. Board officials, co-workers, parents and students all recognize that – hence her nomination for the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Results of the nomination are expected in January.

On the heritage front, there are a host of people – from Town officials to property owners – who have spent years and a lot of money working to preserve Grimsby’s heritage. Those efforts are pastimes, passions and pursuits all rolled into one.

Each of these story subjects exemplifies what we strive to represent with ClubWest and the flavour with which we develop our feature material – classy, local and accessible.

The people involved are the ones making our community a great place to live and are more than deserving of a little ink here and there and of our appreciation.

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft