A30 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
RICHMOND-NEWS.COM
BUSINESSin Focus
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Local brokers top sales list
n The Steveston Farmers &
Artisans Market moved to a new location at the Steveston Community Centre this season. Photo submitted
Local producers and markets celebrated in its 30,000-square-foot plant, is looking to open a 10,000-square-foot logistics Staff Reporter warehouse in Ontario to serve customers in PRAPHAEL@RICHMOND-NEWS.COM the eastern seaboard area. “We are really appreciative of the help we do get because we’re at a lot of trade shows .C. is in the midst of a harvest season love-in with local farms, businesses and around the world, promoting our products that are made from ingredients grown in manufacturers that buy local to help make B.C.,” Chan said. “We got to L.A., Shangtheir products, and those everyday conhai, Hong Kong and Japan, just to name a sumers who shop at farmers markets. few. But our biggest market is in Ontario. Thanks to government support for marThat’s where we want to focus and estabketing locally grown and farmed products, lish a warehouse.” and the steady popularity of farmers marWhile Organika uses ingredients from kets in urban areas, such as the Steveston around the globe, such as the potent Farmers & Artisans Market that runs this antioxidant macca root from Peru and bee Sunday (Sept. 18), there is plenty to kindle propolis from Brazil — a material that is the affections for food and health products a mixture of tree resin and honey, which that share local postal codes. bees use to seal small cracks and gaps in Last week, the province announced its the hive — it also uses B.C.-grown spirusupport of those B.C. companies that rely lina (blue-green algae) in a supplement on local farms to produce their goods. And designed to reduce joint inflammation. this week, the BC Association of Farmers’ “We like to think we take the best of B.C. Markets’ (BCAFM) is holding its seventh and sell it to the rest of the world,” Chan annual Farmers Appresaid. ciation Week. Another local firm using The provincial governlocally grown produce is ment’s Buy Local ProIt’s wonderful to see British Von Albrecht & Associgram provided more than ates, a group of food $88,000 of funding for Columbia’s craft spirits and beverage specialists Richmond-based comparecognized internationally known for its XFour bluenies, assisting them with berry vodka that uses half marketing campaigns to for their quality ingredients a pound of fruit in each reach a larger audience and taste. bottle that is raised and and, in turn, hopefully harvested from Bremner’s increase sales. – Marcus Von Albrecht Farm in nearby Ladner. “The help from gov“It’s wonderful to see ernment is good, but British Columbia’s craft it would be nice to get spirits recognized intermore because we are nationally for their quality hoping to expand into ingredients and taste. With the Buy Local other markets, especially in eastern North funding helping us showcase our products America,” said Moon Chan, controller of and support from all of our partners, our Organika Health Products Inc., one of the business continues to grow and we look local companies the province put the spotforward to expanding our market further,” light on last week. said Marcus Von Albrecht, who founded Chan said Organika, which has been the company in 2005. producing health supplements from its Much of the assistance Richmond-headeast Richmond premises since 1990 and quartered BG Health Group derived from currently employs more than 100 workers
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the Buy Local program went into marketing. “The variety and diversity of locally grown, produced and processed products in Richmond is outstanding. It’s great to see a community that is working together to create jobs, help the local economy while offering a great product,” said Dennis Gunn, vice-president of operations for BG Health Group, which is about to expand on its flaxseed cooking oil business by bringing its new line of hummus dips to store shelves across Canada in the coming weeks. While BG Health Group’s head office is located in Richmond, actual production, mostly using B.C. ingredients for its hummus, is done in a 10,000-square-foot facility in Surrey. While it’s the grocery store shelves Gunn and other producers hope customers flock to, a steady number of people around the province are visiting farmers markets in their own communities, such as the Steveston Farmers & Artisans Market, which is operated by the Richmond Agricultural & Industrial Society. This year, the market moved to a new location in the parking lot of the Steveston Community Centre. The switch from the Gulf of Georgia Cannery grounds for the spring and summer season meant a decrease in overall space for vendors to set up, but it hasn’t dampened the public’s enthusiasm to get out on every other Sunday this summer to see and buy local produce and goods, said Johanna Stewart, the market committee’s chair. Vendor interest has also remained strong with bookings stretching through the season, she added. This Sunday, to help celebrate Farmers Appreciation Week there will be a host of activities in the Kids’ Zone on the community centre grounds that will include photo opportunities and colouring. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Parking is available at the Steveston Community Centre parking lot at 4111 Moncton Street.
Two Richmond mortgage professionals have been recognized as two of the highest-producing commercial brokers in the country. Andrew Bennett, of Nexus Investment, and Tina Mu, of Dominion Lending Centres Acer Mortgages, have been included in the Canadian Mortgage n Andrew Bennett Professional (CMP) Top Commercial Brokers list, recognizing 12 professionals who are excelling in their roles and building an industry that will continue to thrive in the coming years. Bennett, a commercial broker for 36 years, had a total of 18 deals in 2015 with a sales volume of $130 million. Mu, who has been in the n Tina Mu business for four years, had 20 deals last year and a sales volume worth $50 million.
Space station reach extended Richmond-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. has had its reach into space extended. This summer, the high-tech global communications and information company announced it signed a contract amendment with the Canadian Space Agency for $5.3 million. The amendment provides funding for additional support to the ongoing robotic operations of the Mobile Servicing System on the International Space Station (ISS). The Mobile Servicing System comprises Canadarm2, the Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator known as “Dextre,” and the Mobile Base System. These three robotic systems perform a variety of operations ranging from resupply, maintenance, and servicing tasks on the space station that are critical to the on-going operations of the ISS.
n The Canadarm2 in action at the International Space Station. Photo submitted
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