Windsor Business May 2025 Issue

5 HE SAID/SHE SAID: The news and views of area executives on pertinent business issues of the day.

12 CORPORATISM: Jim Blasingame says as a small business owner, you are the futurist of your company.

whoisoscarbravo.com

MAY 2025

W I N D S O R ’ S F O R E M O S T B U S I N E S S N E W S P U B L I C AT I O N

INSIDE TRACK 2

PHOTO BY JOE SYMCHYSHYN PHOTOGRAPHIC

2

Bimi Rexhepi is the new co-owner of the long-standing Colchester Bar & Grill on County Road 50 in Harrow. By Ron Stang

<<

AT A GLANCE A look at how global consumers are managing the increased cost of living.

CELEBRATING

28 YEARS

CROSSWORD Take a coffee break from work and challenge yourself with our crossword.

OF EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE

3

ESSEX ECONOMICS A series of guest columns by business executives on various trends in the region.

8

6

PRIME PROPERTY A look at recent commercial property transfers in the city of Windsor.

10 BUILDING PERMITS A compilation of construction activity in the Windsor and area market.

PRIME HOME A look at residential property sales in Windsor, Essex County and Chatham-Kent.

C

olchester Bar & Grill, a roadhouse institution along County Road 50, has been purchased by the owners of Kingsville’s Elite Restaurant. But the well-known eatery and entertainment venue will continue as it always has, albeit with some minor upgrades.

Long-time owner Julie Appleby retired and put the restaurant up for sale. Elite owners, brothers Bimi and Iris Rexhepi, bought it and began renovations soon after. The venue should reopen by May. “It’s been (Appleby’s) life for the past so many years. I think it’s a good opportunity for her and for us as well,” said Rexhepi Bimi.

The brothers always wanted to own a restaurant in Colchester along the popular County Road 50 tourist route, which is filled with vegetable stands, wineries and bordering Lake Erie.

Continued on page 4

AT A GLANCE A LOOK AT HOW GLOBAL CONSUMERS MANAGE INCREASED COSTS OF LIVING WITH MORE FOCUSED SPENDING.

JUST THE FACTS:

1.

• A recent study found consumers across the globe navigate rising costs with focused spending.

• Even prior to the U.S. tariffs taking effect, consumers were feeling worried about overspending, primarily with food and fashion.

• Four distinct consumer mindset profiles emerged balancing the tension between material desires and financial realities.

• These are Strugglers (who get through life with minimum spending), Escapists (who keep calm and don’t worry), Content (who believe the important things in life are not for sale), and Strivers (who believe what you own defines who you are).

• Baby Boomers are more likely to fall into the Content segment, whereas higher income individuals are more likely to be Strivers.

• The study found 58 percent of respondents feel they spent more money than they should have recently.

Areas spent too much recently Food and grocery Clothing, footwear, accessories 24%

Entertainment outside the home

23%

Travel or vacation

22%

Home or home improvements

21%

Alcoholic beverages

18%

Entertainment inside the home

17%

Home electronics

17%

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Personal care or beauty

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Source: Ipsos, March 2025.

ACROSS 1 Tarzan’s mate 5 Sky-bearing Titan 10 Hasty 14 Schoolroom event 15 Stone fruit 16 Fashion magazine 17 Overturn 18 Printer supply 19 “Better Call –” 20 Cat 22 Soiled 24 “– Window” 26 Bovine sound 27 Wrinkly 30 Easter event 34 Farm implement 35 Of punishment 37 Hold back 38 Print measures 39 “The – Wears Prada” 41 United 42 Wrongly 45 Tricky ways 47 Unmatched 48 “– With Wolves” 50 Please 52 Table scrap 53 Casual conversation 54 Big and clumsy 58 Good luck charm 62 Banister 63 Desirous 66 – Alto 67 Tiny bit 68 Con game

69 Like the West Wing office 70 Santa’s ride 71 Baseball’s – Koufax 72 Tear DOWN: 1 Actor – Goldblum 2 Car part 3 Brad 4 “The – Strikes Back” 5 Mollified 6 Earl Grey, e.g.

7 Once ‘round a track 8 Got a top grade on 9 Prawn cousin 10 Renovate 11 Jai – 12 Skid 13 Contained 21 – tide 23 Carriageway 25 Extend a subscription

27 Pause indicator 28 Plant secretion 29 Singer Sammy – Jr. 31 Standoffish 32 Great 33 Watched 34 Beer foam 36 Soft color 40 Torpor 43 Made an angry face 44 Antitoxins 46 “King and I” setting 49 Pressure 51 Drunken state 54 Branches 55 Yowl 56 Toy with a tail 57 Statistics 59 Wash against 60 Ardor 61 Related 64 Hard liquor 65 Gridiron player

April solution

Email info@ windsorbusiness.net for this issue’s crossword answers

CARTOON

THE EDITOR’S DESK NADIA H. SHOUSHER

CARTOON BY PAUL MARCH

A fine line between good and evil

T

AND WHAT SPECIAL SKILLS OR EXPERIENCE DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BRING TO A JOB IN THE RAT RACE?

BUSINESS BOOST “A company is a direct reflection of the CEO. Think of some good CEOs or presidents you have known or have worked for, and whether their companies are successful. Then, think of some rotten leaders and consider what happened to their companies and sales people.

“There’s probably a link there, because good executives have a much greater chance of creating good companies. Conversely, bad executives are more likely to create bad companies, irrespective of the quality of their products.

“A bad leader will eventually make your life miserable by creating policies that will hinder sales. Sadly, some CEOs make the sales people suffer first. One big misstep by this leader can tank your career and your earnings. The CEO cannot be ignored in your company examination.

“The leader’s interests, skills and faults permeate the entire company.

The apprehension that numbs a company when the CEO is replaced is justified. No one knows how this change of captains will work out.”

Gerry Cullen in The Coldest Call: Why Some Good Products Don’t Sell, McGraw-Hill.

W I N D S O R ’ S F O R E M O S T B U S I N E S S N E W S P U B L I C AT I O N

VOLUME 29, ISSUE 1 • MAY 2025 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nadia H. Shousher

ART DIRECTOR

David Cowx

CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Blasingame, Mike Chase, Dale Dauten, Paul March, Devan Mighton, J.T. O’Donnell, Ron Stang, Joe Symchyshyn

Windsor Business is published monthly by The Page Publishing Corp. and is distributed through Canada Post to every business address in Windsor and Essex County and Chatham-Kent. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. Copyright The Page Publishing Corp., 2025.

THE PAGE PUBLISHING CORP. 552 PITT STREET WEST, SUITE 101 WINDSOR, ONTARIO N9A 5M2 TEL: (519) 255-9775 info@windsorbusiness.net • www.windsorbusiness.net

he other day I was traipsing down memory lane (I so love to traipse!), fondly recalling my prior fervor of socialism. It came to mind because, in the process of purging an old box of papers, I remembered my naiveté when starting my business. It hit me why I left that ideology behind.

For one thing, starting a business put me clearly on the other side of “red,” and how could I explain that to my comrades? For another, it became obvious there is an intrinsic impracticality to socialism on a large scale. While it looks great on paper, it is almost impossible to uphold in real life.

Sobering thoughts followed me around while I tried to figure out if there exists a happy medium between a diehard “others above self” perspective, and an “anything for a buck” mentality.

I came across this by Winston Churchill: “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”

One of the aspects of capitalism I’m still not comfortable with is the ugly truth of what seemingly decent people will do for money. Yes, money makes the world go ‘round, it’s necessary to live, and there’s nothing wrong with hoping to live well, in comfort and without fear. But when is enough actually enough?

How low will you go to make a buck, or save one? What price do you put on your integrity? How offensively or selfishly are you willing to conduct yourself, operate your business or treat people to get ahead?

Do we scam our customers? Rip off employees? Swindle the government on our taxes? Do we look the other way when faced with proof of another’s ill-gotten gains? Wouldn’t that make us just as liable as the actual swindler? At what point do we realize we have sold our soul for the almighty dollar?

I love those guys who plan the bankruptcy of their company well in advance: they put every asset in a spouse’s name, lease top-of-the-line vehicles and squirrel their liquid cash away so their creditors can’t touch it. They then stand in innocence, while loyal employees not only lose their jobs, but get stiffed on their last paycheques or severance (hello, Bobbleheads of the Bay).

Nice. Wouldn’t we all love to be so unencumbered?

Maybe it’s not money per se that is the root of all evil, but how we as individuals treat it. Most of us take our portion of the wealth available and spread the rest of it around, or at least agree with the concept of sharing. This is socialism as I understand it. Others, perhaps not burdened with a conscience or ideals of altruism and charity, overcompensate themselves and figure to hell with others.

There’s a fine line between one viewpoint and another. Instead of making a conscious choice of one over the other, most of us simply straddle it.

Nadia H. Shousher is Editor-in-Chief of Windsor Business, a division of The Page Publishing Corp.

ESSEX ECONOMICS SUSAN ROBERTSON

Your brain is lying, and it costs you

L

eadership can feel like flying a plane through dense fog. You’re managing priorities, pressures and people. You’re flying through turbulence, and the instruments keep changing. But what if the threat to your trajectory is how your own experience shapes what you can no longer see?

The Curse of Knowledge is a cognitive bias that happens when we become so familiar with something, we stop examining it. Once we “know” something, our brains tag it as settled. That’s helpful for getting through a busy day, but it’s dangerous in an environment that demands change. Here’s how it shows up: “That’s how we’ve always done it” or “We already tried that.”

These aren’t facts. They’re filters – installed by past experience, running quietly in the background. We don’t notice them because they feel like truth.

The Curse of Knowledge makes it harder to see new paths and new ways to solve the new challenges you’re facing. And in business, that can cost you dearly. There’s a different way to lead through uncertainty, and it starts with possibility thinking.

Possibility thinkers don’t assume the first roadblock is the end of the road; they’re willing to look again and ask, “What else could be true?” This is disciplined curiosity, and curiosity is one of the most underutilized competitive advantages available.

Assumption Smashing: Most of what limits your thinking isn’t a real rule. It’s a made-up one. It’s created by your brain based on all your past experience and expertise. People absorb assumptions from their own history. But just because something was true once, doesn’t mean it’s true now. Assumption smashing is the act of surfacing those invisible “rules” and breaking them on purpose.

Change the Question: If a team is stuck, the problem might not be the problem; it may be how it’s being defined. Small changes in language lead to big differences in thinking. If the goal is to reduce customer churn, it could be framed as: “How can we retain customers?” or “What would make them stay, even if a competitor charged less?” Each question sends the brain down a different path.

Borrow a Brain: Sometimes teams are simply too close to the problem. That’s why bringing in someone who doesn’t “know how it works here” can be so powerful. They don’t carry the same assumptions. Invite a colleague from another department, or pair up a veteran with a next-gen team member. Fresh eyes can expose what the Curse of Knowledge has hidden.

You’re already flying the plane. Now ask yourself: Are you still headed in the right direction?

The most dangerous limits are rarely external; they’re the ones that go unquestioned.

Susan Robertson has over 20 years of experience speaking and coaching in Fortune 500 companies. Visit SusanRobertsonSpeaker.com.

MAY 2025

3

AGRI-BUSINESS

COVER

BY RON STANG

AG companies transfer buildings

T

wo long-time related agribusiness properties in Kingsville have been acquired by Teccle Group Inc., owned by the managing partners of the companies operating out of them, AMA Horticulture on Spinks Drive.

They are married couple Rick Bradt and Connie Bradt-Monsma, who have been operating the family business for almost 20 years, which was started by Connie’s father Allen Monsma in 1982.

The $5.4-million sale of the more than three-acre sites, known separately as AMA Plastics and AMA Horticulture, occurred in March.

“All we did was move the buildings into a holding compa-

ny,” Rick said.

AMA the business continues operating as usual, and Rick and Connie continue with AMA. The couple also own another property at 1916 Road 3 East in Kingsville.

It’s a production and warehouse facility, while 2011 Spinks Drive is used for production, shipping and offices. Another property at 2005 Spinks is a warehouse.

The firm employs almost 30 people on- and off-site.

AMA makes and distributes an array of products from containers, trays and flats, to growing media and substrates, seedlings and production equipment, racks and carts.

The firm saw a major surge in business in the 1990s “when the hydroponic vegetable growing

Colchester grill sold

business started to take off,” Rick said.

AMA supplies mainly greenhouses, tree nurseries and some agricultural clients. “Mostly it’s growing containers and growing substrates,” he said.

The market – largely businessto-business – is North Americanwide. The company also sells its popular Al’s Flower Pouch online, which Allen invented. “These are the wall bags you see in the spring at the garden centers,” he said. It’s sold widely in 10 countries.

“Back in 1992, nobody had any such thing. It was something you could grow, the way you would grow a hanging basket, except it goes on the wall or fence,” Rick said.

WB

Continued from page 1 “I think it’s up and coming, it’s growing. It’s a good opportunity,” Rexhepi said. “It’s a cool spot and that community feels similar to what we have in Kingsville. I think it’s just going to grow from here.”

Some upgrades the brothers plan for the exterior will happen later this year. Rexhepi said they have to do with operations. “It’s a lot of functional stuff, as it’s an older building,” he said. “The place hasn’t changed in 30 years, so it’s a little outdated.”

But the overall feel will continue. “It’s got that cabin-like feel. It’s a local spot and everybody knows it. We want the people who have been coming here for years, but we

also want to bring it into the 21st century.”

They will change the atmosphere slightly. “Things are going to be a little bit different and I think it’s only natural when we take over a place, to put our twist on it.”

This allows them to expand their culinary offerings because at Elite, which they’ve run 12 years “there’s certain things we’re limited to” because it’s a steakhouse. “It gives us an opportunity to experiment a little.”

Previous owner Appleby said the business had long been a “staple in the community,” long before the winery industry became so big.

“Sometimes during the year, we were the only game in town for food or drink.”

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

HE SAID/SHE SAID NEWS AND VIEWS FROM AREA EXECUTIVES: QUESTION: What makes you excited to get up and go to work every day?

“My greatest satisfaction is coming in to work and helping businesses and residents with their communication and security needs. There are always challenges when owning your own business, but positive benefits come with seeing people excited and satisfied with their system purchase.”

“I look forward to a new challenge each and every day. I can’t imagine waking up without a purpose. The secret is to create an environment that you love, and I love my work and the people I work with day in and day out.”

“After 33 years in this industry, I am still excited to see projects come together. There is nothing better than having a happy client when they see the finished project.

I thrive on coming up with creative solutions.”

“Every day I get to work with an amazing team of professionals that truly cares about the people they help on their individual wellness journeys.”

“I have a lot of fun at work, but the main thing that keeps me motivated is the opportunity for creative problem-solving. My best days are spent engaging with clients and designing solutions for their business problems.”

Fred Raby, Vice-President, Unique Communications Inc.

Al Valente, President/Owner, Valente Travel Inc.

Lori Patterson, Business Development & Account Manager, Allegra/Image360.

Kyle Glassford, RMT, Kyle Glassford Registered Massage Therapy.

Doug Sartori, Principal Consultant, Parallel 42 Systems.

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MAY 2025

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PRIME PROPERTY THE FOLLOWING, PROVIDED BY REALTRACK.COM, REPRESENT SOME OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN THE WINDSOR AREA:

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 2807 Front Rd., LaSalle Selling Price: $1.308 million Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: The D’Amore Group Inc.

Address: 1027, 1029 & 1033 Howard Ave. Selling Price: $735,000 Vendor: Jezdic Holdings Inc. Purchaser: Named Individuals

Address: 3740-3790 Tecumseh Rd. E. Selling Price: $2.875 million Vendor: 1000023127 Ontario Inc. Purchaser: 2779932 Ontario Inc.

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 4276 Roseland Dr. E. Selling Price: $1.83 million Vendor: 1000873037 Ontario Inc. Purchaser: Petcon Realty GP Inc.

Address: 2875 St. Etienne Blvd.

Selling Price: $2.7 million Vendor: Ground Effects Ltd. Purchaser: CCS Engineering & Construction Inc.

Address: 3955 Tecumseh Rd. E. Selling Price: $1.25 million Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: 1001067046 Ontario Inc.

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

PRIME PROPERTY THE FOLLOWING, PROVIDED BY REALTRACK.COM, REPRESENT SOME OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN THE ESSEX & CHATHAM-KENT AREAS:

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 2410-2498 Manning Rd., Tecumseh Selling Price: $5 million Vendor: M. Mutter & Associates Ltd. Purchaser: Lakeshore Industrial

Address: 5120 Halford Rd., Tecumseh Selling Price: $650,000 Vendor: Dayus Management Ltd. Purchaser: Dayus Roofing Inc.

Address: 22 County Rd. 46, Lakeshore Selling Price: $710,000 Vendor: Lakeside Trucking (Windsor) Inc. Purchaser: Named Individuals

Address: 332 Grand Ave. E./318 Chatham St. N., Chatham-Kent Selling Price: $3 million Vendor: CKVPC Realty Corp.

Purchaser: 1560000 Ontario Inc.

CHATHAM-KENT

• WHEATLEY

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Address: 280-286 Sandwich St. S., Amherstburg Selling Price: $1 million Vendor: K. Quinn Veterinary Medicine Purchaser: Dreamink PQ Ltd.

Address: 5349 Outer Dr., Tecumseh Selling Price: $1.13 million Vendor: 1277187 Ontario Ltd. Purchaser: Mailloux Holdings Inc.

Address: 2590 Manning Rd., Lakeshore Selling Price: $4.5 million Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: Lakeshore Industrial Park Corp.

SOLD Address: 9 Sarah Cr., Chatham-Kent Selling Price: $2.43 million Vendor: Foundation Capital Holdings Ltd. Purchaser: 9 Sarah Holdings Inc.

435 SILVER CREEK INDUSTRIAL DR.

980 MCDOUGALL ST.

3414 WYANDOTTE ST. E.

400 ERIE ST. E.

4640-60 TECUMSEH RD. E.

FOR SALE. 14,555 SF MANUFACTURING FACILITY W/12,155 SF PLANT + 2,400 SF OF OFFICES ON 2 FLRS, ON 1.166 ACRES. OPEN PLANT DESIGN W/65' BAY, 23' CEILINGS & 10-TON CRANE. ENTIRE SITE AIR CONDITIONED. ONLY MIN. FROM HWY 401 & E.C. ROW. CALL TAMMY WILLIAMS.

FOR LEASE. APPROX 4,800 SF AVAIL BETWEEN TWO FLOORS. COMBO OF OFFICE AND WAREHOUSE SPACE. SECOND FLOOR HAS ELEVATOR ACCESS. GRADE LEVEL LOADING DOOR. PLENTY OF ONSITE PARKING AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFO CALL TAMMY WILLIAMS.

AUTO CENTRE ON HIGH TRAFFIC STRIP OF WYANDOTTE E. FOR SALE. APPROX 2,200 SF, WITH 3 SERVICE BAYS AND MAIN OFFICE. ALL EQUIPMENT & TOOLS INCLUDED. PLENTY OF ON-SITE PAVED PARKING. GREAT OPPORTUNITY! OWNER IS RETIRING. CONTACT TAMMY WILLIAMS FOR MORE INFO.

FOR LEASE. TWO UNITS AVAILABLE: 3,091 SF AND 1,432 SF OF WAREHOUSE AND SHOP SPACE WITH 14-FOOT CLEAR CEILING HEIGHT AND OVERHEAD DOOR. CALL TAMMY FOR MORE INFO.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY. ON BUSY TECUMSEH NEAR PILLETTE RD, 5850 SF W/PAVED PARKING FOR 11 CARS. ALL UNITS LEASED. THREE UNITS W/SEPARATE UTILITY METERS. ROOF APPROX 10 YEARS OLD. CONTACT JIM WILLIAMS FOR MORE INFO.

2598 JEFFERSON BLVD.

201 WEST GRAND BLVD.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

215 EUGENIE ST. W.

FOR SALE. INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY OF 24,968 SF BETWEEN TWO BUILDINGS, DIVIDED INTO 9 UNITS. BEAUTIFULLY FINISHED TWO-STOREY OFFICE ON ERIE STREET, WITH REMAINIG SPACE DIVIDED INTO EIGHT UNITS. CONTACT TAMMY WILLIAMS FOR FULL INFORMATION.

FOR LEASE. PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE AT 3,266 SF. EXCELLENT MID-TOWN LOCATION CLOSE TO E.C ROW. ON EUGENIE W. BETWEEN OUELLETTE AND DOUGALL AVES. HIGH TRAFFIC, HIGH VISIBILITY. AMPLE ON-SITE PARKING. PYLON SIGNAGE AVAILABLE. CALL TAMMY WILLIAMS.

AUTO SERVICE BUSINESS FOR SALE. EXCELLENT LOCATION W/THRIVING ESTABLISHED BUSINESS IN LEASED BUILDING. NEW OWNER TO ENTER INTO LEASE W/LANDLORD. PLENTY OF ON-SITE PARKING & EXCELLENT ACCESS FROM SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION. CALL DAN MCCULLOCH FOR MORE INFO.

PLAZA FOR SALE. HIGH PROFILE LOCATION AT DOUGALL ROAD AND WEST GRAND BLVD. THIS 9,856 SF, 5-UNIT PLAZA IS FULLY LEASED. NICE MIX OF TENANTS. ON-SITE PARKING FOR 39 CARS. CONTACT TAMMY WILLIAMS FOR MORE INFORMATION.

MAY 2025

7

PRIME HOME SALES THE FOLLOWING REPRESENT SOME RECENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES IN THE ESSEX COUNTY/CHATHAM-KENT AREA:

8

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 1346 Hall Ave. Property Size: 30’ x 118’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $2,297 Listed For: $359,500 Sold For: $415,700

Where: 1236 Laurendeau Property Size: 45’ x 111’ # Bedrooms: 3 + 1 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $3,211 Listed For: $499,900 Sold For: $500,000

Where: 1530 Pillette Rd. Property Size: 40’ x 101’ # Bedrooms: 3 + 1 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $2,541 Listed For: $379,900 Sold For: $367,000

Where: 1255 Janisse Dr. Property Size: 55’ x 110’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $3,700 Listed For: $599,900 Sold For: $645,000

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 3679 Wolfe Crt. Property Size: 45’ x 105’ # Bedrooms: 3 + 1 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $2,950 Listed For: $499,900 Sold For: $490,000

Where 3519 Tecumseh W. Property Size: 47’ x 90’ # Bedrooms: 3 + 1 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $2,114 Listed For: $349,900 Sold For: $345,000

Where: 3505 Maisonneuve Property Size: 65’ x 115’ # Bedrooms: 4 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $4,614 Listed For: $599,900 Sold For: $650,000

Where: 205 Eveleigh Cr. Property Size: 50’ x irr. # Bedrooms: 3 + 2 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $4,512 Listed For: $590,000 Sold For: $610,000

WINDSOR BUSINESS

PRIME HOME SALES THE FOLLOWING REPRESENT SOME RECENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES IN THE ESSEX COUNTY/CHATHAM-KENT AREA:

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 1565 Lovell Cr., LaSalle Property Size: 28’ x 166’ # Bedrooms: 2 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $3,000 Listed For: $549,565 Sold For: $540,000

Where: 5765 Ninth St., LaSalle Property Size: 80’ x 109’ # Bedrooms: 3 + 2 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $4,393 Listed For: $699,900 Sold For: $680,000

Where: 328 East Puce Rd., Lakeshore Property Size: 80’ x 140’ # Bedrooms: 4 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $5,831 Listed For: $799,900 Sold For: $790,000

Where: 5759 Tecumseh Line, Chatham-Kent Property Size: 250’ x irr. # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $2,247 Listed For: $289,900 Sold For: $305,000

CHATHAM-KENT

• WHEATLEY

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Where: 259 Heaton St., Amherstburg Property Size: 56’ x 107’ # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $3,710 Listed For: $574,900 Sold For: $565,000

Where: 7040 Eagle Cr., Amherstburg Property Size: 70’ x 181’ # Bedrooms: 3 + 2 # Bathrooms: 3 Taxes: $7,216 Listed For: $1.2 million Sold For: $1.15 million

Where: 6155 McCormick Rd., Essex Property Size: 210’ x irr. # Bedrooms: 3 # Bathrooms: 2 Taxes: $3,251 Listed For: $1,699,500 Sold For: $1,675,000

Where: 94 Chelsea Cr., Kingsville Property Size: 49’x 119’ # Bedrooms: 2 # Bathrooms: 1 Taxes: $1,800 Listed For: $399,900 Sold For: $450,000

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MAY 2025

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BUILDING PERMITS THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS RECENT CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN ESSEX COUNTY AND CHATHAM-KENT: MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT COMMERCIAL: • The Municipality of ChathamKent is building alternative housing on Park St. Value of construction: $2.2 million.

• Dorner Investments Inc. is doing alterations at a manufacturing plant on Colborne St. Value of construction: $888,000.

• The Public General Hospital Society of Chatham is doing renovations at a hospital on Grand Ave. W. Value of construction: $967,000.

• Pure Flavor Farms GP Inc. erecting a new agricultural building on Talbot Trail. Value of construction: $7 million.

• 2464275 Ontario Ltd. is doing alterations to an auto service station on Middle Line. Value of construction: $400,000.

• Individuals are erecting a new agricultural building on Mull Rd. Value of construction: $310,000.

MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT RESIDENTIAL: • Individuals are building a semidetached home on Harbour Rd. Value of construction: $600,000.

• 2479280 Ontario Inc. is building a single-family home on Rose Beach Line. Value of construction: $520,000.

• Depencier Builders Ltd. is doing renovations to a single-family home on Bayview St. Value of construction: $1.2 million.

• Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Dover Centre Line. Value of construction: $550,000.

• Individuals are building a single-

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family home on Furnace St. Value of construction: $130,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily residence on Klondyke Rd. Value of construction: $450,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily residence on Lyon Ave. N. Value of construction: $200,000.

Bungalow Group is building a series of semi-detached houses on Duskridge Rd. Values of construction: $400,000 each.

Sun Built Custom Homes is building a single-family home on Valencia Dr. Value of construction: $500,000.

Bungalow Group is building two units of a semi-detached residence on Duskridge Rd. Values of construction: $400,000 each.

Bungalow Group is building two single-family homes on Duskridge Rd. Values of construction: $400,000 and $700,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Front Line.

Value of construction: $100,000.

Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Hickoryoak

Lane. Value of construction: $425,000.

TOWN OF LASALLE RESIDENTIAL: • Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Whispering Pines Cr. Value of construction: $1,346,072.

• Individuals are building two semi-detached dwellings on Old Front Rd. Values of construction: $1,266,600 each.

TOWN OF ESSEX COMMERCIAL: • 5009789 Ontario Inc. is building an addition to a daycare on Irwin Ave. Value of construction: $1.5 million.

TOWN OF ESSEX RESIDENTIAL: • Imperium Builds Ltd. is doing renovations to a single-family home on Country Rd. 50 E. Value of construction: $450,000.

• Individuals are building a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit on Herring Ave. Value of construction: $95,000.

• Lakeland Homes is building a single-family residence on Charles St. Value of construction: $1.14 million.

• Individuals are doing an addition to a single-family home on Maidstone Ave. E. Value of construction: $260,000.

• Individuals are building a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit on 3rd Concession Rd. Value of construction: $775,000.

• Individuals are building an Accessory Dwelling Unit on Reed St. Value of construction: $185,000.

• BK Cornerstone is building a single-family home on Charles St. Value of construction: $931,000.

• Lakeland Homes is building a single-family residence on Dolores St. Value of construction: $1.4 million.

• Individuals are building a singlefamily home on Fairview Ave. W. Value of construction: $580,000.

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5 HE SAID/SHE SAID: The news and views of area executives on pertinent business issues of the day.

12 CORPORATISM: Jim Blasingame says to build a community around you in which you are a unifying force.

whoisoscarbravo.com

OCTOBER 2024

W I N D S O R ’ S F O R E M O S T B U S I N E S S N E W S P U B L I C AT I O N

INSIDE TRACK

Chris Parent, left, and Jeff Smith recently purchased Ernie’s TV in Essex. They will move it to a former warehouse on Lansdowne Avenue in what will become a superstore.

WINDSOR BUSINESS

CROSSWORD Take a coffee break from work and challenge yourself with our crossword.

10 BUILDING PERMITS A compilation of construction activity in the Windsor and area market.

ESSEX ECONOMICS A series of guest columns by business executives on various trends in the region.

11 START UPS Newly incorporated firms launched in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.

8

PRIME HOME A look at recent residential property sales in Windsor and Essex County.

6

PRIME PROPERTY A look at recent commercial property transfers in the city of Windsor.

11 WORLD OF WORK: A career advice column by two workplace consultants and career coaches.

rnie’s TV, a venerable Kingsville retailer for almost 50 years, was recently sold and is moving to a new location in town to open a superstore. The retailer, which also sells furniture and appliances, will vacate its Main Street location, with its awkward layout over two floors, for 197 Lansdowne Avenue. It is set to open next summer.

This will expand the retailer’s showroom from 18,000 to 28,000 square feet, and “most importantly, be all on one floor,” said partner Jeff Smith, also owner of Jeff Smith’s County Chevrolet in Essex and Grove Brewing Co. in Kingsville.

His partner is Chris Parent.

The original owners were Ernie and Donna Demarse, who have recently retired.

“We bought Ernie’s TV and so we’re finishing out the lease there. When the lease is done in June, we’ll be opening the new location,” Smith said.

Continued on page 4

and info r info@w indsorb mation email usiness .net

Busines s

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AT A GLANCE A look at what Canadians most want in a future home purchase.

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AT ANY-to-Business ANGLE! For ad r ates

PHOTO BY JOE SYMCHYSHYN SYMCHYSHYN PHOTOGRAPHIC

By Ron Stang

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THE WORLD OF WORK

BY JEANINE “J.T.” O’DONNELL

Several ways to get unstuck and transform your career Mark: I’ve been feeling really stuck in my career lately. My job feels stagnant, and I’ve been venting about my micromanaging boss to my colleagues, but nothing seems to change. I don’t know where to start or how to move forward. What can I do to make real progress?

J.T. O’Donnell: Feeling stuck in your career can be draining, especially when you don’t know how to break out of the cycle. What you’re describing is what I call “unproductive discomfort.” This happens when we’re stuck in a loop of frustration and stress without taking actionable steps to solve the root of the problem.

For example, Sarah spent hours scrolling job boards after work, dreading her toxic workplace. She felt overwhelmed but didn’t take any concrete steps like updating her résumé or reaching out to her network.

Sound familiar? Many professionals fall into this cycle of unproductive discomfort. In your case, venting about your micromanaging boss feels like a release in the moment, but it’s not helping you move forward. It’s using energy without progress. Breaking free from this cycle requires trading unproductive discomfort for productive discomfort.

Unproductive discomfort is dwelling on the problem without a structured approach to solving it.

This leaves you feeling stuck and frustrated. Productive discomfort is engaging in intentional, growthfocused actions that may feel challenging in the moment but lead to real progress. So, instead of venting about your boss, you might start networking with professionals outside your company.

To move from feeling stuck to making progress, focus on these three critical areas: Skills: Take an honest look at your professional toolkit. Are there gaps in your knowledge or skills holding you back from advancing or transitioning to a new role?

Action step: Identify one skill that’s in demand in your industry and commit to improving it. This could mean taking an online course, attending a workshop or asking for hands-on experience in your current role. For example: If you’re in marketing, learning a tool like Google Analytics or brushing up on copywriting skills could make you a stronger candidate for future opportunities.

Attitude: It’s easy to let negativity take over when you’re feeling stuck, but attitude plays a huge role in how others perceive you – and how you perceive yourself.

Action step: Start by reframing

your thoughts. Instead of focusing on what you dislike about your job, identify what you’ve learned or achieved in your role so far. This can help shift your mindset from frustration to possibility. Instead of saying, “My boss micromanages everything,” you might say, “I’ve learned to adapt to a challenging management style and stay productive despite obstacles.”

Beliefs: Limiting beliefs can be a major roadblock to progress.

Common ones include, “I’m too

old to make a change,” or “Networking feels awkward, so I shouldn’t bother.”

Action step: Challenge one limiting belief you’ve been holding onto. Ask yourself: “Is this belief true, or is it just a story I’m telling myself?” You don’t need hours of free time to make progress. Just 15 minutes a day focused on these three areas can create real momentum. Here’s how: • Spend five minutes researching skills you’d like to learn or cer-

tifications that could enhance your résumé.

• Use five minutes to reflect on a career challenge you’re currently facing and brainstorm one action you can take to address it.

• Dedicate the final five minutes to networking – send a message on LinkedIn, or schedule an interview. It’s less time than most of us spend on social media, but it can dramatically alter your career trajectory.

Feeling stuck doesn’t mean

you’re at a dead end; it’s simply a signal that it’s time for a change.

By shifting your focus from unproductive discomfort to productive discomfort, and working on skills, attitude and beliefs, you can start building momentum toward the career you want.

WB *** J.T. O’Donnell is the founder and CEO of Work It Daily. Visit workitdaily.com to submit your questions.

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MAY 2025

11

CORPORATISM

BY JIM BLASINGAME

As CEO, you are the futurist of your business

E

very small business owner should display in a prominent place this John F. Kennedy quote: “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

As the CEO, you’re the futurist of your business, and the product of a futurist’s work is foresight.

Professional futurists are neither inspired by God, clairvoyant, nor have ESP. But they do look at the world differently than the average

person. They typically see things before others do, largely because their focus is influenced by the following factors: Extreme curiosity: This isn’t first by accident. Curiosity is to foresight what oxygen is to life.

Orders of implication: Futurists imagine the impact of multiple possibilities from a single scenario that hasn’t happened yet.

Collaboration: Futurists study the work of other futurists, work together, welcome peer reviews.

Foresight tools: Some resources are sophisticated, some not so much.

As you can see, there’s nothing supernatural about these. Nothing you don’t already have or can’t acquire, at least at the level of CEO futurist. Let me lower the intimidation factor and make foresight easier with CEO foresight tools. You’ll recognize the first two: Curiosity: The only person who’s more curious than a futurist is an entrepreneur. Curiosity is your

most powerful tool – unleash it.

Watch for implications: When you see something new – a thing, idea or a development – unfocus your eyes and imagine the shortand long-term implications. Play the “what if” game with your team.

Read: Professional futurists call it scanning. Read everything you can get your hands on about your universe and your customers’ universes. Start connecting dots.

Pay attention: This is the first cousin of curiosity. You pay atten-

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WINDSOR BUSINESS

tion to your business every day.

Now add what’s outside your four walls to your scan.

Experience: Never underestimate the foresight value of past successes and failures, especially to the implications element.

Peer relationships: This includes CEO roundtables, whether formal or informal, but also attending industry events to compare notes with other CEO futurists.

Intuition: This is the love child of experience and curiosity. You have intuition, plus experts say you can grow it. Intuition is educated by experience and employed by curiosity.

These CEO foresight tools will help you track trends for opportunities and disruptions in areas such as: demographics, customer behavior, society, production/supply, politics, technology and global events impacting large customers.

With tomorrow, next year and the next decade in mind, use questions like these to include your stakeholders in the foresight process: What will my industry look like? What will my market look like? What will happen to my existing customers? What will my new customer profile look like?

What will be their expectations?

What kinds of products and services should we sell? How will we capitalize growth? What kind of technology will I need? What will be the greatest opportunities? What will be the greatest disruptions?

Use the tools, ask the questions, prepare for the possibilities that will allow you to take advantage of opportunities and minimize disruptions. Leading change as the CEO means applying the foresight tools of a futurist in order to avoid surprises. All surprises.

Even if a surprise turns out okay, you shouldn’t celebrate. In fact, you should be just as frightened as if it turned out badly. Because it got through your foresight filters unnoticed until it manifested in front of you. That means a bad surprise could do the same thing.

Remember Blasingame’s Law of Surprises: Surprises are for birthdays — this is business.

Write this on a rock: “The future doesn’t fit in the container of the WB past.” Rishad Tobaccolwala Jim Blasingame is the author of The 3rd Ingredient, the Journey of Analog Ethics into the World of Digital Fear and Greed. Visit jimblasingame.com.