10 - Sunday, November 24, 1991 - North Shore News Canadian Springs toast their success Partners honored with prestigious Young Entrepeneur Award TWO FORMER North next time you think of parking Shore residents are drinking their way to success. By Surj Rattan News Reporter And while Glena Bailey and partner Cameron Falconer are probably toasting one another for that success, it's unlikely they are sipping the traditional glass of champagne. They are more likely making that toast with a clear, cool glass of water. The pair of 29-year-olds own the Canadian Springs Water Co., and they recently won the prestigious Federal Business De- velopment Bank's Young En- trepreneur Award for B.C. Bailey and Faiconer have been operating Canadian Springs for the past six years. Bailey, who bought 2 all bottled water company that had gone into bankruptcy, says he and Falconer initially - invested about $12,000 in their business. Six years ago, Bailey says, almost everyone thought the pair's bottled water business would drown in the Vancouver market. “Ht was just a fluke that this company went tankrupt at the same time that we were starting up. When we started out people thought we were crazy,’ says Bailey, as he sits in the company’s south Burnaby production plant. “I talked to a man here in town who was operating a small five- galion bottled water service. He sat back in his chair, with a cigar hanging out. of his mouth, and said: ‘Listen son. No one will ever _ buy bottled water in Vancouver.’ And right at that moment I knew it was going to be a success.’ Bailey says the reason the other operator,, who had been. running the business for 10 years, failed NEW. photo Mike jakefield DRINKING THEIR way to business success are former North Shore residents Glenn Bailey (left) and Cameron Faiconer. The pair, who own the Canadian Springs Water Co., have been named the top young businessmen in B.C. the product he was selling. He adds that at the beginning everyone told the pair, who were born- and raised on the North Shore and went to school together, they would fail. But that, says Bailey, all changed when Canadian Springs had rack- ed up about 9,000 accounts. “All of a sudden there was all this competition. Competition from back east moved out here. A company will come in and take a run at us and try to steal our ac- counts,”” says Bailey. ‘But people taste the product and try the ser- which they offer free on a trial basis and put their coolers next to ours, and tons of our customers are still sticking with us. Once you try Canadian Springs water for even a week you cant go back to tap water.’’ Falconer attributes the success of the company tc its employees and ‘‘marketing that is dene in an upbeat way. “Right from the, start we had ‘such a good response. We had our ups and downs, but the customers were always there,’’ says Falconer. Canadian Springs, which started out with just Bailey and Falconer, now employs 80 people, has 12,000 accounts and 23 delivery trucks. Sales last year were $4.5 million. In addition to its Vancouver plant, the company has a second plant in Victoria. It now services the Lower Mainland, Howe Sound, Squamish, Whistler, . Pemberion, the Sunshine Coast, Bowen Island and Vancouver See Over page 12 was because he did not believe in vice of the other companies, ‘Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree ...” A tree to last a lifetime. ont re We QUALITY ICE ‘ DISPERSION FOR SAF AND SNOW WET WEATHER * WINTER RADIALS . DRIVING HI SIERRA RADIAL TiA WR Steel Belted Winter PERFORMANCE Radial & LUXURY . FOR COMPACT TOURING CAR SIZES PREMIUM This seven foot model has hinged branches with over 600 tips of soft, pliable needles and is fashioned in the popular “Sugar Pine" design. It is totally Fire Retardant and comes complete with a sturdy metai stand. It's easy to install and looks just as 185 SRIZ 185/60/14 beautiful as the real thing. : 7195/60/14 Bf 155 SRI3 195/60/45 175/703 205/50/15 1108.00 jam $ 33 185/70N3 | 5 sir | 28 || [|e now SAQ Trailmaker Pius® ‘ids EXCEPTIONAL TRACTION FOR 205/70N4 PASSENGER CARS, VANS & 205/75N5 LIGHT TRUCKS 215175H5 LIMITED QUANTITIES! _ — er... _ BUY NOW BEFORE IT SNOWs! | PASASUSIEDESIT RSS NU MESO nae ee OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE AT SIMILAR SAVINGS MOUNTING & BALANCING EXTRA Hurry, quantities are limited. The best of everything. PEMBERTON PLAZA 1250 Marine Drive North Vancouver 985-3069 PARK & TILFORD 333 Brooksbank Avenue North Vancouver 983-3033