BUSINESS

NV entrepreneur flush
with toilet opportunities

DISGUSTINGLY FILTHY
public toilets will be a thing
of the past if the future un-
folds according to the
business plan of North Van-
couver import-exporter
Hank Andresen.

The entrepreneur holds the Ca-
nadian and American marketing
rights for a new, high-tech, high-
hygiene toilet invented and
manufactured in West Germany.
The market for public toilets is
big. There are about 167.5 million
toilets being flushed across the
continent. Approximately 25.5
million of them are public-access
toilets installed in hotel, restau-
rant, store, and school washrooms.

Andresen, president and CEO of
Clean-Concept Inc., is in the pro-
cess of setting up a North Ameri-
can franchise network to distribute
by leasing agreement the
Cleanomat toilet. The toilet was
originally developed by Augsburg
industrial designer Rainer Lutz.

The toilet works this way: When
not in use, the seat is automatically
stored in a vertical position flush
against the watertank. The toilet is
activated by the user pressing a
foot button located at the bottom
of the bowl. The button causes the
seat to lower into position. The
seat is covered with a sheet of ab-
sorbent paper. The paper is held in
position by a paper holder in-

tegrated into the top of the seat. A
pack of paper seat sheets is in-
tegrated into the front of the
watertank.

business
briefcase

Michael Becker
ee eee eee

As soon as the user gets up from
the seat, flushing is triggered
automatically rather than man-
ually. The absorbent sheet is pulled
into the bowl by way of a paper
latch extending into the bowl.
While flushing, the bowl is
automatically disinfected with a
cleansing agent. The seat pops
back flush against the watertank

owt, CANASEAN Program

ss
% a
, ?

“eat mo’

Special Lecture Series

and a new absorbent sheet attaches
itself to the seat, ready for the next
user.

Andresen is counting on the en-
vironmentally friendly nature of
the toilet as a selling point. A
watertank capacity of six litres
versus the standard nine litres held
by most North American toilets
translates into a three-litre water
saving with every flush. The
paper-protected seat and
automated flushing mechanism
reduces the risk of bacterial infec-
tion.

Said Andresen, ‘“‘If I go dining
with my wife, the first thing I do is
go to see the washroom. If it’s
clean, we stay. The public
washrooin is the calling card of a
business. Some of them are a real
mess. The cleanliness of a
washroom is directly related to the
conduct of a business as a whole.
It’s a great feeling to sit on this
toilet.”’ But if German research
study statistics hold true, the feel-
ing must be foreign to many
women faced with having to use
public toilets. A full 90 per cent of
women, included in a group of
30,000 people polled in 1987, ad-
mitted to using public toilets
semi-standing.

The new automatic toilets have
been available in West Germany
for the past two months. Andresen
expects to take delivery of North
America’s first two Cleanomats
early next month. For more in-
formation call Clean-Concept Inc.
at 980-8536.

29 - Sunday, November 19, 1989 - North Shore News
Founding Meeting
ofthe sy
West Vancouver-—Garibaldi
Constituency Association
(Socia! Credit)

November 23, 1989

Gleneagles Golf Club House
6190 Marine Drive
West Vancouver, BC.

Registration — 7:00 pm.
Meeting — 8:00 p.m.

Guest Speaker: The Honourable John Reynolds,
MLA, Minister of the Environment

Date:
Location:

Time:

“THE CORPORATION —
OF THE DISTRICT OF
WEST VANCOUVER

AMBLESIDE REVITALIZATION UPDATE

Weather permitting, the following work is scheduled for
Ambleside Village this week:
Believue Avenue

Complete

15th to 18th Streets

install trees & shrubs

Repair 1300 Block parking

« Sidewalk & Curbs
© Brickwork

e Landscaping

® Paving

CLOSURES WILL OCCUR ON BELLEVUE
AS WORK PROCEEDS

Enquiries —
922-1211
Revitalization Project Manager (Local 239}, or
Planner, Zoning & Development (Local 206).

PRICES EFFECTIVE

NOVEMBER

“‘Canada - U.S. Free Trade Agreement
and its impact on ASEAN Trade and
Investment’’

Mr. Robert Dery, Director
Asia Pacific South Branch
Department of External Affairs Canada

Tuesday, November 21, 7 p.m.
Robson Square Media Centre

Dog —

MAINSTAY 10 v4

BRAND
= PER 100 GRAMS

The upcoming lecture on December 12 will be:
“Impressions of East and South-East Asia’’

For more information about the CANASEAN
Program, call 986-1911, local 2081

CAPILANO
COLLEGE

3 1
2055 Purcell Way * North Vancouver ¢ British Columbia L.

oronet Trust

MBER: CANADA DEPOSIT. INSURANCE: CORPORATION
NED BY SUN LIFE ASSURANCE .CO.
‘eRates subject to change

“IC — Interest Paid Anwally 7

PER LB = PER 100 GRAMS

| Mainstay Dog Food | | Purina Field N’ Farm
BULK STYLE 98)

| D0G FOOD 4 69s
‘OF OVERWAITEA FOODS — Owned and Operated by Birosn Columbian

SAVE-ON-FOODS

JNFORMATION NE.
'' 438-SAVE

“SHORT TERM GIC’s — Interest paid at maturity
% Sonus on $50,000 and over
30-59 DAYS

11% 120-179 DAYS
60 - 89 DAYS 114% 180-269 DAYS
90-119 DAYS.

-11%% 270-364 DAYS..
. | 20 Kg BAG 20 Kg BAG

Compare our rates, why settle for less?

Teresa Black Hughes Elteen Schaub
Manager, Deposit Services Administration Officer

2735 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, 8.C. Tel: 925-3112