20 — Sunday, December 7, 1997 — North Shore News

Mowing
success
goes for
greens

Robert Galster

News Reporter
rabert@usnews.cam

FROM Australia with
shears.

Jim's Mowing bas taken
Australia by storm and now it’s
growing locally,

Although new tothe North
Shore, Jim's Mowing is right
up there with Subway in terms
of being a world iranchise stuc-
cess story,

Atleast that’s what the clip-
pings say.

And there's no shortage of

those. Launched by fim
Penman, the company started
our small and simply never
stopped growing. It specializes
in all things outdoors, mowing
and a whole lot more. Penman
even wrote a book about it.

Flipping through = The
Cutting Edge gives one the
impression Penman relics on
luck a whole lor fess than basic
common sense and his own
instinct.

What is a gardening busi-
ness’s worst nightmare?

How about drought?

Add recession and subse-
quently debt and you've got
one seared Jim.

“Under the circumstances,
did what { knew best. First, |
prayed. Next, to stave off the
immediate crisis, [ got an
immediate loan from mv
father, Then To went cap) in
hand to the bank to get an
extension of our overdratt.”

So reads the book's narra-
tive of the Jim’s Mowing fran-
chise story. It’s not the stutf of
high finance, but it’s probably
the way it happened, which if
nothing else makes this tale a
readable one.

OF course, Penman man-
aged to climb out of his crisis
in mdre or fess one piece, as
evidenced by his foray inte the
more moist climate of North
Vancouver.

Not exactly his own foray,
but the name and philosophy
are intact.

The lacat head Jim is actu
ally named Dennis Reidy, and
he is pumped.

“Ethink we'll have 10 or 42
Jims oa the North Shore by
next sumuner,” said Reidy, 51
who owns the Jim's Mowing
right. to all of Canada.

So far, he has four fran-
chisee operating on the North
Shosc.

Reidy initially heard about
the company from an
Australian: tnend.

After 24 years ay an execu:
tive, he felt ready fora change.

“It (Jim's Mowing! stick
in the back of my mind and
three monty tater [ juse made
the call” said) Reidy, who
ended up talking te the top
lim himself.

A few conversations Later
he was soldi on the concept and
brought it to Canada, con:
vineed it can take root here as
well,

According to Reidy, one of
the things that sets Jim’s apart
is its willingness ta de any task

“The one thing we won't
dois we don’t know how to
doit” sad Reidi. “HE veu pat
mein a bed ot roses... PE would
he dangerous, but someone on
our teat ean do tina.”

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JIM'S Mowing of Canada
president Dennis Reidy
(foreground) and three
of his four North Shore
Jims: {ieft to right) Craig
Reidy, Cameron Stewart
and Trevor O'Donnell.
The franchise business
started in Australia but
has since taken root
around the world.

[vaxeeaa |:

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® Hiiches

Drop a hint -
this Christmas!

Tell them you are on file at...

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March Vancouver 984-6:
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‘West Vancouver 926-

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1 or E-mail: ftrenshaw @ direct.ca