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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