7 HE SAID/SHE SAID: The news and views of area executives on pertinent business issues of the day.
16 CORPORATISM:
Jim Blasingame asks: do you think like a consumer, or an executive, when making buying decisions.
L2 AT A GLANCE
A look at the consumption trends and nuts and peanut butter across the globe.
2 CROSSWORD
Take a coffee break from work and challenge yourself with our crossword.
3 ESSEX ECONOMICS
A series of guest columns by business executives on various trends in the region.
8 PRIME PROPERTY
A look at recent commercial property transfers in the city of Windsor .
10 PRIME HOME
A look at residential property sales in Essex County and Chatham-Kent.
12 BUILDING PERMITS
A compilation of construction activity in the Windsor and area market.
13 WORLD OF WORK
A career advice column by two workplace consultants and career coaches.
15 START UPS
Newly incorporated firms launched in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent.
ook for big things to come from one of North America’s very few glutenfree breweries. The Brady family of South Essex/Gesto neighborhood, owners of the Brookston Oaks brewery recently purchased the former Peavey Mart building on Talbot Street in Essex for almost $2.7 million.
“We’re currently on a farm of oak trees and on Brookston clay,” hence the name, Wayne Brady said.
But in just a year their beer has take off as a gluten-free brew of choice, drawing customers from as far away as the Greater Toronto Area and across the border. Until now, the beer has been brewed only on the farm. The company currently
Continued on page 4
AT A GLANCE
JUST THE FACTS:
• The global peanut butter market has shown steady growth, with revenue increasing from $5.1 billion in 2022 to $5.6 billion in 2024.
• This growth reflects both population increases and rising per-capita consumption in various markets worldwide.
• While Americans still eat vast absolute volumes – about 694,000 tonnes per year, when population is factored in, they trail 10 other nations.
• African nations are major peanut producers and consumers, although their product is used differently from the processed variety available in Western supermarkets.
• In Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger, peanut sauce accompanies everything from rice to fufu, pushing average consumption well past Western levels. The affordability and long shelf-life of peanut butter also make it a valuable protein source in regions where refrigeration is limited.
• So, while Americans still rank among the world leaders in total tonnage, per-capita intake is only onethird of Burkina Faso’s. Growing competition from almond and sunflower spreads, plus shifting dietary trends, appear to be capping further gains in the U.S.
• Americans consumed a record 4.4 lbs (2 kg) per capita in recent years, with Canada consuming less at 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg) per capita.
Source: Visual Capitalist, 2025.
I DO HOPE THE NEXT MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE GOES SMOOTHER THAN THE LAST ONE. WE NEED TO CONFRONT THE ISSUE OF DECLINING MEMBERSHIP HEAD ON.
BUSINESS BOOST
“Many salespeople, in tandem with their managers, have the conviction that emotional training problems such as anger, depression and call reluctance are deadly. We agree that they’re never fun and should always be taken seriously.
“But they’re not the most deadly problem faced by sales trainers.
“That distinction is reserved for a situation that is far more difficult, perhaps even impossible, to deal with: low motivation. It can surface as any of three disconcerting, energy-robbing behavioral addictions: lethargy, disinterest or apathy. Any one is a career killer.”
George W. Dudley and Shannon L. Goodson in: The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance, Behavioral Sciences Research press Inc., 2007.
VOLUME 29, ISSUE 10 • MARCH 2026
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nadia H. Shousher
ART DIRECTOR David Cowx
CONTRIBUTORS Jim Blasingame, Dan Chase, 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., 2026.
THE PAGE PUBLISHING CORP. 552 PITT STREET WEST, SUITE 101
One hopes that, during the course of living and running a business for over 29 years, the journey would also be one of self-discovery, even if that discovered isn’t something to brag about. Case in point: I have recently discovered, much to my embarrassment, that I have a somewhat unhealthy attachment to odd and sundry items, including office equipment.
A few years ago we replaced the equipment in our IT room with a single highfalutin machine that does everything but my laundry. It scans and Emails, sends to computer desktops around the world and collates dozens of pages into unique formats. It allows one to manipulate a scan so it becomes far removed from what it originally looked like. It copies and prints from both sides, and can even combine and reduce 30 sheets of paper so they all fit on one. It collates, organizes and reproduces to the extent I can publish my own book if the mood strikes. Talk about high tech! I can barely use all the features on my cell phone or Smart TV …
Time was, a photocopier just photocopied. You know, you lifted the lid and placed the original on a screen, then pressed a button. And voila! You had a photocopy. Not anymore, my friend.
Perhaps I am not so attached to objects as I am merely sentimental. Who would believe it? I am a throwback to another generation, where it’s impossible to throw out or re-gift a gift. Don’t like it? Too bad! Would never use it? Never say never! Even if its purpose is unrecognizable to modern man, it finds a home in my permanent collection by virtue of it being originally given to me in kindness.
So, call me a traditionalist. I have a hard time letting go of the old ways and embracing the new, especially when the old ones served their purpose so well.
I admit I draped myself over our old copier as it was being wheeled away, and got a little teary eyed when the printer spewed out its last press release before being unceremoniously unplugged. I wouldn’t be so quick to admit it if there were not several witnesses to the melodrama. These machines may be circa 2007, but what of it?
Maybe it’s not so much the item itself as what it represents – a simpler time, the end of an era, a fixed and recognizable point on the evolution of my business and life.
Or maybe I’m just an overly sentimental packrat who has a hard time throwing out anything, even when it’s on its last leg.
Could I have separation anxiety? Abandonment issues? I prefer to think I just embrace my sentimentality.
Nadia
H. Shousher is Editor-in-Chief of Windsor Business, a division of The Page Publishing Corp.
ESSEX ECONOMICS
JOE CURCILLO
Meeting rules that give back time
Most leaders you meet are losing almost a full workday every week to meetings that go nowhere. Same people. Same topics. No real movement. You have seen it in boardrooms and job trailers.
The problem is not that you have meetings; it’s that your meetings are built for silos, not for the whole business. Everyone shows up to speak for their lane, but no one is asked to hold the entire picture.
That is where a generalist mindset helps. You treat every meeting as the place where the system comes together. Here are rules you can put in place this week. If you stick to them, you will get back hours you are now wasting in repeat conversations, and walk out of the room with one plan instead of six versions.
Rule 1: Give every meeting one clear job. For example, “decide how we will handle renewals for next quarter” or “Fix the delay between sales promise and delivery reality.” If you hear yourself saying “and” in the purpose, you are trying to fit too much into one hour. Park the extra question for another time. One job gives you focus. Focus gives you time back.
Rule 2: Invite roles, not just titles. Build your list by role, like this:
• Someone who lives closest to the customer
• Someone who runs the daily work
• Someone who watches risk and cost
• Someone who can tell the story to the rest of the company
Those roles might sit in four different departments. You want different lenses in the same room.
Rule 3: Use a straightforward path to decisions. We waste a lot of meeting time because no one is clear on how the decision will actually be made. Give your team one simple path:
• Ask: “If we get this right, what changes for the whole system six months from now?” Listen for impact across departments, not just in one area.
• Ask: “Given that picture, what can we actually commit to between now and Friday?”
That two-step keeps you from getting lost in theory. It respects the future and the present.
Rule 4: The last five minutes of a meeting are where you win back your week. I like to have each person say one clear sentence: “I will do ___ by ___ date, and I will loop in ___ so they are ready.”
When you run meetings this way, two things happen fast: you stop having the same conversation three times in three different rooms, and people know the meeting has a real job.
You need to treat every meeting as a place where the system gets in tune: one clear plan walking out the door. Try these rules, and watch what happens to your schedule, your stress and your team’s follow through.
Joe Curcillo is a strategist, speaker and author of Beyond the Prompt: Leading with Purpose in the Age of AI. Visit www.joecurcillo.com
Windsor-based automation firm on move to a larger location on Walker
Windsor-based Konnectsys has moved to the forefront of technological innovation, but is also on the move across Windsor. Behind the scenes, the locally-based smart building automation and energy management company has been quietly shifting its home base from the current location on Foster Avenue, to 3314 Walker Road.
“We bought the building three years ago as a strategic move,” said Konnectsys’ general manager, John Mastroianni. Wanting to move away from a leased property, they purchased the Walker property, expecting to grow into it over time. Mastroianni admits the company has expanded even faster than anticipated, necessitating the move. They are currently renovating the space, which will feature a 1,000-square-foot warehouse, a showroom, and more professional office space, while expanding the company’s capabilities for its 18 employees.
Founded in 2019, the automation contractor has made waves in its industry, winning the 2024 Honeywell Canadian Contractor of the Year award. Through cutting-edge automation, Konnectsys makes commercial and institutional build-
ings smarter and more energy-efficient by designing and installing systems that control HVAC, lighting, security systems, gas detection, energy use, as well as greenhouse gas tracking.
“We will automate a building head-to-toe,” says Mastroianni.
“How do you know you’re improving performance if you’re not measuring it?” With the current economic climate, he says that cost management is paramount. “Buildings are going to have to get smarter, because energy is not going to get any cheaper.”
KONNECTSYS IS INVESTING IN PROPRIETARY ENGINEERING AUTOMATION TOOLS AND EARLY-STAGE HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT.
Konnectsys is expanding beyond traditional building automation, with the launch of a dedicated software division focused on energy performance and greenhouse gas tracking. The company is developing custom dashboards that monitor energy consumption, operating costs and emissions in
real time, helping clients measure and improve building efficiency.
The platform has already been deployed at the University of Windsor and is being introduced to the City of Windsor. In addition, Konnectsys is investing in proprietary engineering automation tools and early-stage hardware development, positioning the company as an emerging technology-driven player in the smart building sector.
Its major clients also include regional school boards and municipalities across Southwestern Ontario, including Leamington, Chatham-Kent, Sarnia, London and St. George.
“We win most of the work for the City of Windsor and school boards, and it’s competitive,” said Mastroianni. “We spend a lot of resources to make things faster internally, and I think that’s been our competitive edge.”
Konnectsys competes with major industry players such as Honeywell, Johnson Controls and other large building automation firms operating in Ontario. Despite facing multinational competitors, Konnectsys differentiates itself through its local presence, focus on training, and investment in internal automation.
Gluten-free brewery expanding to retail site
Continued from page 1
needs more space for a second brewery, which will likely include dining and retail services.
“It’s gaining popularity, so we have to expand (due to) the limitations of the farm based on power consumption, sewers and natural gas,” Brady said. “The gluten-free brewery makes us very unique.”
So quickly has the brewery been growing in popularity, it also opened a 30-seat taproom in Cottam – a precursor to the larger Essex location – which also makes it unique.
“I haven’t found another glutenfree brewery in North America that owns its own taproom,” Brady said.
“Our clientele averages a two hour drive to come and visit us,” he said.
“It’s really rare to have a restaurant with gluten-free beer on tap.”
There are only a few gluten-free breweries in all of Canada.
Brady said full plans for the new Essex site “are not complete” as it awaits government permits.
The Bradys decided on brewing gluten-free because celiac disease runs in the family.
“It’s been a difficult go for people with celiac,” he said. “It’s effectively difficult for them to go out for dinner.”
The brewery also has a small retail shop at the Cottam site – appropriately called Taproom and Mercantile – where people can buy gluten-free frozen food sourced from local suppliers.
As for the new Essex site, initial use will be for the expanded brewery, which is at least six months off. “There are going to be some significant investments in renovations,” Brady said.
“There are plans for a lot of things there,” he added. “The brewery doesn’t need that much space.” Brady is a “big proponent of having more for people to do, other than just sit around and drink beer.”
Brookston Oaks’ products are a lager, an ale and a traditional stout. A premium brew is called “My Wife’s Bitter” – a fun play on Brady’s wife being “bitter about being celiac, although not as much anymore.”
They also sell at several pubs and eateries appealing to a wider community.
With gluten-free, “you don’t get the gut rot or bloating you get with other beers,” Brady said.
And demand is growing. “Up to 20 percent of our market is currently trying to reduce their gluten intake,” he said.
Answers for biweekly and organic waste pickup
It’s called the Trash Basher. And its invention is timely, given the move of local municipalities to biweekly trash pickup from weekly, and concerns about overstuffed garbage bins.
Windsor’s R. J. Steel & Copper Co. has come up with an invention that will allow you to compact your own trash.
“Now that it’s biweekly you’re going to have a lot more trash in these bins,” said owner Ryan Jordan. “And introducing an organic waste bin, you probably don’t want to use your hands pushing it down.”
The steel apparatus retails for $75 and can be purchased through Facebook Marketplace or at trashbasher.ca. It weighs five pounds, permitting pretty much anyone capable of using it. The plate to push the garbage down is 12 inches by eight inches.
“You hook it to the hinges of the bin and then you just use centrifugal force – your own power – to crush down cardboard, garbage, leaves or organic waste,” Jordan said. “It’s basically leverage.”
He hasn’t had any feedback from government or private garbage and recycling companies. “That would be nice to hear from them,” he said.
RJ Steel has been in business
since 2000 as a metal fabricator and manufacturer. Jordan said the product was a “perfect fit” for his fullservice welding fabrication shop.
The company is currently replacing the main gates at Willistead Manor. “Those gates are actually in our shop right now,” he said.
Jordan said even tightly compacted trash shouldn’t be a problem for the new trucks, with high powered automatic dumping arms. As an experiment, Jordan “jammed it in there really well – and it was wet too – and (the truck operator) did it once and just had to bump it again. No problem.”
Jordan thinks sales will take off when people realize organic waste bins are hard to handle. “I think what’s going to happen when the summer comes, it’s going to be a mess,” he said. “Nobody’s going to want to put their hands in that thing.”
Jordan said his company also sells a related sealant to close the bin almost airtight, to prevent insects from entering. “Those green bins are very flimsy,” he said.
Miller Waste Systems, which handles Windsor garbage collection, had no comment: “At this time, we’re not in a position to provide comment on this product.”
BY RON STANG
Formula First buys land with plans to grow to include high-end detail shop
Windsor-based Formula First Collision has purchased two nearby properties, parts of which will be turned into a detailing shop.
The upmarket repair shop –unique at least in southern Ontario – acquired the lots at 9502 and 9520 Tecumseh Road East. Its own address is slightly to the west at 9420.
There has long been Rainbow Flowers & Gifts there, which has closed.
“I’m going to open up a highend detail shop,” owner Franco Gobbato said. There are also a couple of houses as well as open land. Gobbato said he “hasn’t decided” what he may do with the sites, totaling almost 1.5 acres.
He purchased them in January for $1.4 million.
“For now, we’re going to start there,” he said. “There are some things on the go but until they’re set in stone, I’d rather not say.”
The unique business dates from when his father owned it as Continental Collision; Franco himself started there in 1965.
The business handles vehicles like Porsche, Jaguar, Audi and BMW, but will repair any make and model. The shop itself doesn’t at all look like a typical auto body business; it
WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS WORTH?
98% of owners don’t know the value of their business. We can help you find out, and integrate it with your financial plan.
looks more like a restaurant or hotel lounge.
“We have a lot of plants, parrots, canaries, chickens, palm trees, and lemon trees,” Gobbato said. They also have a resto serving organic food, and a garden in summer growing pesticide-free food.
The business is a locale for special functions, holding weddings, wakes and charitable events there.
This past year they hosted the
Transition to Betterness event and will again this year. “There was $40 million-worth of high-end cars that showed up!” Gobbato said. His shop staff train “all over the world” to work on high-end vehicles. Of his 32 employees, only one has worked for another collision shop. “And he comes from England; he’s a top tier. The rest have been all trained in-house,” the owner said.
Todd T. Hopper (CFP, Executive Financial Consultant), James Sproat (CFP, Business Development Coordinator), Erica Rea (Executive Assistant), and Richard Saba (DFSA, Associate Advisor)
BY RON STANG
Two mysterious County properties sales close, one in a Power of Sale
Recently two major Essex County properties were sold, one the former Sun Parlour School, the other the County Court Apartments on Sherk Street in Leamington.
The school was sold in January to a local developer for $2.3 million. He is named in sales documents as Andy Leblang, with Belle River-based Oakhurst Developments Ltd.
He could not be reached for comment.
The school sits on just over seven acres and is immediately adjacent to Essex District High School. While it has often been described as being in Essex, it is actually in Lakeshore as a result of a strange boundary jog.
A Lakeshore town official had no further information on renovation permits being requested
•
•
for the property.
Another wrinkle is that while the school closed in 2008, it was only put on the market last September. The school had a rich legacy of providing education to students with intellectual disabilities. It dates from 1961 when the Essex County Association for Retarded Children was formed,
Continued on page 15
BY RON STANG
New retailers to give Windsor mall more clout RETAIL
Build-A-Bear and Victoria’s Secret may do wonders to build customer traffic at Devonshire Mall. And in an age when the generic mall is falling out of favor – though Devonshire is one of Canada’s strongest –these type of retailers will bring in more consumers simply because of the type of stores they are.
Build-A-Bear, for instance, is highly interactive, allowing kids and families to literally build and dress stuffed animals. Victoria’s Secret is the kind of retailer where customers prefer to shop in person, rather than buying intimate clothing online.
Build-A-Bear “drives even more traffic in big groups, typically because they do a lot of birthdays and parties. So, it drives more traffic onto the property and that really benefits the rest of the retailers,” said Lisa Hutcheson, strategist with JC Williams Group of Toronto. “It drives dwell time for a shopping center, which is a big metric, because they like to keep the people in the property as long as possible. It’s giving that extra element of entertainment.
They’re not just going for commodity shopping.”
Her firm did a study on Gen Alpha (the oldest now aged 16 years). After “growing up digital” and even being locked down during Covid, now “it’s like a novelty for them to go to the mall.”
As for Victoria’s Secret, “it is much more service-led and something people tend to prefer to buy in store than online.”
Victoria’s Secret will be competing in the mall with La Vie en Rose, which is “pretty similar,” Hutcheson said.
Mariane Boucher of La Vie en Rose, long-time tenant at the mall, said: “The arrival of Victoria’s Secret is something we take thoughtfully, and we approach this new competition with confidence. La Vie en Rose is financially strong, established in Canada, and well equipped to continue growing.”
“This is a big market, and Devonshire is a big property,” Hutcheson said, adding some of these segment retailers replace the curated boutiques or collections that used to exist in department stores, like Sears and Hudson’s Bay
BY RON STANG
County of Essex adding to portfolio of properties PURCHASE
The County of Essex has bought a property in central Windsor, the former Beer Store at 1780 College Avenue. The County scooped it up for $1.7 million January 28. The seller wasn’t The Beer Store itself, but Froun Holding Co. Ltd. of Toronto. It sits on almost two acres.
Froun could not be located online but, according to OpenGovCa, there is a Froun Sweets “operating as” Baskin Robbins ice cream.
Essex County solicitor David Sundin says it’s hardly unusual for his municipality to own properties in Windsor. It all has to do with which municipality has jurisdiction over certain shared services. “There are plenty of them (Windsor properties),” he said, adding there will shortly be at least a few more purchases in the city.
Sundin couldn’t disclose exactly what the building will be turned into. “But there are services the County provides that are for (both) the County and the
city,” he said. And there are properties jointly owned by both, such as solid waste facilities.
“If you did a search, you’d find a number of EMS (ambulance) bases that are owned by the County.” He said some of this has to do with the historic downloading by the provincial government to different municipalities.
“During the downloading of services, the City was tasked with providing social services to the whole region, and the County was tasked with providing land ambulance services to the whole region,” Sundin said.
Last year, The Beer Store closed two city stores – this one, and the one at 790 Goyeau Street. They were among nine across the province closed last July; there are four other city locations.
At the time, the company said in a statement: “The Beer Store is modernizing operations to meet the needs of (the) marketplace. This means making the difficult decision to close some stores.”
QUESTION: Do you have any hobbies? If so, do they have any impact on your work performance?
“Sports! The most impactful one being golf. There’s lots of time to chat when you are hitting a little white ball around a field for three to four hours with clients!”
“Gardening has always been a way for me to slow down, clear my mind and connect with nature. It is very similar to interior design; creating unique spaces with the same design principals, allowing me to experiment and create a cohesive aesthetic.”
“One of my hobbies is playing soccer, which keeps me active outside of work. The physical activity helps me stay energized and focused throughout the day, allowing me to perform better, think sharper, and maintain a positive mindset every day.”
“Running is my hobby, often with my kids in their stroller. It doesn’t take away from my work. If anything, it sharpens my focus, clears my mind and keeps my body strong so I can perform at my best daily.”
“I participate in a mixed darts and cornhole league, and enjoy long walks with my dogs. Having hobbies supports work performance by reducing stress, creating balance and helping me come back to work recharged, focused and more productive.”
Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: 2046639 Ontario Inc.
PRIME PROPERTY
THE FOLLOWING, PROVIDED BY REALTRACK.COM, REPRESENT SOME OF THE TOP COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS IN THE ESSEX & CHATHAM-KENT AREAS:
SOLD
Address: 5485 Di Cocco Ct., Tecumseh
Selling Price: $1.25 million
Vendor: 1277032 Ontario Inc.
Purchaser: 1001381556 Ontario Inc.
SOLD
Address: 4550 Joachim Dr., Tecumseh
Selling Price: $2,714,600
Vendor: Castle Gate Towers Inc. Purchaser: 10144789 Canada Inc.
SOLD
Address: 544-546 Notre Dame, Lakeshore
SOLD
SOLD
Address: 102 Talbot St. N., Essex
Selling Price: $1.3 million
Vendor: 102 Talbot Development Inc.
Purchaser: Orchard Group Holdings 2025 Inc.
Address: 401 Talbot St. N., Essex Selling
$2.675
Vendor: Named Individuals Purchaser: W Brady Holding Corp.
Selling Price: $1.45 million
Vendor: St. Pierre Holdings Inc. Purchaser: 1670057 Ontario Ltd.
Address: 20210 Communication Rd., Chatham-Kent
Selling Price: $6.8 million
Vendor: Blenheim Portfolio Inc.
Purchaser: Crestpoint Real Estate (Prometheus) Inc.
Address: 540 Notre Dame, Lakeshore
Selling Price: $1.32 million
Vendor: Wymac Investments Inc.
Purchaser: 1001336829 Ontario Inc.
SOLD
Address: 8954-8957 Allison Line, Chatham-Kent
Selling Price: $5,812,500
Vendor: Named Individuals
Purchaser: Ridge (Chatham) Holdings GP Inc.
PRIME HOME SALES
SOLD
Where: 12372 Demarse
Crt., Tecumseh
Property Size: 43’ x 117’
# Bedrooms: 3 + 1
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $4,277
Listed For: $639,000
Sold For: $645,000
SOLD
Where: 196 Grace Rd., Tecumseh
Property Size: 52’ x 138’
# Bedrooms: 3
# Bathrooms: 2
Taxes: $3,482
Listed For: $619,900
Sold For: $607,500
SOLD
Where: 1314 Orchard Blvd., Kingsville
Property Size: 50’ x 175’
# Bedrooms: 3
SOLD
Where: 68 Willow Beach Rd., Amherstburg
Property Size: 80’ x 150’
# Bedrooms: 2 + 1
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $4,201
Listed For: $599,888
Sold For: $575,000
SOLD
Where: 112 Windsor Ave., Colchester
Property Size: 100’ x 78’
# Bedrooms: 1
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $3,499
Listed For: $429,000
Sold For: $400,000
SOLD
Where: 21945
Communication, Chatham
Property Size: N/A
# Bedrooms: 3
# Bathrooms: 3
Taxes: $3,811
Listed For: $599,000
Sold For: $547,000
# Bathrooms: 3
Taxes: $6,825
Listed For: $875,000
Sold For: $840,000
SOLD
Where: 15 Longfield Lane, Leamington
Property Size: 58’ x 114’
# Bedrooms: 2
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $2,950
Listed For: $370,999
Sold For: $380,000
SOLD
Where: 12 Victoria, Leamington
Property Size: 50’ x 60’
# Bedrooms: 2 + 1
# Bathrooms: 1
Taxes: $2,400
Listed For: $319,900
Sold For: $300,000
MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT COMMERCIAL:
• Contractors are building a 57unit apartment building on Tweedsmuir Ave. W. Value of construction: $20 million.
• Contractors are renovating a mixed use building to create 10 residential and one commercial unit on Main St. W. Value of construction: $900,000.
• North Shore Properties Ltd. is renovating a mixed use building to create 15 new residential units on Queen St. N. Value of construction: $1.2 million.
MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT RESIDENTIAL:
• Multi-Construction (Chatham) Inc. is erecting a single-family residence on Champlain Crt. Value of construction: $300,000.
• Greenwood Homes is building four single-family homes on Nazarene Rd. Values of construction: $450,000 each.
• Individuals are building a singlefamily residence on Stass Lane.
Value of construction: $50,000.
• Multi-Construction is building a single-family home on Champlain Crt. Value of construction: $450,000.
• Beenacker Brothers is building an addition to a single-family home on Thomson Line. Value of construction: $120,000.
• Campeau Custom Homes is building a single-family residence on Fenceline Dr. Value of construction: $650,000.
• Lightstone Homes is building a semi-detached residence on Elgin St. Value of construction: $500,000.
TOWN OF LASALLE COMMERCIAL:
• Contractors are doing interior fit ups at a bakery on Malden West Pkwy. Value of construction: $250,000.
TOWN OF LASALLE RESIDENTIAL:
• Individuals are building an addition to a residence on Nor-
mandy St. Value of construction: $1,714,582.
• Contractors are building two units of a semi-detached dwelling on Fields Ave. Values of construction: $700,000 each.
• Individuals are building an Additional Dwelling Unit to a residence on Todd Lane. Value of construction: $50,000.
• Individuals are building an Additional Dwelling Unit to a residence on Todd Lane. Value of construction: $50,000.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily home on Laier Lane. Value of construction: $739,730.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily residence on Matchett Rd. Value of construction: $2.3 million.
• Individuals are building an Additional Dwelling Unit to a residence on Front Rd. Value of construction: $50,000.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily residence on Chestnut St. Value of construction: $724,120.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily dwelling on Lyons Ave. Value of construction: $634,120.
• Contractors are building two units of a semi-detached dwelling on Chestnut St. Values of construction: $626,950 and $628,610.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily residence on LaSalle Woods Blvd. Value of construction: $1.1 million.
• Contractors are building two units of a semi-detached dwelling on Chestnut St. Values of construction: $610,430 and $615,040.
• Contractors are building two units of a semi-detached dwelling on Chestnut St. Values of construction: $624,740 and $618,550.
• Contractors are building three units of a townhouse on Tullio Dr. Values of construction: $459,370, 418,730 and 458,470.
• Contractors are building three units of a townhouse on Tullio Dr. Values of construction: $459,370, 418,730 and 458,470.
• Contractors are building three units of a townhouse on Tullio Dr. Values of construction:
$459,370, 418,730 and 458,470.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily residence on Chestnut St. Value of construction: $1,536,140.
• Contractors are building two units of a semi-detached dwelling on Tullio Dr. Values of construction: $505,190 each.
MUNICIPALITY OF LEAMINGTON COMMERCIAL:
• Contractors are doing renovations to a restaurant on Talbot St. W. Value of construction: $15,000.
• Contractors are doing renovations to an agricultural business on County Rd. 14. Value of construction: $250,000.
• Contractors are building a warehouse to an agricultural business on County Rd. 14. Value of construction: $250,000.
• Contractors are doing site servicing to a retail building on Erie St. S. Value of construction: $5.5 million.
• Contractors are building an addi-
Continued on page 14
BY JEANINE “J.T.” O’DONNELL
Job searching can feel demoralizing, so learn to stay motivated
Derek: I’ve been job searching for months, and I’m honestly losing hope. I’ve sent out dozens of applications, gotten ghosted, and faced rejection after rejection. I know I have good experience, but the process feels so demoralizing.
J.T.: First, let’s take a deep breath, because you just described what millions of professionals are feeling right now but don’t want to admit.
Job searching is emotionally brutal. It’s not just a career process –it’s a self-worth test you didn’t sign up for. You send out applications that get ignored. You have interviews that go great, until they don’t. You start questioning your value. And the silence? That’s the worst part. It’s not rejection you’re feeling, it’s invisibility.
So, let me say this clearly: You are not the problem. The process is. The modern hiring system is broken. Companies are overwhelmed, applicant tracking systems (ATS) filter out qualified people, and many recruiters are under pressure to fill roles fast. That means good candidates often get lost in the shuffle.
But here’s the mindset shift that can change everything: You’re not job searching. You’re business developing. You’re not begging for a position. You’re marketing your professional services to companies that need your expertise. That’s a different energy, and it’s one that helps you regain your confidence.
Let me share a story. A client of mine named Rob went through something similar. After 20 years in sales, he was laid off and couldn’t land anything. He was sending out 30 applications a week and getting nowhere.
When I asked him how he was approaching it, he said, “I’m trying to get someone to give me a chance.” That right there was the issue. He was asking for permission, instead of demonstrating value.
We shifted his strategy from applying online to backchanneling –reaching out directly to people inside the companies he admired. Within two months, he had three interviews through referrals – and landed a job that never even hit the job boards.
That’s the power of reframing your search as a business mission, not a personal plea.
Now, let’s talk about the emotional side – because staying motivated through rejection requires resilience, and resilience doesn’t come from “staying positive.” It comes from staying purposeful. Every morning, remind yourself: I’m not applying for jobs. I’m offering help.
That shift changes your entire
posture. You’re not hoping to be chosen. You’re seeking alignment with the right organization that deserves your time and talent. Here are three practical things I teach my clients to help them stay grounded during the search:
1. Set “process goals,” not just “outcome goals.” You can’t control when you’ll get an offer, but you can control your actions. So instead of saying, “I need a job by next month,” try, “I’ll reach out to three new connections this
week,” or “I’ll practice my interview answers for 30 minutes today.” Every small action builds momentum, and momentum beats motivation every time.
2. Build a job search routine with emotional recovery time. Searching for work full-time is draining. You need structure and recovery built in. Try this rhythm:
• Two hours in the morning for proactive tasks (networking, research, outreach).
• One hour later for reactive tasks
(applications, follow ups).
• Then walk away. No endless scrolling. Give your brain permission to rest so you can show up refreshed the next day.
3. Find community. Isolation is the biggest confidence killer. Whether it’s a job search group, an online community or a coach, surround yourself with people who get it. Because when you see others making progress, it reminds you that you’re not stuck – you’re in process.
You don’t need to stay positive. You just need to stay in motion. Because motion is what always leads to momentum, and momentum is what brings opportunity right to your door. * * *
J.T. O’Donnell is the founder and CEO of the job search career coaching platform Work It Daily. Visit workitdaily.com to submit your questions.
Jayson Bastien CFP™, CPA™ and CIM™ Financial Advisor 519-979-7334
jayson.bastien@edwardjones.com Tecumseh
Jennifer Johnson Financial Advisor 519-969-1419
Jennifer.Johnson@edwardjones.com South Windsor
Fast-growing local pizzeria hits north shore with its 12th location
Fast-growing Leamingtonbased OG (Original Guys) Pizza will be opening its 12th location in Lakeshore.
Owners Jason Bluhm and brothers Sergio and Domingos Braga, have purchased a two-storey commercial and residential building on Belle River’s Notre Dame strip for $1.45 million, soon to become the latest OG outlet.
Bluhm said it’s all a matter of waiting for municipal permits to go ahead before renovations can be carried out. These will divide the current T-Shirt Monkey store into two, at 1,000 square feet each, the t-shirt business and OG agreed to. OG will be a take-out location only. This follows the recent opening of OG’s Comber outlet.
“We totally renovated the old Comber Speedway (gas station), with other commercial and residential uses,” Bluhm said.
“The drawings are in the works” for the redesign, and there will be
some modifications to the building’s exterior as well, he said.
As for T-Shirt Monkey, “this is working out better for him, too, so it was win-win,” Bluhm added, since it will drive business to both.
“He didn’t need as much space as
he had, and we needed some of it, so it’s really turned out great.”
The other business in the building is 2 Waves Day Spa, which will remain there. There are five apartments upstairs, which the OG owners will also manage.
The building’s previous longtime owner, Rosaire St. Pierre, had “real pride in ownership” and took good care of the building, Bluhm said. “It’s a real cool story. He was still sweeping the hallways until he sold it.”
The OG owners, who have worked in the pizza business since they were kids, tout their “classic Windsor-style” pizza and use a stone deck oven.
Bluhm attributed OG’s growth streak to “having a great team. We’re the new guy on the block, so maybe we’re trying a little harder.”
There is already “a ton” of pizza shops along the Notre Dame strip, but given OG’s rapid expansion, it doesn’t daunt the owners.
Continued from page 12 tion to a service shop on Queens Ave. Value of construction: $70,000.
• Contractors are building an addition to an agricultural business on County Rd. 14. Value of construction: $60,000.
MUNICIPALITY OF LEAMINGTON RESIDENTIAL:
• Individuals are building an Accessory Dwelling Unit to a residence on Carter Ave. Value of construction: $75,000.
• Individuals are building a singlefamily residence on Carter Ave. Value of construction: $600,000.
• Contractors are renovating a multi-unit building on Erie St. N. Value of construction: $60,000.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily residence on Talbot Rd. E. Value of construction: $1 million.
• Individuals are building an Accessory Dwelling Unit on Erie St. Value of construction: $70,000.
• Contractors are building an Accessory Dwelling Unit on Carter
Ave. Value of construction: $150,000.
TOWN OF ESSEX COMMERCIAL:
• Contractors are building machine and grain storage units to an agricultural business on Road 2 W. Value of construction: $19,000.
• Contractors are doing renovations to an industrial building on Division St. N. Value of construction: $30,000.
TOWN OF ESSEX RESIDENTIAL:
• A numbered company is doing renovations to a multi-unit dwelling on County Rd. 34 W. Value of construction: $55,000.
• Contractors are building a singlefamily residence with an Additional Dwelling Unit on Road 11. Value of construction: $300,000.
• Lightstone Homes is doing renovations to a single-family residence on County Rd. 14. Value of construction: $75,000.
WB
WINDSOR, ESSEX COUNTY AND CHATHAM-KENT COMPANIES WERE RECENTLY ISSUED CERTIFICATES OF INCORPORATION UNDER ONTARIO’S BUSINESS CORPORATIONS ACT:
• 1 Main Street Kingsville Inc.
• 1225 McDougall Ltd.
• 31 North Electric Inc.
• 519 Community Sports Council Inc.
• 6ixty Chatham Inc.
• All Star Eateries & Bars Inc.
• Amico OSP Developers GP Inc.
• Anchor Health & Wellness Inc.
• Association For The Kenyan Community of Windsor-Essex
• Atlas Nord Cleaning & Maintenance Services Inc.
• ATM Automotive Parts Inc.
• BDS Belle River Inc.
• BDS Essex Inc.
• Belleau Media Inc.
• Big Sweep Cleaning Inc.
• Blacksage Kitchen Inc.
• Brushstrokes & Beyond Painting & Drywall Inc.
• Cadotte Farms Inc.
• Canadian Centre For Rights, Sustainability & Social Development
• Cassmoon Investments Inc.
• Damtimore Associates Inc.
• Dave Marro Personal Real Estate Corp.
• Delta Marine Services Ltd.
• Dr. Syed Umar Shah Medicine Professional Corp.
• Dream To Bloom Foundation
• D-River Precision Guitar Inc.
• E-360 Logistics Inc.
• Eagle Path Financial Planning
• Essex-Agri Consulting & Management Ltd.
• Feli & Francie Professional Cleaning Services Inc.
• Fiddick Kozinski Medicine Professional Corp.
• Fox Automotive Tire & Battery
• GMT Development Group Inc.
• Groen Electric Inc.
• Grondin Capital Properties Corp.
• Gui Construction Group Inc.
• Haffar Cleaning Co. Inc.
• Haider Abed Medicine Professional Corp.
• Hankala Express Inc.
• Healthcare Connect Services
• Iconic Collision Centre Inc.
• Illyrian Auto Inc.
• Ja-Line Logistic Ltd.
• JC Financial Ltd.
• JD Alliance Inc.
• Justice & Advocacy for The Incarcerated (JAI) Foundation
• Justin Veldhuis Personal Real Estate Corp.
• K Paterson Electric Ltd.
• Kolawole Adeniran Medical
Professional Corp.
• Larabee Construction Enterprise Inc.
• Leamington Hardware Inc.
• Luxurit Creations Inc.
• Malayika Super Store Retail Store Corp.
• Medina Investment Holdings
• Moretto Financial Strategies
• Movaro Construction Ltd.
• Musial Medicine Professional Corp.
• Najam Institute Foundation Inc.
• Nextgen Wheels Ontario Inc.
• North 42 Greenhouses Inc.
• Nova Capital & Advisory Inc.
• Salloum Corp.
• Panek's Plumbing Inc.
• Parallel Universe AI Inc.
• Pelee Island Bird Observatory
• Pentangle Tech Services Canada Inc.
• Pestalto Environmental Health Services Inc.
• Peter Piatkiewicz Personal Real Estate Corp.
• Prime Meats Inc.
• Pulito Electrical Contractors Inc.
• Rayaan Accounting - Tax & Bookkeeping Inc.
• R-Way Eatery Inc.
• Sarnia Fire Two Inc.
• Service4success Consulting Inc.
• Shahla Trading Corp.
• Stonevally International Investment Corp.
• Tecumseh Party Rentals Inc.
• Urban Structures Construction Inc.
• Venture Mobile Services Inc.
• We Speake Media Inc.
• Wide Investments Corp.
• Windsor Competitive Dance Company
• Windsor-Essex Realty Inc.
• Z. Adams Medicine Professional Corp.
• Zerqon Marketing Inc.
BY RON STANG
Former school and apartment quietly sold TRANSFER
Continued from page 6
“aiming to provide family-directed supports to people of all ages with intellectual disabilities” according to a description. The then-County school board took it over.
The current building dates from 1972. In 2008 the school closed and merged with Maplewood Elementary School, to create Essex Public School
“Sun Parlour School’s history is a story of community collaboration, dedication and the pursuit of educational excellence for individuals with intellectual disabilities,” the history added. “Its legacy continues to influence the education and support services provided in Essex County.”
School board spokeswoman Madeline McEachern said the reasons for the gap between closure and sale were “the severance process (from the high school property) took time to complete, and there were occupants in the building for a period of time.”
A childcare center and the Essex Food Bank occupied the space part of the time. It had also been used by Elections Canada as a voting location.
Meanwhile in Leamington, a Brantford-area native development group is associated with the purchase of the apartment building, which was a power of sale with the receiver being BDO Canada
The buyer was a numbered company associated with Justin Gee, vice-president of First Nations Engineering Services Ltd. (FNESL), located on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in Ohsweken. Gee did not respond to requests for comment.
Do you think like a consumer or an exec when buying?
TThis is the greatest thing since sliced bread.” Bet you wish you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard or said that. Such references are used to extol the virtues of some device or development that makes life easier, more productive and more enjoyable, like a laptop, the beloved remote control or Oreos with double cream filling. (You make your list – I’ll make mine.)
There are literally thousands of handy devices and developments
available to make our small businesses more productive. Not only do we have automated capability for almost every task, but also plenty of choices from multiple vendors, and at virtually every price point, including free, like shareware you can download. In the 21st century, if you want cool automation for your business, you can get it.
So our challenge with regard to acquiring capability is not can we have what we want, but rather, making sure we make good acquisition
decisions. Anyone can buy automation. But it takes an executive to properly integrate the acquisition of automation into the business, financially and operationally.
In the world of small business there are two kinds of managers: Those who think like a consumer, and those who think like an executive. Before you spend precious capital on anything, including technology, ask yourself which kind of thinking you’re using.
Consumers buy technology for
its own sake. Executives acquire technology because it fits their strategic plan. Consumers buy copiers; executives acquire the ability to reproduce and distribute. Consumers buy cell phones; executives acquire portable communication. Consumers buy trucks; executives acquire the ability to deliver product and service to customers.
If you want to think like an executive, make sure every capital purchase passes the ROI test. Here’s a low-tech executive rule-of-thumb
ROI method that doesn’t require any math:
Write down all the reasons you want to spend money on anything. Then look at each item on the list and see how many sound like: newer, faster, smaller, bigger, latest, or anything related to the concept of cool. These are features. Next, look for items on your list that sound like: saves time, saves money, increases sales, customers need it, the competition has it, or the competition doesn’t have it yet. These are benefits.
Consumers buy features. Executives know that features cost money and occupy space, while benefits make money, save money, deliver value and/or increase competitiveness. Executives make sure every purchase adds value to their operation and/or customer relationships.
While consumers consider the purchase price of an asset, executives know everything they buy for their business has a direct and an indirect cost associated with it.
Executives know they not only have to acquire an asset (direct), but also have to pay for the operation, maintenance and physical housing (indirect) of whatever they buy and put in service. Unfortunately, this total cost comes as a shock to a consumer, after it’s too late.
Executives know the only thing more expensive than an asset that doesn’t do all the things you thought it would, is the one you paid for but don’t use. And even though you don’t use it, you still have to store it, which means you would have been better off setting that money on fire.
Consumers know the prices of things, while executives know what things actually cost.
Anyone who reads or listens to my words knows how much I preach the importance of small businesses increasing productivity by acquiring and implementing technology. But I also know we have to take a holistic approach to committing our precious capital resources.
Write this on a rock: We can’t think like a consumer when it comes to making capital purchases. We must be executive thinkers who manage the allocation of all assets, including cash and credit.
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.
