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Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staft When Electrozad Supply Company opened its Waterloo branch earlier this year, they had high hopes for its sucâ€" cess. _ It‘s now four months later, and, said Electrozad (Waterloo) president Jack Eva, those expectations are rapidly being realized. 8 â€" . ‘"*We‘ve been very happy with what has happened. We‘ve acquired several large orders â€" our customer base has been continually expanding: everyday we‘re adding new customers to our lists," he said. ‘"We had a lot of high hopes for the area, and things are happening the way we hoped they would." Located in a 13,000â€"squareâ€"foot leased unit on Colby Drive, Electrozad (Waterloo) is a wholesale distributor of electrical and electronic goods. The company‘s line of more than 3,000 items ranges from light switches to highâ€"tech computerized programmable controllers deâ€" signed to control robotics used in modernâ€"day industry. ideal area â€"Tidâ€"biIz The company is the first distributor of its kind in Waterloo, and more importantly. is the only one in Kâ€"W to offer the mix of products which it does. Eva explained that Electrozad was attracted to the Kâ€"W area because of the highâ€"technology industries establishing here; exactly the type of business which Electrozad is structured to serve. _ ""We‘ve looked at the area for several years. In 1977 we did a market survey but felt at that time things weren‘t quite right," he said. ‘"Now the timing is right â€" the area is becoming more high tech and our company is becoming more firmly entrenched in that type of busiâ€" ness." Head office for Electrozad is in Windsor, but Eva stressed that the Waterioo firm operates independently . Electrozad also has affiliates in London and Sarnia, plus two companies in Michigan. _ This structure, Eva said, offers advantages to each of the affiliates, and ultimately, the customer. â€" â€" "Each company is selfâ€"sufficient â€" we do not rely on the head office for inventory, account services,"" he said. "But we use our collective strength to improve our purchasing power.‘" Also, the American connection provides the Waterloo firm with its *"most unique service." access to the US marketplace and US marâ€" kets. "We‘re associated with two American firms and use those two companies to import products,"" Eva ex plained. "Often Canadian distributors have to quote a sixâ€"toâ€"eightâ€"week delivery, because of customs and red tape. We can go right to the source of the material and have an item to the customer in threeâ€"toâ€"four days." or three shifts daily. He recounted a recent incident where one of Electrozad‘s customers had a breakdown on the production line. Electrozad was called, the needed part was located, and a company employee was dispatched to Toronto late at night to pick it up. The company was back in operation within four hours. Selling service In addition. Electrozad offers its clients aroundâ€"theâ€" clock service. which is vital to industries operating two "'-"'-l'rh-e;-tuhiné we often sziy to our staff is the only thing we have to sell is service,""> Eva emphasized. "Other companies can have access to the same products, the University of Waterloo board of gover nors ratified 1984â€"85 salary increases for all faculty. union and nonâ€"union staff last week. UW nonâ€"union staff will receive a five per cent general increase in salaries and salaryâ€"related benefits. It affects about 1,430 staff employees. The â€" agreement also calls for a oneâ€"year suspension of the merit program Approximately 390 members of Local 793 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees will also get a five per cent increase applied to the wage scale. The increases take effect July i UW Board ratifies increases In the faculty agreement, the assistant professor minimum salary has been raised three per cent and the minimum rate for other faculty increases by a Ball is rolling for Electrozad Area‘s high technology helps Don‘t be spooked by rising rates similar amount according to formula. The board approved a general increase of 2.36 per cent in base salary for all professors. The agreement also contains 2.36 per cent increase for administrative stipends and benefits will also be adjust ed according to salary level. As past experience has shown, Can ada‘s real estate markets can adapt to interest rate levels similar to those currently in place. Therefore, residential and commercial real estate activity should remain reasonably healthy in most markets for the remainder of the year. A.E. LePage, the country‘s largest realtor, says market forecast is based on the belief that the recent move to higher interest rates is a temporary situation difference is how we get the products to the marketplace That‘s what keeps customers coming back.~ _ Because of all these services, Eva is confident of Electrozad‘s future in the Waterioo area. He noted that a clear indication that the company has found its niche is the overwhelming success of a trade show held last week to mark Electrozad‘s official opening. Representatives from more than 200 industries attendâ€" ed to view Electrozad‘s product line, and Eva said, "company officials were very very pleased, but a little surprised By the size of the turnout. "Even before the show we felt we had something to offer this community that maybe hasn‘t been offered before. The show confirmed that." Electrozad Supply Co. (Waterloo) president Jack Eva (centre) cuts the ribbon at the official opening of the new company last week. Assisting in the ceremony were (lâ€"r) Ron Carrigan, Electrozad Windsor, Bryan Smith, president Electrozad Windsor, Waterioo Ald. Mary Jane Mewhinney and William Smith, vice president Electrozad Windsor. Responding to "pessimists‘‘ who claim that Canada is sliding back into condi tions similar to 1981, "when inflation was taking off like a rocket and interest rates were not only tracking inflation but gaining on it," Dimma points out that it is patently obvious that economic condi tions today and then are totally dif ferent. indicating the Canadian economy is moving into a period adjustment. Ac cording to LePage president William A. Dimma, interest rates may move higher. but in all likelihood not more than an additional one per cent between now and the end of the vear. "Then, we were straining the econom ics of both the United States and Canada to the utmost. Inflation was in the 13 â€" 14 per cent range in this country and interest rates were in the high teens and even low twenties. By contrast, we now have inflation in the five per cent range and a Canadian prime of 12 per cent hardly a recipe for strongly rising interest rates." OFFICIAL OPENING WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1984 â€" PAGE 11 If the company continues to grow at its present rate, Eva said, it will purchase land and build a plant in north Waterloo when its lease expires in four years. His personal goal is to make Electrozad (Waterloo) the second largest distributor in this area before those five vears are up. Currently there are seven electrical distributors in Kâ€"W, with MacDonald Electric of Kitchener the acknowledged leader. â€" â€" â€" ‘"Those goals are attainable ... things are changing so fast in the industry that as long as we stay on top of what‘s going on, we can easily displace some of our competitors,"‘ Eva concluded. The Kingtread campaign ran for five weeks between April 2 and May 6, and will reappear this fall during September and October. All Canadian metropolitan areas are covered. Kauftman‘s Demolition a winner Kaufman Footwear‘s "Demolition‘‘ ad for the Kingtread safety boot range has been awarded a bronze BESSIE award by the Canadian Television Bureau. BESSIES are awarded annually by the bureau for creative excellence in the television advertising category . The Kingtread ad features a demolition ball crashing its way down a brick wall. Prominently displayed on the wall is a Kaufman Kingtread billboard. When the ball reaches the poster it bounces off of the boot‘s toe as the announcer reassure the viewer, ‘‘Remarkable Kaufman Kingtreads Tough enough to take anything you can throw at them." Chronicle photo