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September 24, 1981. Jerry and his first employees, "Mittens" on his lap and "Ceilidh", on his legs. Office #1 was located in Jerry’s third bedroom in South Vancouver.
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First calling card given out by Jerry.
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Ceilidh was office manager and ruled over all.
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Steve’s beloved dirt bike. Jerry giving advice to "at least get past the first turn in the race".
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1982. Jerry’s fiance, Barb. checking out the cattle in Alberta.
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Camridge Road, 1983. Jerry and Barb tie the knot. Barb’s sons David, 13, Scott, 15, and two of Jerry’s sons, Bruce, 20, and Steve, 22 move in with the happy couple. Office #2 was located in the basement of our home in West Vancouver.
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The basement, however, came with a pool which Steve used with glee (see left of picture).
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Owner and founder, Jerry, seen refinishing chairs which, with the table, ultimately became the Hardy Sales board room and lunchroom furniture.
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Most of the business at this time was in brokering sides of beef. This is Steve’s brother, Bruce, unloading sides from Alberta. in 1985, we started purchasing products, after placing a large mortgage on our home. Barb started an accounts payable and receivable system in small red books, the size of small photo albums.
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In 1986, we sold our house and made a big move of renting an outside office, #3, on Clyde Avenue, in West Vancouver, across from the Park Royal Hotel. It consisted of one room, 9’ x 12’ where Jerry, Bruce and Steve worked. Our first fax machine is seen here, behind the phone.
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One day a prominent international trader from the Marcos family in the Philippines approached Hardy Sales re buying products. d=Due to a lack of office space, he had to be seated outside, on a folding chair, at the patio door. For some reason, we never heard from him again...
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1988. Needing larger space, Hardy Sales moved to the "black tower" at the foot of Taylor Way in Park Royal in West Vancouver, where we sublet space from Piteau Geological Engineers. Office #4.
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Barb volunteered her time doing accounts payable and receivable in addition to her community health nursing. Note the absence of computers!
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View from the office of the north shore mountains.
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1990. Steve and Christine were married.
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1991. Piteau and Associates moved to Esplanade Avenue in North Vancouver and Hardy Sales again subletted ground floor space from them. Office #5.
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A bookkeeper (right) was hired to help Barb with the growing volume of work.
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Office #6. Needing more floor space, we moved again, upstairs on Esplanade. For the first time, we were not subletting from anyone.
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Jerry and Steve worked closely together in this quarter of the office. They shared this room also with John Boardman and brother Bruce. On the balcony, they grew rhodos and tomato plants...no pot.
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Halloween, a friend and photographer, Erik Grevlund came to visit and snapped this picture of our erstwhile founder and owner, in his "scottish kilt" and carrying his famous cane made from stretched bull parts.
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Steve opened a Calgary office in Alberta, where Steve and Christine lived for one and a half years. New staff member is Zane, who now is 12 years old. The family returned to North Vancouver in 1993.
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1995. Steve, Christine, Zane and Nate, a baby at the time, moved from North Vancouver to Langley, so the office was moved to Langley, near 92nd and 194th. Office #7. This was the year that Jerry had to undergo open-heart surgery.
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This also was the year that Jerry turned 65. Steve and Barb jointly decided to throw a "Happy 65...and Happy Retirement Party" for him. it was a surprise (and shock!!) with over 100 friends and family present. This shows Barb and Jerry’s total offspring at the party.
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Christine, the woman behind the Pres.
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In 1999, with the acquisition of new products and food lines, more staff and space were needed, so another move was made to the third floor of the Sportplex in Langley. This was a 5 year lease, for the 8th move.
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In 2003, land was purchased in order to build our own office, cold storage and freezer in Gloucester Estates Industrial Park in Aldergrove, 27417 Gloucester Way.
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The 2004 golf tourney at poppy estates; the fun before the big move.
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May 2004. Shell exterior of building.
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Construction sign.
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Management meeting in may at Jerry and Barb’s on Vancouver Island. Strategies were planned for the really big move to our new building.
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Under construction.
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Under construction.
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July 2004. Steve’s family atop the roof.
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Inside the building.
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Inside the freezer space.
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