Andrew Abbass says he has a new business ready to be set up in Corner Brook.
The only problem is he can’t find a suitable location to get the enterprise started.
Originally from Labrador, Abbass is a graduate of the electronics engineering technology program at the College of the North Atlantic in Corner Brook. His business idea, though, is to produce a specialized fertilizer that is both a pesticide and a fungicide.
Abbass said the idea, which would operate under the name Holistic Nutrients, would provide a product currently not readily available on the island of Newfoundland.
Last December, The Western Star published an article with Abbass, outlining his frustrations over the self employment assistance program funded by the provincial government. He said he has since made it through that program, has completed a business plan, made marketing contacts and has figured out his financing options to finally get Holistic Nutrients off the ground.
All he needs is the proper place to get to work on it.
“I’m sitting on what amounts to a lab,” he told The Western Star. “The City (of Corner Brook) has shown me light industrial and heavy industrial buildings I can occupy but, because I’m setting up something temperature-sensitive, it’s impossible to heat these locations I’ve seen so far.”
Abbass says he needs an insulated space in the vicinity of 1,200 to 1,500 square feet in area, but could probably make do with 1,000 square feet.
Besides the city, he has sought out the help of local real estate agents, the Venture Centre in Pasadena and a local contractor that owns several properties in and around Corner Brook.
“I can’t understand why it’s so hard to find a suitable place,” he said. “It has to be insulated and not in the back of some drafty old warehouse.”
Abbass said he has all of his money invested in his business idea and time is of the essence since the business is reliant on the growing season. He said he has a private investor interested in helping him and has customers lined up who want to buy his product.
As summer wears on, he feels this year will soon be lost.
“I’m out on a limb now and it’s like it’s being sawed off behind me,” he said.
He’s willing to set up Holistic Nutrients anywhere he can, but Abbass would prefer to keep it close to Corner Brook
“It’s a sad story if it comes to it, but I may have to go to the Avalon if I want to get this started because there may not be something available in western Newfoundland,” he said.
