BUSINESS PULSE: Surf the Web from a portable potty
I know the excitement of Lowe’s is in the air and it’s almost enough to make me skip over my weekly babble and jump right into the business news. The key word in that sentence is it was almost enough.
I can’t skip over this week’s silliness because I’ve got some neat things to tell you. For instance, I understand a toilet was recently stolen from police headquarters. I’m not so sure they’ll ever catch the criminal because right now officers have nothing to go on.
OK so that’s a little bathroom humor for you. And speaking of bathrooms I can’t pass up the story that’s coming from Seattle, Wash. And some of you may have heard this story yourself.
A division of Microsoft is currently adding a new twist to the portable potties we have all grown to love. This division of Microsoft called iLoo is developing portable potties with Internet access for use in Britain. For the record, “loo” is a slang word for commode in Britain.
The toilets will have a waterproof keyboard positioned in front of the seat for folks using the facility and there will be another built-in connection on the outside for people standing in line.
If that’s not enough, company officials say they would like to stock the portable potties with toilet paper imprinted with Web addresses. That way patrons may find a few Web sites they have never seen before.
Said company spokesperson Tracy Blacher, “The Internet is so much a part of everyday life now that surfing on the loo was the next natural step. People used to reach for a book or magazine when they were on the loo, but now they’ll be logging on.”
The device is expected to be in use at festivals this summer in Britain, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has said. There’s no word on if, or when, the iLoo will make its way to America.
I can only hope they keep their iLoo on their side of the pond because I’ll go ahead and say it. This sounds like a stupid idea to me.
For starters, portable potties are disgusting. If and when I’m ever forced to use one, I try not to let any part of my flesh actually touch the thing. I go in. I get out. End of story.
The last thing I’m going to be doing in a portable potty is kicking back and surfing the Internet. Generally speaking, I usually don’t dilly-dally when I’m so close to raw sewage.
My second problem surrounds the very nature of portable potties. They are usually used at festivals and other large, outdoor events where regular plumbing is not available. And they are frequently used at events where beer is served.
How long do you think it’s going to take before some yahoo decides the keyboard is a better place to do his business than the potty itself? Folks already urinate all over the seat and the floor. There’s nothing to make me believe a keyboard wouldn’t provide a perfect bull’s-eye.
As for other things not quite as smelly, I’m glad you asked. Lowe’s is on its way and so is today’s Business Pulse.
Lowe’s hopes to revitalize Cumberland Plaza
I hate it for the local mom and pop stores that might be hurt by the arrival of Lowe’s, but overall I’m thrilled this town is getting a Lowe’s. It will no doubt be great for Cumberland Plaza and the stores which have struggled to survive there for years.
All my questions haven’t been answered since Lowe’s has declined to comment until the deal is officially finalized this week, but Edens & Avant, the company which has owned Cumberland Plaza since 1996, did provide a tremendous amount of insight when I talked to representatives there on Friday.
They said development would take around six to eight months and that Lowe’s was extremely anxious to open the store as soon as possible. While an exact timeline for construction has yet to be determined, Edens & Avant has told the stores currently located in the shopping center they can stay in their present locations until the end of July.
By that time, renovation work on the old Food Lion building is expected to be complete. China Wok and Holland’s Jewelry have already said they are moving to that location.
“I think this is going to be a good move for us and a good deal for McMinnville too,” said Holland’s Jewelry owner Ron Holland. “It’s going to bring a lot of traffic into this shopping center and I’m sure there will probably be some larger national stores that follow Lowe’s around that come here.”
Ron brings up an interesting point and one I hadn’t really considered. There could also be some smaller retail stores that move into the shopping center with Lowe’s.
Lowe’s is building a 94,000-square-foot facility and it’s demolishing 103,500 square feet worth of shopping center. Of course that extra space could be used for a garden center and Lowe’s is known for having nice garden centers.
In fact the prototype Lowe’s stores that are being constructed throughout the country call for a 121,000-square-foot store with an additional 30,000 square foot garden center. With that size garden center, I wonder if some local nurseries and greenhouses won’t feel the pinch of Lowe’s as well.
That’s the long-awaited news you’ve all been waiting for. I’m sure I will have much, much more on Lowe’s between now and the time the doors open.
There’s a new Trends in town
It didn’t take long for Stacey Love and her mother-in-law Melissa Knowles to put their plans for a new clothing store to work.
“We just came up with the idea three or four weeks ago,” said Stacey, known far and wide for her great skill as a pharmacist. “And now we’ll be opening next week.”
With that kind of efficiency, I need Stacey and Melissa to do some chores around my house. I usually talk about doing something for three or four months before even starting the job. Then who knows how much longer it takes from there.
Trend’s is located in Northgate Shopping Center in the longtime spot of Peggy’s. This coming Saturday and Sunday will be their grand opening weekend and they will celebrate by offering 20 percent off everything in the store.
Stacey and Melissa have already been down to Atlanta and the big merchandise shows there and have returned with some great-looking clothes for women.
“It’s moderate to upper line,” said Stacey. “We don’t want to be all high end. We want to carry the latest trends and still want to make it affordable.”
Stacey says they have some name brand clothing for juniors that’s hard to find around these parts. She said Silver and XOXO are two of the brands that are unique to her store.
In addition to clothes, Trends also carries purses and bags, watches, sunglasses, jewelry and all types of accessories. I should also say this is not the same Trends which was open briefly on S. High Street which specialized in low-dollar clothing. The two shouldn’t be confused.
The grand opening takes place this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and this Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Repair shop moves across Sparta Street
It wasn’t much of a move in terms of distance, but it was a pretty big move in terms of visibility for Next Generation Auto Repair. The shop, formerly located just off Sparta Street, has now moved to Sparta Street in the location which had been occupied most notably by McMinnville Lawn and Garden.
For anyone who says a good mechanic is hard to find, Next Generation Auto Repair can now be seen by hundreds of motorists who pass by each day.
“More visibility is one of the main reasons we moved, but this location is really better all the way around,” said owner Alon Hutchins. “We’ve got a fenced in lot and a lot more parking.”
Alon is ASE certified and he’s been a mechanic since 1995. Brandon Scott has worked with him for about a year. Together the two can work on any make and any model of car, truck or van.
So if you’re having vehicle trouble, and everyone who drives does at one time or another, you might want to consider giving the guys at Next Generation Auto Repair a call. The number is 474-8248.
American National wins insurance awards
American National hasn’t had an insurance agency here for that long. In fact, it’s been about a year. But that hasn’t stopped Avery Blair and Kelvin Douglas from piling up some Southeast regional awards at a recent banquet in Nashville.
The local American National branch won the premier agent award, the leading new agency award and another award for their tri-line accounts of auto, life and home insurance.
If you want to talk to the folks at American National about your insurance needs, call 474-3777.
That’s all folks
For business news, or to just say hi, give me a call at 473-2191. I’m currently experiencing technical difficulties with my e-mail so it would be better to just give me a call with your business tips until I can get my e-mail straightened out. That could take hours, days or weeks.