BIZZ BUZZ

In celebration of Valentine's Day, two dental hygienists who've opened their own practice in Dundas are offering a free teeth cleaning to people who otherwise would not be able to afford it.

Barb Consoli and Sara Stumpo opened C.A.R.E. Dental Hygiene in the Collins Hotel building on King Street West last fall. Theirs is the first independent dental hygiene practice in the area.

Stumpo says she and her partner provide cleaning services at about 30 per cent less than what's normally charged by dental offices. She says the office is already fully booked for the free "Gift from the Heart" cleaning services tomorrow. "Many of the patients coming in are kids who have never seen a dentist," she notes.

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One local business that's growing in these lean economic times is Ancaster's L.J. Barton Mechanical Inc., a company that provides mechanical contracting, plumbing and heating to industrial, commercial and institutional clients.

According to business development manager Glenn Rattray, the company, which began operating in 1990, has seen sales growth of about 25 per cent over the past couple of years, and plans further growth this year. In fact, L.J. Barton is looking to add to its staff of 30 and is accepting applications from HVAC technicians and plumbers.

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Burlington's Horne LLP Chartered Accountants is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The firm, founded by Emery Horne, has grown from a team of six staff in the early 1980s to nearly 40 employees today. According to chief operating officer Paul Johnston: "We're happy to remember our past; it's a history worth celebrating. But we're very focused on doing what we need to do to ensure a great future for ourselves and for our clients."

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A new business networking organization has come to Hamilton. The BNI Corporate Executive Network chapter held its first official meeting this week. BNI is a professional marketing organization specializing in word-of mouth referrals, with some 250 chapters across Canada. Only one person from any profession is accepted into each chapter.

Meetings of the Hamilton chapter are Wednesday mornings from 8 until 9:30. For more information, contact executive director Christel Wintels at 905-681-1999.

Tricia Hellingman is president of Hellingman Communications, a Hamilton-based public relations and marketing agency. You can e-mail her at thellingman@hellingman.com. BizzBuzz appears every other Friday.