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AnonymousInactiveNelson: Cartridge World fills Sullivan’s itch for a
challenge
You might say he Saw the ink and toner on the wall. Mike Sullivan, who
served up pizzas for nine and a half years through his Athens Cici’s Pizza
franchise was ready for change.Sullivan, who had grown tired of the long hours
and thin profit margins, sold his pizza buffet restaurant and has opened a new
franchise, Cartridge World, on the corner of Hawthorne Avenue and Old Epps
Bridge Road.“I wanted something
with more upside potential, profit-wise,” Sullivan said about his new
venture.Cartridge World, a
14-year-old Australian-based company that has grown well Down Under and in the
United Kingdom, just recently emerged in the North American market, said
Sullivan, who added that the businesses seem to thrive in college towns like
Athens.The yellow-and-blue
Cartridge World stores serve as combination service and retail shops for
computer printers supplies. The business recharges and refills ink and toner
cartridges for inkjet and laser printers, photocopiers and fax machines.
Sullivan said his service enables computer printer users to reuse their toner
containers, save money and avoid sending spent cartridges to the
landfill.“The recycling
aspect is appealing,” Sullivan said. “You can reuse all your
cartridges.”Refilling ink
cartridges can save as much as 50 percent compared to buying new ones, Sullivan
said. His store can refill most types of equipment from Lexmark to Canon and HP.
Cartridge World ink and toner is formulated for each type of printer. The
refilling procedure takes only a few minutes, and the staff will run a test
print with the cartridge to make sure it works well.In addition to
refilling containers, the store sells new supplies that carry a guarantee and
are compatible with brand-name products. Specialty papers, premium photo
printing paper, fax supplies and cash register ribbons are available.Calling his new
business a one-stop shop, Sullivan said he offers advice on how to care for
printer cartridges and equipment.For example, he
said consumers should not run their cartridges until completely dry.And he notes that
many of the containers can be refilled as many as 10 or 15 times, though at some
point they will have to be replaced. At that point, Cartridge World will help
recycle the old accessory.“We are very green
and want to recycle,” Sullivan said.He plans to set up
a program to collect cartridges from schools and pay the schools for them.
Cartridge World will then refill them and resell them.Sullivan and his
store manager Danny Booth, who also worked with Sullivan at Cici’s, spent two
weeks in Emoryville, Calif. training with the Cartridge World system. The new
store will also employ one sales person and two part-time workers.A grand opening is
scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. April 14.Chef cooking up
personal serviceThe value of
spending time with one’s family spurred chef Mickey Wickwire to launch a
home-based venture, a personal cooking and catering service called Classic City
Chef. Wickwire will offer gourmet prepared meals and catering to Athens area
families and businesses.Allen
Sullivan/StaffMike Sullivan, right, owner of a new Cartridge World franchise on
Hawthorne Avenue at Old Epps Bridge Road, speaks with Bernie Dobbs of Fastsigns
recently. Sullivan said his business offers name-brand and generic ink
cartridges, but its biggest selling point is refilling customers’ current
cartridges.Wickwire said his goal was to get more quality time with his own
family, a wife and 6-year-old daughter, as well as to provide customers the
chance to spend more time with their families and not have to worry about
cooking.As an executive
sous chef at the Athens Country Club, where he has been for four and a half
years, Wickwire has had to work most nights and weekends, the ideal times to
spend with his daughter. Taking on Classic City Chef, he hopes will give him the
ability to set his own schedule.His goal is to
establish a list of regular clients for whom he will prepare and deliver a batch
of prepared meals that a family can pull out and reheat or cook at
mealtime.Meals will be
customized for each client and delivered to their home, saving them shopping and
cooking time. A family of four can have five customized meals delivered by
Classic City Chef ready to reheat for between $150 and $200 depending on the
menus.“I have some set
menus, but I want to meet with clients and determine their likes, dietary needs,
portion sizes, etc. and develop menus especially for them,” Wickwire
explained.He said the meals
he prepares for a week will likely be delivered vacuum packed in a food saver or
frozen with instructions on reheating or cooking the food. He added that he will
deliver the food in the type of containers the customer desires.His first job
actually entails a catering an event today for about 50 people. Next Sunday he
will go to a couple’s home and cook and serve them a meal. He offers his
services for any special occasion, from anniversaries to retirements to
reunions. He can handle from two people to 500.While he’s getting
started, Wickwire plans to continue working on a part-time basis as needed at
Athens Country Club.A graduate of the
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Wickwire has 22 years
experience in the food industry. He also has worked with The Four Seasons in
Palm Beach, Little Nell in Aspen, Colo. -
AuthorMarch 11, 2005 at 10:24 AM
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