Business all about pure refreshment
Second WaterMart 24-7 opens on Pembina Hwy.
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This article was published 28/12/2015 (3770 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A Winnipeg-based company just opened its second exclusive 24-hour self-serve store on 477 Pembina Hwy.
Michael Hoffer and his wife Hélène opened WaterMart 24-7 after several comments from customers who love the convenience of having water and ice whenever they need it.
Unlike his first location on 866 King Edward St., the new one has eight 24-hour pure water vendors and the first Koolerice ice vending machine in Canada.
According to Hoffer and the City of Winnipeg’s 2014 water quality test results, the city’s water has about 181 parts per million of Total Dissolved Solids.
Hoffer wants his customers to drink the purest water possible. WaterMart water goes through a severe filtration processes including reverse osmosis, ultraviolet and ozone treatment.
He said refilling water saves people’s money and helps the environment. To refill an 18.9-litre water bottle costs $2.50 at WaterMart and is equal to 38 500-millilitre bottles which cost about a dollar each.
Along with saving money, Hoffer wanted to make his business convenient to customers.
“Not everybody can get away from nine to five. And this has just been good for people,” Jim Tornopolski, operations manager at WaterMart 24-7, said.
Also, the Koolerice machine makes, stores, bags and dispenses a 10-pound bag of pure ice automatically 24 hours a day.
Hoffer also owns Airpark Inc., the parkade next to WaterMart on King Edward Street.
“Local businesses provide the services and products that might not be available at competitive prices. And they also provide a closer relationship with the consumer in terms of helping them,” Hoffer said.
“I wanted this to be quick and easy and far more economical than our competitors.”
Hoffer said he wants to expand WaterMart to other areas, and eventually, franchise it.