Investing in the community

By Liv Stecker

With more than 40 years experience in the screen printing business, Ron Rebelato is no stranger to the outfitting of a team. And what those decades of service have also taught Ron is the truth that any good business is built on the relationships with a good community. Launching a branch of Ronyreb Garment Company in Trail, British Columbia earlier this year, Ron immediately began investigating how he could build that relationship across the border with his neighbors in Northport. Enter Dave Hedrick, Northport local, coach and now a part of Ron’s team in the screen printing business.

Northport is situated more closely to Trail, B.C. than any large town in the US, making it a convenient trip for shopping, sports and recreation as well as entertainment and cultural experiences. For decades, students and adults alike from Northport have played on sports teams based in Trail and Rossland, while their Canadian neighbors enjoy the hospitality of some of Northport’s finest features, including the historic Kuk’s Tavern, The Mustang Grill and the recently re-opened Rivertown Grill. Ron is a frequent guest at Rivertown, and good friends with many Northport residents. It only made sense to expand his business to the small border town.

Offering competitive prices and great customer service wasn’t enough for Ron and Dave in their quest to build relationship with Northport and the surrounding area. They wanted to do more. Ron approached the athletic director of Northport High School, Erik Stark about donating hoodies to both the girls and boys high school basketball teams as a gesture of their support for the community and investment. Stark was as surprised as the more than 30 students who received the customized hoodies were.

“I can’t believe that he is doing this for our little school,” Stark voiced. It’s a big gift for a place who has fought hard to keep a solid athletic program alive over the years as Northport faces the same economic decline as many small rural towns. Having local people buy in on such a tangible level is a huge vote of confidence for the young athletes in the program. The hoodies were delivered to players in January, and many of the students haven’t stopped wearing them since. Check out Ronyreb Garment Company on Facebook or contact Dave at 509-675-5942 or dlhedrick2@gmail.com or Ron in Trail at 250-364-0058, or ronrebelato@yahoo.com for more information about the services they offer.