Chamber welcomes new and seasoned businesses
Published 12:10 am Monday, October 27, 2008
By By JESSICA SIEFF / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Four Flags Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed two new members to the business community Thursday – one a seasoned professional and the other – an eager entrepreneur.
Jason Weybright welcomed chamber officials and members of the Niles community including City Administrator Terry Eull and Downtown Main Street Director Lisa Croteau to his new business located on the corner of Fourth and Cedar Street in downtown Niles called EZ Buy Video Games &Movies.
"The name says it all," President and CEO of the chamber, Ron Sather said.
Weybright, a student at Andrews University majoring in business, started the business online in his home. EZ Buy rents, buys and sells movies, video games and video game systems. Rentals are as low as just 20 cents per day. Weybright has acquired a variety of video games and movies including Rock Band, Fall Out 2, Indiana Jones and Highlander. Customers can preorder games for a variety of systems including Xbox 360, PS 3 and Nintendo Wii.
"It's really a nice, niche business," Sather said, adding that the store is "unique in many, many ways."
Weybright will split operations duties with his mother as he continues to attend classes in Berrien Springs. "I've always been interested in business," he said.
Weybright said that he's willing to buy "almost anything" in terms of games, movies and gaming systems. And he added there are payment plans available for gaming systems. "We're just here to try and help people who can't afford the higher prices for the same thing," he said.
EZ Buy also offers home delivery, will offer specials of the week and Weybright said another service of the business includes custom building and repairing computers and hard drives.
"It is a unique business," Eull said. "And we want to welcome you from the city of Niles."
"You are truly an entrepreneur," Croteau said. "To understand the necessity in being on the internet and bringing a unique service to the downtown area."
It wasn't long after officials cut the red ribbon outside EZ Buy that they gathered over on South 11th Street to celebrate the open house for State Farm Agent Paul Barrett at their new suite 107 at 1221 South 11th Street.
Barrett, a graduate of Marshall University, Sather said, is an engineer by training and spent 25 years in the power industry and six years as a government federal inspector. Most recently he was conducting home inspections in Stevensville.
In addition to providing insurance needs and services to his customers, Barrett said Thursday he hopes to make a difference in the community, especially with the children of the Niles and Buchanan area. "Obviously, the children of this community are our future," he said.
Barrett said as an insurance agent "we're not going to try and sell them (customers) something they don't need." He and his family recently moved to Niles and, he said, they play to retire here.
"We are really truly committed to the community," he added.