Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Husband and wife team Luke Wu and Georgia Gao recently purchased long-time Bradford business Times Designs at 157 Holland St. E. from previous owner Trish Verkaik Verbakel.
After a period of transition, Gao and Wu officially started running the business on June 21.
“The people have been so friendly and very welcoming. Trish taught us a lot. When we needed her help she didn’t hesitate to come for a whole day,” said Gao.
“Trish is very helpful. She’s been working in the business for 25 years, so she knows a lot,” Wu agreed.
The couple originally lived in Scarborough and Toronto before moving to Vaughan, but found it to be too busy and moved to Bradford with their two young children last year after being attracted by the small-town feel with "big-city amenities."
“People around here are very friendly and help each other,” Gao said.
She has a PhD in actuarial science and was spending a lot of time in big corporate environments.
Then COVID-19 changed everything.
“After the pandemic, everyone was sitting back and trying to reconsider their life purpose,” Wu said.
Having always had a passion for art, Gao took the opportunity to enrol in the continuing education program at George Brown College and took their Art and Design Foundation course.
“I have a small body, but big dreams,” she laughed. “I just want to do something I like, I really like — not just as a job, but to develop myself.”
Earlier this year they saw the listing for Times Designs on the Canadian Real Estate Association's (CREA) Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and decided to take the plunge.
The couple said everything has been going well so far, and it’s keeping them plenty busy.
“We spend as much time as we can trying to understand the business,” Wu said.
For now their focus is on learning how to run the business, how to operate the machines, how to create the designs, and how to provide better costumer service, but later, Gao thinks they will create a detailed plan of how to expand the business.
“We will try our best to provide better services, and I know that’s hard, because the previous owner, Trish, did a really good job, but trust us, we will try our best,” she said.
In future, the couple are hoping to expand their website to accommodate online shopping habits.
Interview requests to Verkaik Verbakel weren’t returned in time for publication, but she made a post from the businesses Facebook account before leaving.
“It is time for me to move on and take on new challenges and face new adventures. ... I want to personally thank all my customers over the last 25 years with Times Designs. I’m going to take the summer off to re-evaluate and look for something that suits me in the fall,” she said in the post.
Verkaik Verbakel also reassured customers that their orders are safe in the hands of the new owners and urged people to continue patronizing the business.
Gao also wanted to reassure customers that “the owners of Times Designs have changed, but the service won’t.”
The business offers custom embroidery on clothing, blankets and stuffed animals; custom vinyl on clothing, glasses, mugs and home decor; and is an authorized shipping agent for Purolator and FedEx.
For more information, visit their website at www.timesdesigns.com or call 905-778-0912.
