Tim Horton - the entreperneur behind the player
Feb 5, 2002 16:49:36 GMT -5
Post by GNick on Feb 5, 2002 16:49:36 GMT -5
I know I am not suppose to put this post in here as it has nothing to do with the Habs. But I had fun researching it and writing it up. And, I thought somebody may enjoy it. Maybe, even a Habs fan.
Tim Hortons - it's one of the biggest names and hottest franchises in the fast-food sector these days. You see the name everywhere you go, on most every street in major cities and towns to advertisements during prime-time TV. The little donut shop started by a hockey player back in the 1960s had the largest growth of all the franchise chains of the 1990s'. So, who is this former- NHLer who gave us things a "double-double" and apple-fritters?
The first person I called when I thought of my research was one of my great-uncles. I knew he was old as the hills and somewhat eccentric, but he also has been around the business world for like 50 years and owned three Tim Hortons in two different Canadian cities. So, I decided what better place to start looking around than asking a franchisee?
"Uncle Lee, what do you think of the Tim Hortons franchises?" I asked.
"THERE CASH-COWS, young fellow. CASH COWS!" he exclaimed! (He still calls me young fellow despite the fact I am almost half his age. I don't know his age exactly because he won't tell anybody what year he was born. But I know it was immediately following the first world war.).
"Uuhh...cash cows, Unc?" I stuttered. The rest of the conversation he when on to describe the financial rewards of Tim Hortons franchising (which for obvious reasons I cannot discuss here).
Anyway, Tim Horton the hockey player - was born in a small Northern Ontario mining town called Cochrane. Born in 1930, Tim was not a big player, he stood only 5'10" and weighted 180 lbs. But he was often referred to as one of the strongest players of his era and a real competitor. He played the game hard but fair. Always the constant professional, Horton could find the time for charities such as Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.
Horton's NHL career began with the Leafs during the 1952-53 season and lasted 22 years and over 1400 NHL games, until his untimely death in February 1974. He played on four Stanley Cup teams(‘62,'63,'64 and ‘67) and was named to six NHL All-Star teams, he twice was runner-up in voting for the Norris trophy. Finishing second to Bobby Orr in 1969 and to Doug Harvey in 1962. In 1974, the Sabres retired his jersey #2 and by 1977 he was elected into the Hockey Hall-of- Fame.
Tim's entrepreneur career began rather ironically. On March 12, 1955, the Rangers' Bill Gadsby caught Horton coming down the ice with his head down. The result was a vicious shoulder check which left Tim with a broken jaw and a severely broken leg. The rest is history, Horton was in the hospital for four weeks and missed the entire ‘55 playoffs and the first 13 games of the next season. At times, he thought his playing career was over.
Back in the ‘50s, there were no guaranteed contracts, players' union nor pension funds. Players got paid for what they played and many were paid a middle class salary similar to a school teacher or a police officer. A few of the stars earned some bucks but most had to work during the off- season to supplement their income. Bobby Baun worked as a car salesman at a local GM dealership, Eddie Shack would gather caps all season and take them back to his native Guelph during the off season and sell them and Tim Horton drove a gravel truck for Conn Smythe's Sand Pit. However, that was all about to change during the summer of 1955 for Timothy Horton.
Horton couldn't work for Smythe, he had his leg in a cast from the Gladsy check. Not only that but the Leafs cut back his salary for the next year because Tim had missed the ‘55 playoffs and was scheduled to miss the first month of the next season. Tim was married with four daughters, he was not in great financial shape! He found out the hard way he had to find other sources of income and financially prepare himself for when his career was over.
Tim Hortons - it's one of the biggest names and hottest franchises in the fast-food sector these days. You see the name everywhere you go, on most every street in major cities and towns to advertisements during prime-time TV. The little donut shop started by a hockey player back in the 1960s had the largest growth of all the franchise chains of the 1990s'. So, who is this former- NHLer who gave us things a "double-double" and apple-fritters?
The first person I called when I thought of my research was one of my great-uncles. I knew he was old as the hills and somewhat eccentric, but he also has been around the business world for like 50 years and owned three Tim Hortons in two different Canadian cities. So, I decided what better place to start looking around than asking a franchisee?
"Uncle Lee, what do you think of the Tim Hortons franchises?" I asked.
"THERE CASH-COWS, young fellow. CASH COWS!" he exclaimed! (He still calls me young fellow despite the fact I am almost half his age. I don't know his age exactly because he won't tell anybody what year he was born. But I know it was immediately following the first world war.).
"Uuhh...cash cows, Unc?" I stuttered. The rest of the conversation he when on to describe the financial rewards of Tim Hortons franchising (which for obvious reasons I cannot discuss here).
Anyway, Tim Horton the hockey player - was born in a small Northern Ontario mining town called Cochrane. Born in 1930, Tim was not a big player, he stood only 5'10" and weighted 180 lbs. But he was often referred to as one of the strongest players of his era and a real competitor. He played the game hard but fair. Always the constant professional, Horton could find the time for charities such as Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.
Horton's NHL career began with the Leafs during the 1952-53 season and lasted 22 years and over 1400 NHL games, until his untimely death in February 1974. He played on four Stanley Cup teams(‘62,'63,'64 and ‘67) and was named to six NHL All-Star teams, he twice was runner-up in voting for the Norris trophy. Finishing second to Bobby Orr in 1969 and to Doug Harvey in 1962. In 1974, the Sabres retired his jersey #2 and by 1977 he was elected into the Hockey Hall-of- Fame.
Tim's entrepreneur career began rather ironically. On March 12, 1955, the Rangers' Bill Gadsby caught Horton coming down the ice with his head down. The result was a vicious shoulder check which left Tim with a broken jaw and a severely broken leg. The rest is history, Horton was in the hospital for four weeks and missed the entire ‘55 playoffs and the first 13 games of the next season. At times, he thought his playing career was over.
Back in the ‘50s, there were no guaranteed contracts, players' union nor pension funds. Players got paid for what they played and many were paid a middle class salary similar to a school teacher or a police officer. A few of the stars earned some bucks but most had to work during the off- season to supplement their income. Bobby Baun worked as a car salesman at a local GM dealership, Eddie Shack would gather caps all season and take them back to his native Guelph during the off season and sell them and Tim Horton drove a gravel truck for Conn Smythe's Sand Pit. However, that was all about to change during the summer of 1955 for Timothy Horton.
Horton couldn't work for Smythe, he had his leg in a cast from the Gladsy check. Not only that but the Leafs cut back his salary for the next year because Tim had missed the ‘55 playoffs and was scheduled to miss the first month of the next season. Tim was married with four daughters, he was not in great financial shape! He found out the hard way he had to find other sources of income and financially prepare himself for when his career was over.
