Edmonton Sun (Alberta, Canada)
March 21, 2004 Sunday Final Edition
RISK EQUALS REWARD
Two Edmonton brothers, barely out of their teens, go to work as
furniture manufacturing reps.
Their parents, originally Armenians from Turkey, come to the city via
Venezuela with nary a dime in their pockets.
George and Jack Saroukian go on to open their own upper-end furniture
store. Finesse Furnishings opens as a small store on 51 Avenue.
Eighteen years and a detour through the west end later, they are in
their beautiful new $25-million digs in what was the old IKEA site
off Calgary Trail. The new store is almost three times bigger than
its west-end predecessor.
In just two months, Finesse Furnishings opens in Montreal. Three more
Canadian locations are planned. Headquarters, the Saroukians promise,
will always be Edmonton.
– Moving on from Redtail Landing is Jamie Driscoll. He is now “head
pro” at the new ReTee Golf Centre.
“We’re an indoor practice facility,” says Jamie, “with 20 swing
stations and a 15-metre gallery.” ReTee will offer golf instruction,
with a specialty in working with special- needs individuals. Jamie
and his wife, former figure-skating champ Lisa Sargeant-Driscoll, are
the parents of autistic four-year-old Tanner. “Our hope is to one day
start a foundation for autistic children,” says Jamie.