by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 20/97) - A business relationship that has worked for a long time just got tighter.

On Saturday, Ray Pirker Plumbing officially moved in with ICG Propane.

ICG has been at the Old Airport Road location since 1967. A move from retail to bulk sales of propane freed up space, and Ray Pirker was the ideal one to fill it.

Servicing of propane and gas systems has made up a large portion of the plumbing company's business over the last 10 years.

During that time the business was operated out of an office and dispatch centre in the Pirker's Jeske Crescent home.

"Everything was just done through radios to dispatch the guys in the trucks and the guys took their trucks home at night," explained Maureen Pirker co-owner of Ray Pirker Plumbing.

"When you're at a street address, people see the trucks going by but they never knew we had a place."

In addition to raising the profile of the business, the move to a storefront opens up new business opportunities, such as in-house servicing and sales.

"All of the work we did now, we did before," explained Ray Pirker. "But now ICG is getting out of the small stuff, and we're doing the motor fuel, small cylinders, appliances, parts -- anything that has to do with propane."

On Saturday the company sold two of the first oil-fired fireplaces sold in Yellowknife.

The high-efficiency units are made in France by a company known as Napoleon and retail for between $1,900 and $2,400.

"We want to come up with some more unique items," said Ray Pirker. "That fireplace is an example of this. I don't think anybody here has seen one."

Ray Pirker has a penchant for high technology, the ultimate in home-heating units being a self-diagnostic unit made by American Standard.

"It used to be the average furnace was 70 to 75 per cent efficiency," explained Pirker. "Now we're talking 93 per cent efficiency. When you hold your hand over a chimney -- it's not a chimney any more, just a two-inch pipe -- you won't burn yourself, it comes out that cool. That means all the heat is staying in the home."

Ray Pirker noted with a chuckle that one of his new neighbors and competitors, T.C. Propane, responded to a grand opening special on propane refills by undercutting him by one cent.

The move from home to storefront is also appreciated for other reasons that don't have anything to do with business.

"It's kind of nice to be out of the house," said wife Maureen.