London Inc. Fall 2022 - 11

degree
" WE DO A LOT OF COACHING ABOUT THE CANADIAN
WORKFORCE. SOME OF THE WOMEN PROGRESS TO TAKE ON
SUPERVISORY ROLES WITH US, SOME HAVE MOVED ON TO
SCHOOL OR OTHER WORK " -Kay Habib
interior design from
in
Pakistan and an MBA from Australia,
she planned to establish herself as an
interior designer. But her credentials
were not recognized here, so she completed
a certificate in home staging and
launched her own business, Skill Décor
(www.skilldecor.com). That business
provides interior design and staging
services to real estate professionals,
builders and homeowners.
" I love to sew, and when I couldn't find
what I was looking for I decided to sew
accent pillows for a few of my clients, "
Habib recalls. She had established
relationship with high-end furniture
and drapery stores, and they started
giving her fabric samples, remnants
and bolts of discontinued materials
that were destined for the landfill.
Those relationships continue to this
day, and other sources of materials have
been added over time, like burlap coffee
beans bags from Fire Roasted Coffee
Skilled Accents.
" Most were Syrian refugees, many
spoke no English, " she recalls. But
they did know how to sew, and they
were interested in working. Habib was
able to provide six of them with sewing
machines and helped them set up
sewing areas in their homes.
" Our workers are paid by piecework
and have flexibility to work around
their family's needs and their ESL
classes, " she explains.
Recently, when the owner of social
enterprise World Tailers decided
to step away after 11 years, Skilled
Accents absorbed the company's four
workers and its production facility
on Adelaide Street, where they make
high-quality aprons and market bags.
Right now, the most pressing
challenge for the growing organization
is getting its products in front of consumers.
" We have a lot of capacity, but
not a lot of sales channels, " says Habib.
Which brings us around to her
callout to local businesses looking for a
meaningful way to make a difference
with their corporate holiday gift-giving.
" If local businesses see the value in
what Skilled Accents is doing and start
to purchase large numbers of gift items,
that will have a huge positive impact on
both the workers and the environment, "
she says.
KYM WOLFE
FRESH LOCAL
APPLES * PUMPKINS * SQUASH * SEASONAL PRODUCE
MAPLE SYRUP * APPLE CIDER * APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
HONEY * JAMS * PEANUTS * RADER FROZEN PIES & MORE
CRUNICAN
ORCHARDS
Co. and discarded medical gowns that
become lining for tote bags.
With two young children and a
business to run, Habib didn't always
have time to sew the pillows that she
wanted. Four years ago, she learned
about a sewing group at Cross Cultural
Learner Centre and connected with the
women there, laying the foundation for
OPE 7 D YS A WE
5, Su
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK ALL YEAR
Monda
Saturday 9-5, Sunday 12-5
Monday-Friday 9-6,
ay
Friday 9-6,
ay
www.crunicanorchards.com
Just 10 Minutes fs from Masonville at 15 Mile Road
RICHMOND STREET NORTH
519-666-0286
FALL 2022 | londonincmagazine.ca | 11
ALL Y AR
http://www.skilldecor.com https://www.crunicanorchards.com/ http://www.crunicanorchards.com http://www.londonincmagazine.ca
London Inc. Fall 2022

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