Ontario Investment Success Stories
Woodstock Welcomes Toyota
WOODSTOCK, June 20,2005
Woodstock and Oxford County officials are pleased to officially welcome Toyota to their community. This Toyota announcement represents the first Greenfield investment for an assembly plant in Ontario in nearly 20 years and is expected to create 1,300 new direct jobs.
"We have been waiting for two decades to welcome Toyota to our community and have worked tirelessly for the past six months to ensure that this investment was made in Woodstock" said Mayor Michael Harding. "This announcement is a watershed moment for the City of Woodstock and represents perhaps the single largest industrial investment in North America in 2005. We are honoured that Toyota has shown its confidence in our community and selected Woodstock as the site for its 2nd assembly plant in Canada."
The new assembly plant will be constructed on an almost 1,000 acre site just east of Woodstock. Harding noted "this project heightened the need to discuss and reach an agreement to amend the boundaries of the city by the fall of this year. In doing so, we will create a lasting legacy for Blandford-Blenheim in partnership with our City that we can both be proud of".
The $800-million project will see a state-of-the-art, flexible assembly plant that will use the latest Toyota manufacturing systems. The new plant will employ innovations in flexible manufacturing technologies and processes, which will maximize efficiency and quality while reducing costs; features which will ensure the plant's position in the community for decades to come.
Warden of Oxford County Don Woolcott stressed that although the plant will be located in Woodstock this announcement is great news for all of Oxford County. "This new Toyota plant will pay dividends to all of the residents of Oxford County. The plant will generate significant property tax dollars which will lighten the burden on the homeowner; it will create both direct and indirect employment for residents of the County; and additional business for all areas of the economy. Millions of dollars are expected to be injected annually into the local economy for non-production spending associated with the types of goods and services required to support a facility of this size. "
Construction of the new facility is expected to take nearly two years with the plant to begin production in 2008. "This project has been a textbook example of cooperation between various levels of government" noted Woodstock Development Commissioner Len Magyar. "City and provincial staff have committed thousands of person hours to guarantee that Toyota had all of the information required to make a decision in favour of a Woodstock location. City and County Councils have worked together to assemble the land required to facilitate such a site, and senior management at all levels have worked lock-step to ensure that the only logical answer to a Woodstock site was yes."
For more information contact
Donald Woolcott, Warden
County of Oxford
Phone: (519) 539-9800 ext. 3003
Fax (519) 454-8136
email: dwoolcott@county.oxford.on.ca
Web www.county.oxford.on.ca
Michael Harding, Mayor
City of Woodstock
Phone (519) 539-2382, x 811
Fax (519) 539-3275
E-mail mharding@city.woodstock.on.ca
Web www.woodstocknow.com
Len Magyar, Development Commissioner
City of Woodstock
Phone (519) 539-2382, x 808
Fax (519) 539-3275
E-mail lmagyar@city.woodstock.on.ca
Web www.woodstocknow.com
McAfee, Inc., Another Investment from Silicon Valley for the Waterloo Region
Canada´s Technology Triangle, Waterloo Region, October 15, 2004
Santa Clara, California-based McAfee, Inc. (NYSE: MFE) recently unveiled an expanded Canadian Consumer Product Software Research and Development facility in Waterloo.
Mark McArdle, Vice-President of Consumer Product Development for McAfee, Inc. and University of Waterloo Alumnus, headed up the former Network Associates, Inc. in Waterloo, which assumed the McAfee, Inc. name after refocusing on research and development operations on Kumpf Drive in Waterloo. McArdle is responsible for worldwide development of all McAfee Consumer products.
"The expansion of our Waterloo initiative (from 5,000 to 13,000 s.f.) supports and reaffirms the company´s mandate to source and hire the best local talent available." The Waterloo operation, currently employing 50, has the potential to grow to as many as 100 in the new space. A foremost technology generator in computer security consumer products, McAfee, Inc.
employs more than 3,000 people worldwide.
City of Waterloo Mayor Herb Epp congratulated the firm for investing in Waterloo. "It is a testament to the strength of Waterloo´s high tech cluster that it continues to attract recognition and quality investment from Silicon Valley and from around the world. Waterloo is an excellent place to live and to conduct business."
The McAfee, Inc. expansion announcement closely follows the new Waterloo location of Nuvation, a San Jose, California-based Electronics Design Services firm.
"It´s no surprise Waterloo Region continues to attract research and development investment in the information technology field," says John Tennant, Chief Executive Officer, Canada´s Technology Triangle Inc, the economic development partnership marketing the Region of the Waterloo and the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo to the world. "The continual flow of exceptional talent in Canada´s Technology Triangle, largely due to the University of Waterloo and the strong entrepreneurial spirit of this community, combined with highly competitive and attractive low R&D cost environment, creates an undeniably attractive mix."
To read the entire article and news release, please download the PDF version.
New Business Success for Niagara: Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation´s information systems help bring 50 jobs to Lincoln
Thorold, Ontario, September 9, 2004
Aggressive marketing, comprehensive data, and timely responses supplied by the Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation (NETC), were key contributors in the decision by Barnes Distribution to locate a new state-of-the-art distribution facility in the Town of Lincoln. The new 85,300-square-foot facility will be home to approximately 50 employees.
Early in 2003, Colliers International - a global commercial real estate services provider, issued a call for responses for the most suitable locations to accommodate a new distribution centre for its client. Approximately 12 Ontario locations were assessed for overall business climate, real estate availability, and suitability for servicing the proponent´s customers.
"Our decision to locate in the Town of Lincoln was based on a very detailed analysis," said Thomas Rizzi, General Manager of Barnes Distribution Canada. Barnes Distribution is an industry leader in the distribution of maintenance, repair, operating and production supplies.
"The contact with NETC led to the identification of several potential sites. The information provided by NETC was of high quality, timely, and of great value to the site selection process" said Deborah Solaryk of Colliers International.
"Our comprehensive information was made available through two key resources," states Stephen Thompson, NETC business development officer. "Using our commercial properties database on www.niagaracp.com, we provided Colliers International with detailed information on buildings and land that met their requirements. Combining this information with comprehensive data on Niagara, available at www.niagaracanada.com, we were able to quickly respond to the client´s detailed questions about tax assessment, wage rates, and labour force characteristics."
Providing timely information was only one part of the process. Extensive and thorough analysis undertaken by Barnes Distribution and Colliers International confirmed the Niagara location as Barnes´ preferred choice.
Barnes Distribution will officially celebrate the grand opening of their new facility on September 10, 2004.
Located at the corner of Union Road and Delta Way in the Town of Lincoln, the facility will employ 50 people as it serves customers across the province of Ontario.
For more information contact:
Stephen Thompson
Business Development Officer
Niagara Economic and Tourism Corp.
905.685.1308 ext 3708
sthompson@niagaracanada.com
www.niagaracanada.com
www.niagaracp.com
Stephen McKelvey
Associate Director
Corporate Communications
Barnes Group Inc.
860.973.2132
smckelvey@barnesgroupinc.com
www.barnesdistribution.com
Deborah Solaryk
Senior Sales Associate
Colliers International
416.626.1700 ext 550
Deborah.Solaryk@colliers.com
www.colliersmn.com
Background Information: The Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation
The Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation is a non-profit corporation with a mandate to carry out activities to advance the economic prosperity of the Niagara community. The Corporation provides effective, innovative services to promote investment and visitation and provides business support services to attract, maintain, and increase jobs in Niagara.
The Niagara Economic Information System (NEIS) www.niagaracanada.com The Niagara Economic Information System (NEIS) contains current, relevant information, and site selection data about Niagara Canada and its 12 municipalities. This dynamic website is updated daily from sophisticated labour, demographics, and business databases. Located online at www.niagaracanada.com, the NEIS is a ´one-stop´ source for information related to Niagara´s labour force, costs of doing business, infrastructure, and quality of life advantages.
The Niagara Commercial Properties System . www.niagaracp.com Niagara Commercial Properties is the first comprehensive inventory of available industrial and commercial properties in the Niagara region. Located online at www.niagaracp.com, Niagara Commercial Properties contains information on more than 500 available commercial land and buildings in 12 municipalities across the Niagara region. Developed by the Niagara Economic and Tourism Corporation in association with more than 200 real estate partners, NiagaraCP.com provides consistent and accurate information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Explosive Market Growth Earns Ottawa´s EOD Performance an Ontario Global Traders Award
September 9, 2004
For Ottawa-based EOD Performance Inc., winning the 6th annual Eastern Ontario Global Traders Award (OGTA) for market expansion - product has meant more than just recognition for the company´s tremendous export record.
"The award has increased our credibility with distributors, agents and end-users throughout the world," stated Hany Guiguis, one of the founders of the company recently acquired by Vanguard response Systems Inc., partly due to EOD's reach into global markets and its strong product suite.
To read the entire article, please download the PDF version.
Multi-National Call Centre in Kitchener Expands Employee Complement
Waterloo Region, September 8, 2004
California-based Arvato Services, a leading global provider of integrated and customized outsourcing services announced today that it will hire between 100 and 250 additional customer service professionals at the downtown Kitchener location. Canadaâ??s Technology Triangle Inc and the City of Kitchener welcomed the company to the 235 King Street East facility in May of 2003. The investment represents one of the largest injection of jobs in the downtown core in recent times.
Stephen Guhr, Director of Operations for Arvato Services, says the latest client demands in the technology and travel industry have created a need for additional staff. Strategically located near the new Kitchener Farmerâ??s Market, Arvato currently employs approximately 400 people and is a wholly owned subsidiary of a German conglomerate, Bertelsmann, a worldwide media group that also owns Sony BMG Music and Random House.
"Downtown Kitchener is a vibrant and growing area of interest for business to establish. We are delighted to see this world class company flourish and grow in our city," says Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr. Mayor Zehr cites the diversity of investment in the downtown core with the announcements of the University Of Waterloo School Of Pharmacy, the Wilfrid Laurier University School of Social Work and the recent opening of the new Farmer's Market.
Contact centre operations are of great interest to The City of Kitchener - a study underway focuses on in-house services and the leading technologies for municipal service provisions.
For those people interested in learning more about the employment opportunities, visit www.arvatousa.com or send a resume to jobscanada@arvatousa.com. A focus on multi-lingual talent including Spanish speaking people is an asset for jobs which range from entry level to customer service management. Founders of European, Canadian and American Idol, the corporation has over 73,000 employees in 50 countries worldwide.
In 2003, the corporate revenues exceeded CND $26 billion.
Located west of Toronto, the area known as Canadaâ??s Technology Triangle comprises Waterloo Region and Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. Canadaâ??s Technology Triangle (CTT) Inc is the areaâ??s regional economic development partnership that provides confidential enquiry services for information on sites and buildings, demographics, area companies, exporting capabilities, cluster strengths and community linkages. CTT Inc is a public-private corporation.
Arvato Media Contact is Marina Ducharme, (519) 570-3105
CTT Inc Media Contact is Linda Fegan (519) 747-2541 ext 404
7th Annual Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards 2004
August 16, 2004
Who would have imagined overhearing a conversation at a conference could plant a thought that would eventually lead to the development of a multimillion-dollar economic development project in Timmins.
Christy Marinig, Timmins Economic Development Corp. (TEDC) manager, believes there are an abundance of opportunities in the North, and innovative ideas sprout in the least expected places, which is how the $12.9-million Discover Abitibi project came to be.
Discover Abitibi is a geoscience project aimed at stimulating exploration in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, with the ultimate goal of finding a deposit rich enough that can be developed into a mine.
Marinig, and former co-worker Kathy Keast, economic development officer at TEDC, were attending a Prospectors and Developers Conference in 2000 when they joined in on a conversation about a proposed academic research project. Geological Survey of Canada was considering the geoscience initiative as an academic project, while Marinig believed the project had its merits as a practical application that would offer the mining industry immediate results and benefits.
"We looked at it and asked ourselves what the best bang for our buck would be for this region, and asked ´What do we need to find minerals and gold?´" Marinig says. "The mining industry wants things that are more practical and things that they could immediately put in to use. With a project like this, you get immediate buy-in from the stakeholders."
Marinig and Keast spearheaded a project to pull together key industry stakeholders to bring Discover Abitibi to fruition in the Timmins region.
" It just shows that from a conversation you can develop ideas and implement things," Marinig says. "Usually ideas are not in short supply, implementers are."
A generic call for proposals was held to generate project ideas. Out of 42 ideas, 19 projects, focusing on the use of technology and geoscience to profile the area and locate mineral rich sites, were chosen under the Discover Abitibi program.
Discover Abitibi is also intended to fill knowledge gaps and try new innovations, she explains.
Keast and Marinig were leading forces in attracting government funding towards the initiative, as well as stakeholder support. FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund contributed $10 million towards Discover Abitibi, while the private sector contributed the remaining funds.
Marinig has been instrumental in diversifying the Timmins economy, bringing in new industry, simply by believing that the city had the capacity to attract various industries.
One such success story is the TeleTech call centre in Timmins. With 850 employees at present, and another 100 expected to be hired in the near future, TeleTech has provided a much-need boost in job creation for the city, she says.
"We started to work on marketing our location for a telecommunications facility," she says.
Call centres play a significant role in economic development in northern cities, she notes.
"Based on the Sudbury model of success, we continued to market the benefits for TeleTech to move into Timmins," Marinig says.
"It really is the belief that, if other communities can (attract a call centre), then we can do it as well. We make sure we have the infrastructure in place and the skill set needed."
In the case of TeleTech, community partners were also a vital link in attracting the business to Timmins. In this case, Northern College was able to offer training for call centres, she adds.
Neighbouring towns have turned to Marinig for input into call centre attraction.
"There were a couple of communities in our area that asked us how we went about attracting the call centre," she says. "One thing I think is important in economic development in the North is to share information. It´s good for the North and it´s good for all economies. When it comes to call centres, we had the ability to share information to shorten their learning curve."
The city has also capitalized on its natural resources, including cold weather, and Marinig has worked hard at establishing a strong relationship with officials at Toyota´s cold weather testing facility in Timmins.
Having opened its doors in 1998, the cold weather facility continues to operate in Timmins and has attracted engineers from the United States and Canada, as well as Japan.
"We have had tremendous success in our testing in Timmins," says James W. Griffith, vice-president, administration and legal, vice-president, materials engineering for Toyota. "This is due to the tremendous support we receive from Timmins Economic Development Corp., and more specifically, from Christy (Marinig). She is always there for us when we need her support and quite frankly, our jobs would be more difficult without her to assist us."
With most major corporations locating to the south, Marinig says the North must first become more attractive in order to draw attention away from its southern counterparts.
"We have a limited population in the area," she says. "The better your infrastructure, the more attractive it is for larger corporations."
" If there are shortcomings, we have to get these things fixed."
Marinig is also project leader for Timmins´ Community Strategic Plan: Building Our Future, with a primary role of attracting funding for the strategic plans.
The construction of a world-class track and field facility is one of the projects that evolved from the city´s strategic plans.
"In the early stages of development, we approached Christy for advice and guidance," Robert M. Riopelle, Timmins Regional Athletics and Soccer Complex Fundraising (TRASC) chairman says. "She was keenly aware of the economic impact the new TRASC would have on the region. Her knowledge and work experience proved to be instrumental in securing government funding for the project."
Marinig is also chair of NEOnet, a regional telecom and information technology development organization, which has stimulated more than $73 million in technology investments in northeastern Ontario. NEOnet projects have created an estimated 72 job years, while enriching an additional 134 jobs.
Jeamar Winches to open facility in Woodstock
June 10, 2004
The City of Woodstock is pleased to welcome Jeamar Winches Inc. to its business community. Jeamar Winches is a premier provider of heavy-duty winching solutions with facilities in the United States and Canada. Jeamar designs and manufactures a wide range of heavy-duty winching products for customers worldwide. The company has chosen 34 Bysham Park Road as the new location for its warehousing and distribution operation. The relocation will occur in June of 2004.
Jeamar President Greg Leslie indicated that the presence of an existing facility that met their growth needs, combined with the communityâ??s ideal location, is what lead the company to choose Woodstock. Jeamar´s major markets are heavy industry, commercial marine and the theater industry, where continuous-duty and adverse conditions are constant considerations. The company currently employs 10 professionals and this number is expected to rise as the company grows from its new facility. Mr. Leslie indicated that the move is strategically wise for the company and he was pleased that the Economic Development Office was able to provide a real estate option that met all of his requirements.
Mayor Michael Harding was pleased with the announcement of the relocation and that the community has landed yet another new company to the City. â??This company will bring added diversification to our economic base and is a significant opportunity for future growthâ??, he said. Mayor Harding also mentioned that this announcement continues the trend of new business investment in Woodstock with more announcements expected in the near future. Recent investments in Woodstock include Aisin Canada Inc., ICT Group and Uvalux International, Perma Paving, and KYJO Steel.
Len Magyar, Development Commissioner for the City of Woodstock, was upbeat about the official announcement from Jeamar Winches and was pleased that they were able to secure a real estate option locally and are preceding with their relocation plans. â??This in respect to attracting new business investment to the communityâ?? he said, â??Jeamar Winches Inc is a leader in their field and we are lucky to have them joining us in Woodstock.â??
For more information contact:
OFFICE OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER
City of Woodstock
500 Dundas Street,
P. O. Box 40 Woodstock, Ontario N4S 7W5
Phone 519-539-1291
Fax 519-539-3275
The Brockville Economy Roaring Ahead
June 9, 2004
The background theme music of the Roaring 20s was appropriate for a series of announcements associated with an uplifting and rejuvenated economic platform for the City of Brockville. A number of public and private executives representing the institutional, manufacturing/technology, residential and retail/commercial sectors provided announcements and updates on various projects for the City of Brockville for 2004 and 2005.
The total confirmed and committed investment from all sectors represents $102.5 million in construction generating direct employment of 467 person years and indirect spin off employment for additional 257 positions. The total jobs saved based on business retention and expansion initiatives represents 925 positions.
The range and diversity of these announcements provide a convincing statement of confidence and future prosperity for the City of Brockville considered historically as one of the early centres of industrialized Upper Canada. The details include the following:
- A new multi-screen Cineplex complex for the 1000 Islands Mall.
- Summer construction on a power centre including two anchor stores of Walmart and a Super Loblaws Centre.
- Two new manufacturing industries.
- New retirement lodge.
- New college residence and nursing degree program.
- A rejuvenated and expanded mall complex.
- Five residential development projects totaling 127 units.
- Significant retail/commercial and hospitality developments in the historic downtown area.
The economic development forum was initiated by Councillor Stu Williams, Chair of the Economic Development & Planning Committee and Mayor Ben TeKamp who wish to collectively demonstrate the momentum and synergy that has been growing amongst the development community since the launch of Vision 20/20, a strategic planning document nurtured in the year 2000. Other initiatives being pursued both in terms of investment attraction and business retention and expansion include:
- Securing a federal pilot designation for Canadaâ??s first foreign trade zone.
- Expansion of the Brockville/1000 Islands Regional Airport to jet capacity in 2004.
Utilization of co-generation capacity for Brockville industries. - Fostering US/Canada economic development relations on the development of a capital trade corridor between Washington & Ottawa.
- Establishment of EASTCAT, a Centre of Advanced Technology for technology startup companies.
Economic indicators that further demonstrate the roaring ahead theme on the Brockville economy are represented by:
- Unemployment down 12% from previous month.
- Construction values on building permits up 29%.
- Downtown vacancies down 30% at 15 units from previous quarter.
- Manufacturer employment increased 750 positions in 2003 with addition of 12 new product lines.
- Small business formation up 62% over same period in 2003.
- Housing sales up over 200% in 2003.
Brockville, the community that cherishes its heritage and competes for its future.
For more information contact:
Dave Paul
Economic Development Director
City of Brockville
Ph: 613-342-8772 ext. 445
Email: dpaul@brockville.com
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Brockville Real Estate Brokers Demonstrate Community Pride
March 24, 2004
The Economic Development office hosted a meeting recently with the area real estate community. The purpose of the forum was to engage in discussion associated with â??selling up Brockvilleâ?? and to ensure communication on all avenues of market intelligence in the site selection process. Brokers demonstrated their willingness to ensure a high level of attention is directed at closing deals for residential, commercial and industrial clients.
On the sale of city industrial properties, the real estate community pledged to donate their 10% commission on sale of such properties to the physician recruitment program for the Brockville/Leeds & Grenville area. Again, this expression demonstrates the strong community pride associated with sustaining the momentum that has been generated through the Vision 20/20 strategic planning process.
