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City, Town want to expand current industry staples and attract new business in biotechnology, tourism

Burlington Post

Decide to develop in Burlington and Oakville and we’ll help you prosper. That was the message Wednesday form the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) and the Oakville Economic Development Alliance OEDA to a group of commercial/industrial developers, Development support executives and real estate salespersons at the ICI Summit held in the Reimer Millennium Tower.

“The real estate and development communities are responsible for influencing a whole lot of investment decisions,” Don Baxter, executive director of the BEDC, said.

“There is growth pushing out of the GTA, we’re just heightening their awareness.”

The BEDC and OEDA are economic organizations based in Burlington and Oakville respectively.

Each consists of boards with public and private sector members aiming to promote and sustain business development in the communities.

Wednesday’s event was the second ICI summit hosted by the groups. Essentially the conference tries to highlights reasons why commercial and industrial industry can thrive in the Oakville-Burlington area.

“The success of Halton Region is anchored by the strengths of Burlington and Oakville,” Ann Mulvale, Oakville’s mayor, told the group.

“We don’t see each other as competitors.”

Burlington’s mayor Rob MacIsaac also addressed the audience, pointing out reasons for developers to choose to build here. MacIsaac spoke of the city’s proximity to markets in Toronto as well as the U.S.

He highlighted the city’s commitment to supporting its core industries (high-tech companies, automated manufacturing, financial institutions and steel processing) and its desire to attract new business, especially in the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

Baxter supported MacIsaac’s points in his address, adding that Burlington’s proximity to knowledge-based workers graduating from schools like McMaster, Mohawk and Sheridan means this area has excellent access to skilled labour.

Baxter also pointed out the success of the Web site www.jobsburlington.com, claiming it attracted more than 1 million hits from job seekers and collected 5,145 resumes in the past year.

OEDA’s David Ballam pointed out Oakville’s strengths in knowledge-based technology, the automotive industry and tourism.

The event was highlighted by a keynote address from Larry Smith, an economist with the University of Waterloo. Smith said developers in this area shouldn’t be content simply making a profit, rather they should take aggressive steps to ensure profit maximization. Smith said “Don’t get comfortable accepting that. This area has good natural growth but the dynamic is changing.”

Smith encouraged developers to build modem structures to cater to the workforce and maximize the area’s quality of life benefits.

The supply of immigrant workers that helped build North America is drying up, said Smith. And since North American birthrates have leveled off in the past few generations, local developers and businesses must work harder to entice the skilled Workers who do exist to work and live in the Burlington area.

Local developer Emshih Developments agrees.

“I think you have to build the right product for the needs of people,” he said.

Emshih Developments might be one of the trendsetters when it comes to that. They have plans to expand the Power Centre area he built near Brant Street and the QEW. And are building brand new facilities in the Appleby Line/Upper Middle Road area in north Burlington.

Since the BEDC and OEDA are in rested in maintaining a co-operative relationship in terms of area development, they’ll continue to co-host the event.

Next year’s summit will be in Oakville.

-Robb Swybrous