GE already producing spinoff industry

Welland’s keys to success are its aggressiveness, its willingness to keep potential investors engaged and not looking elsewhere, its incentive programs and having land serviced and ready to go, says Frank Campion.

“We’re not shy,” says the mayor.

He says the president of GE Canada remarked that’s one of the reasons the company decided to move to the Rose City in 2016.

“We were in very stiff competition for GE … we were able to land them because of our incentive programs and having serviced land available. We weren’t being considered at all and then it was like, ‘What’s going on with Welland?’ We essentially stole GE from Quebec and some other Ontario municipalities.”

Campion says in a year-end interview that was really the catalyst for the city’s successes and growth last year.

“We were able to get the attention of the global community and tell them what was going on in the city. Our economic development office is extremely busy, there are people here on a daily basis talking about investing, buying property and asking about our incentive programs.”

Campion says because of the activity in 2017, Welland should expect to see at least three to four mid-level industries open in the city this year.

“What we are seeing is the spinoff effect of having GE in our community.”

The mayor has met with various ministries and ministers over the last year when in Toronto and now Welland is on the radar. The province will direct foreign investors to the city when they come looking to locate in Ontario, he says.

“Three years ago, that would have never happened. Our strategies are working and we leverage everything we have. We feel once we get people into the office, we can explain what’s going on here, what incentives we have.”

Just up Highway 140, on the east side at Enterprise Drive, Campion says, Northern Gold Foods is undergoing an expansion of 75,000 square feet, which started in 2017.

“That was a big win for us, they were looking elsewhere, out west or down in the U.S. We talked to them about our incentives and they decided to expand here. We’re very happy they did that.”

Over on the other end of Enterprise Drive, at Ridge Road, Wainfleet-based Devron — it supplies products for construction, agricultural, drainage and environmental industries — is finishing up work on its new facility, which should employ up to 30 people.

Campion says the city will look for land it can purchase for industrial use in the new year and continue fighting to keep incentive programs from Niagara Region going, especially those for brownfield properties.

“Without those incentives, no one wants to touch land like that.”

Bringing new companies, business and jobs was the focus of 2017, says Campion, adding 2018 will see the city focus on more than just that.