Kingston delivers compelling proposition for business owners and investors
When Frulact Group were looking for the perfect location to establish their North American headquarters in 2016, their search led them to Kingston.
“At first we set our eyes on the U. S. before we analyzed the market situation in Canada. We came to realize that Canada would provide a better opportunity for us to supply both countries,” explains Benoit Keppenne, business unit director for the Portuguese-based producer of yogurt fruit preparations.
They explored a number of locations throughout Ontario, but discovered that Kingston had all the elements they were looking for — a centralized location, available and affordable land for development, a highly qualified talent pool and a supportive community.
A key factor for Frulact Canada was the accessibility to dairy producers on both sides of the border. “Here we are in the middle of a triangle in which we can reach most of our major customers in less than one day. Not only is Kingston half way between Montreal and Toronto, we also have easy access to our major markets in the U.S.”
He also hasn’t had to look far for the high-level skill sets needed in his industry. “We have hired many graduates from Queen’s University. And once people come to work with us, they’re quite happy to stay because they appreciate the lifestyle Kingston has to offer their families. It’s a very welcoming, vibrant, and beautiful city with a wide range of services.”
As a new business, Keppenne has found the city and business community to be very agile in responding to their needs. “Not only does [ Kingston] offer good competitive pricing, everyone has been extremely accommodating and efficient in delivering municipal services and building permit approvals.”
Since setting up operations, Frulact has been growing steadily and they are now working on expanding the site in the coming year, Keppenne says. “The plans are done and the quotes are ready to go. Choosing Kingston for our head office has turned out to be a very good match.”
Kingston has become a rising star on the Canadian economic development landscape. With a few recent multi- million- dollar investments from foreign businesses under its belt, the region is proving that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to economic development, says Donna Gillespie, CEO, Kingston Economic Development Corporation.
“Compared to the heavyhitters like Toronto and the GTA, Kingston offers a number of benefits that quickly add up for exporters, shippers and suppliers,” she says.
Situated midway between Montreal and Toronto along the 401 corridor, businesses can also reach the border or deep-water ports in less than an hour. Land border crossings to the U.S. are also faster with lower wait times versus other major crossing points.
The educational system generates a wealth of skilled talent. The city boasts the highest number of PHD graduates in the country according to Statistics Canada. “Not only do we have three well respected post-secondary institutions, it’s also home to 30 independent research labs and a teaching hospital,” Gillespie says.
Kingston also has plenty of city-owned industrial land that is zoned and ready for development, she adds. “An added benefit is that we are smaller, so businesses don’t have to work through multiple layers of departments. They have the full support of the city because everyone here wants businesses to thrive.”
Anne Vivian-scott, owner of BKIN Technologies, developers of the Kinarm robotics platform for clinical environments, has been a leading business owner in the community for 15 years. Much of their success can be attributed to the tightly knit partnerships they have developed with Queen’s University and Kingston Health Sciences, she says. “We decided to build our business in Kingston because of the university’s reputation in research.
“What’s great about being in Kingston is the proximity to a large and talented brain trust that has allowed us to research our technology, as well as a nearby health facility to validate it,” she continues. “All in all, we have an extraordinary collaboration with scientists and clinicians here that have helped us grow our business.”
Because of the smaller size, Vivian- Scott says Kingston has allowed them to manage their business very efficiently at less cost. “We are easily able to service customers all over the world from here, and the rent for our facility is extraordinarily low. We pay about one-tenth of what we would have to in Oakville or Oshawa. Because of that we are able to pay for very skilled designers and engineers without breaking our backs making mortgage payments.”
Kingston lets you be nimble and quick in the truest sense of the word, Vivian-scott says. “Not to mention the fact it’s a great place to live, work and play in the same location without having to lose time in our cars on highways. Moving to Kingston really made it all work for us.”
Learn more about business opportunities at kingstoncanada.com
“What’s great about being in Kingston is the proximity to a large and talented brain trust that has allowed us to research our technology.”