Hamilton exceeded business goals over past five years, despite obstacles
New Amazon Canada fulfilment centre and delivery station is jewel of city’s accomplishment
Over the past five years, Hamilton’s economic development staff overshot their goals by enticing Amazon to set up shop in the city, encouraging a new steel plant to open its first business in Ontario and convincing an existing food company to expand its operations.
And the department accomplished these high-profile successes while adjusting to the unexpected exits of two executive directors.
“The city has been on a tremendous trajectory prior to and especially during the pandemic,” said Mountain Coun. Tom Jackson.
Norm Schleehahn became the city’s new economic director, replacing Glen Norton, who retired in March 2020, just days prior to Hamilton shutting down its services because of the coronavirus pandemic. Norton took over the position in 2016 after Neil Everson retired.
Despite the obstacles, over the past five years, the economic development department exceeded its goals that were set in 2015, including adding seven million square feet of industrial and commercial space, opening up 500 acres of land at the Ancaster Business Park, hosting five major sporting events that generated about $50 million in economic investment and promoting the soon-to-be built Aeon Bayfront Studios on the Barton-Tiffany lands, along with a new data centre.
It is estimated the new industrial and commercial land will eventually generate up to $21 million in new taxes for the city.
“That is the type of impact that you are talking about from these industrial investments,” said Schleehahn.
The jewel of the city’s business accomplishment is landing a new Amazon Canada fulfilment centre and delivery station in Hamilton that will create more than 1,500 new jobs in Mount Hope and Stoney Creek.
But Schleehahn also basked in the praise from councillors on Jan. 13 for the construction of a $62-million facility announced in 2020 at the Red Hill Business Park, which will expand Sierra Supply Chain Services and create about 100 jobs. In addition, Quebec’s Corbec Steel announced in 2019 it would invest about $40 million to build a new a “state-of-the-art” 100,000-square-foot facility near Nebo and Twenty roads that will employ about 100 workers.
Jackson said not only did Schleehahn’s team bring new manufacturing companies to the city, it prevented Hamilton businesses from leaving. Walters Group, a longtime company at Dartnall and Rymal roads, was considering opening a plant in Brantford.
But the company decided to instead build a 250,000-squarefoot facility in Jackson’s ward and hire another 100 people. “What a highlight,” he said. Ancaster Coun. Lloyd Ferguson continued to applaud the economic development department for extending Cormorant Road to Trinity Road after 14 years of delay. The work, completed late last year, opens up an additional 500 acres of shovelready land in the Ancaster Business Park. “It makes me feel better when I go by Duff’s Corners,” said Ferguson.
For the next five years, though, Hamilton’s economic staff are expecting more uncertainty because of the pandemic. Schleehahn said staff have already put on hold their food business incubator project while a study is completed by the Greenbelt Foundation. The goals over the next few years include focusing on equity and diversity when examining economic development prospects, studying tourism and hospitality opportunities and following up on the recommendations contained in the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Recovery to help the region recover following the pandemic.
Schleehahn said the pandemic has also transformed how companies think about office space for their employees. He said some businesses may want to “decentralize” their office settings and allow employees to “telecommute.”
“That could be an opportunity,” he said.
But as lockdowns and restrictions impact business operations, the market remains unpredictable, he said.
“The office owners are not sure what’s going to happen,” he said.