May 2012 | Ontario East

May 2012

 

In this month's newsletter:

Renfrew County wood industry reaching out to global markets

For over 150 years the County of Renfrew has thrived on its wood industry.

The county, three-quarters of which is covered by forest, now employs well over 2,000 local residents in wood-related businesses ranging from saw mills and cabinetmaking firms to artisan enterprises—six times that of any other local industry.

So it’s no wonder that the county is reaching out to the world to promote its abundance of well-managed natural resources.

“The wood industry is Renfrew County and we’re trying to be a global player,” said Craig Kelley, Business Development Officer at the County of Renfrew.

It may happen—and soon. As Europe proceeds with plans to convert many of its d irty coal-burning power plants to wood pellet-burning plants, global demand for the production of wood pellets, made from sawdust, is growing.

Kelley and other county officials have been marketing the area as an ideal location to build a wood pellet plant and they now have some solid leads with potential investors.

“We hope at least one or two new projects will start operations in 2013,” he said.

With U.S. demand for lumber down with the crash of that country’s housing market, it’s more important than ever that the county’s approximately 50 large and small sawmills—most of which are family-owned—be cost-effective. Using every bit of each tree milled makes a big difference.

But the global promotion of wood pellet opportunities isn’t the only way Renfrew County plans to grow its wood industry. The fact that the wood is harvested using sustainable practices—whereby it is ensured that harvested areas are regenerated, maintaining forest cover over time—is also emphasized.

There is also encouragement to buy local.

Some local municipalities have adopted a “wood first” resolution so that local wood will be considered first as a structural material when capital projects are planned.  For example, the Township of Killaloe-Hagarty-Richards, which is planning to build a new library, has passed its own wood first resolution related to the construction.

The notion to build large structures primarily out of wood, as opposed to cement and steel, is gaining momentum as it’s realized that wood can be just as strong and durable but also sustainable, Kelley said.

Indeed, in Prince George, B.C. there are plans to erect a 10-storey building that would be the tallest wood building in Canada.  It’s hoped that the Wood Innovation and Design Centre will become an example of the potential for using wood in higher-rise buildings.

For Kelley, and the dozens of long-run sawmills of Renfrew County, the prospect of new demand to build large-scale wooden structures could mean a huge resurgence in Renfrew County’s wood industry. Indeed, for them, there’s no prospect more exciting.

Said Kelley: “It’s really happening.”

Port Hope incubator IDEAHUB expands again

A municipal-run business incubator in Port Hope is celebrating new growth as three new entrepreneurial companies join its ranks.

Executive Protections Services, Small Town Radio, and Softsystems Canada Inc. are the latest tenants to join IDEAHUB (www.myideahub.ca), a full service business incubator for new and emerging entrepreneurial companies.

“We look forward to supporting these companies as they grow into the Port Hope business community,” said Judy Selvig, Port Hope’s Director of Economic Development. “Statistics show that 84 percent of incubated businesses stay and grow out into the community upon graduation and 87 percent are still in business after five years.”

Among other services, Executive Protection Services Group (EPS) will provide security guards and private investigators, security guard and private investigator test preparation courses, mobile patrol services, alarm systems and alarm monitoring.

SmallTown Radio is a new volunteer-run radio station that will serve West Northumberland. IDEAHUB will serve as its corporate office and training facility where volunteers will learn all aspects of broadcasting.

SmallTown Radio will chronicle the daily lives and culture of the residents of West

Northumberland County, including music, arts, sports, meetings and major tourist events in the community.

Softsystems Canada Inc. offers high-end comprehensive web-based planning solutions through an “Office in the Sky” model. It works with clients in the winery, wheat, corn, horticulture, floriculture and other agri-business sectors as well as with churches and charitable institutions.

Award-winning founder and visionary Achamma Mathews created Softsystems in India in 1986. Twenty-eight years later, her extensive experience in software development, implementation, and management has allowed the company to grow to a multinational firm looking to establish a strong Canadian presence.

Eastern Ontario food processor hosts high-profile press conference 

A Cobourg food processor received a high-profile visit from the Minister of Economic Development and Innovation last month.

Minister Brad Duguid, accompanied by former Northumberland Liberal MPP Lou Rinaldi stopped by Bakkavor Foods Canada where he held a news conference highlighting the province’s investments in private-sector businesses, the Northumberland Today newspaper reported.

During the news conference, Duguid said two funds worth a total of $1.17 million—the Eastern Ontario Development Fund and the Rural Economic Development Fund—­have been a boon to private-sector businesses.

The Liberals are trying to make both funds the subject of legislation so that future changes to the funds could be made only if the law was changed first.

The minister told reporters that every taxpayer dollar provided to private-sector startups has been translated into $8 in private investment and that almost $500 million has been contributed to private sector development since the recession. He emphasized that one out of every four jobs created in North America in March was created in Ontario.

Bakkavor (www.bakkavor.com ) started operating in Cobourg last year. It makes more than 50 prepackaged fresh food products for Loblaws stores. The company employs 50 people and expansion is planned.

Aboriginal community expands entrepreneurial skills in Peterborough

Peterborough’s aboriginal entrepreneurs, new business owners and representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation and the Peterborough area’s Business Advisory Centre recently celebrated the community’s second annual Aboriginal Business Day.

The event, held at the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, was designed to provide information and resources to Aboriginal entrepreneurs to assist them in future planning and partnership development to help their businesses grow.

“Small business is growing within the local Aboriginal community,” said Elizabeth Teleki, Manager of the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation’s Business Advisory Centre. “There are unique challenges facing aboriginal entrepreneurs. The purpose of this event is to connect small business owners with the programs, resources and opportunities available to assist with business growth and start-up.”

The centre, a member of the Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation's Small Business Enterprise Centre network, is a one-stop resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Its professional consultants advise business owners in the city and County of Peterborough on key aspects of starting and maintaining successful businesses.

3M Canada’s Brockville plant awarded seven-year contract 

Two dozen new jobs have been created at Brockville’s 3M Canada plant after the company won a contract to supply respiratory protection canisters to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Under the terms of the seven-year contract, production of the canisters will begin at the company’s Brockville manufacturing facility within 24 months, as soon as the design is qualified.

“The company will be investing several million dollars to add new production equipment at the plant facility and will be hiring additional technical and production personnel to support the new business,” said Nadine Gropp, manager of the 3M Brockville facility.

The plant produces various respiratory protective filtration products to support 3M (www.3m.com/intl/ca) Company's global Occupational Health and Environmental Safety business. Since opening in the late 1980s, it has delivered large volumes of industrial, first responder and military filtre products to customers located in countries around the world. 

In addition to supplying the Canadian Department of National Defense, the 3M facility has also supplied respiratory protection products to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Netherlands Ministry of Defense and the Swedish Ministry of Defense.

Three expansions mean 175 new jobs opening in Brockville in 2012

The 24 new jobs at the 3M Canada plant aren’t the only good economic news on the horizon for the Brockville area.

More than 175 new jobs are anticipated over the course of 2012 with three business expansions.

Transcom, a local inbound contact centre, has announced it plans to hire 160 employees by the third quarter of 2012. 

The company has hired 75 people over the past two months and plans to employ 300 employees by the end of 2012, says a release from the City of Brockville.

Transcom has been awarded global contracts that will contribute towards its sustainability. Earlier, Transcom had closed six contact centres in Canada, so news on Brockville is reassuring, says the release.

Eastern Independent Telecom has announced a contractual long-term relationship with Genband, which provides a line of soft switches and media gateways in telecommunications industry. This announcement provides a significant level of stability for EIT and will enable the firm to take advantage of new opportunities in the marketplace. 

Additionally, EIT has started a rehiring of technical personnel and is anticipating significant growth for the company.

Quality Inn Select is proceeding with the establishment of a 300-person capacity conference and banquet facility next to its current site that should be completed by the fall. An investment of $2.3 million and the generation of 15 new positions represent a solid investment in the tourism product of the region, says a release from the City of Brockville. 

The Greater Peterborough area moves forward with sustainability

The Greater Peterborough Area launched its own sustainability plan last month.

The Greater Peterborough Area—including the City of Peterborough, the County of Peterborough and its eight member townships, the two First Nations, and a host of community partners—has completed development of its first Integrated Community Sustainability Plan.

“Their partnership with Sustainable Peterborough and dedication to its implementation is tangible recognition of our collective community's innovative approach to sustainability,” said Ken Doherty, Co-Chair of the Sustainable Peterborough Steering Committee.

The holistic regional plan addresses areas of mutual responsibility, presents a strong environmental focus and ensures that recommendations are financially sustainable.

Based on community feedback from the survey and community outreach, 11 themes emerged for Sustainable Peterborough. These are areas that members of the community identified as the most important to them and thus they form the structure of the Sustainable Peterborough Plan.

Each theme has a goal, strategic directions, and priority actions. The Plan includes a toolbox with 100 actions that municipalities, partners, and individuals can choose from to increase their sustainability.

Implementation of the Sustainable Peterborough plan will require community partners, including local municipalities, First Nations, businesses, institutions, branches of government, non-governmental organizations, and individuals working collectively to make the community more sustainable.

Since the plan was completed, 20 partners have committed to assist in implementing the plan with another eight prepared to commit upon review of the final plan.

Peterborough firms team up to take advertising platform global

A Peterborough web solutions firm has partnered with a local sign-making franchisee to take its digital advertising platform into the international marketplace.

The product, BallyhooTV (ballyhootv.com), provides targeted advertisements on large flat-screen TV displays.

“The market for this system is expanding rapidly worldwide, and to capitalize on this we have teamed up with Sign-A-Rama Peterborough as an authorized reseller and franchise distributor,” said Chris Calbury, partner, Emmatt Digital Solutions Inc. (www.emmattweb.com). “We are confident they will quickly generate sales of BallyhooTV both locally and internationally.”

U.S. shipments of signage and professional displays in 2012 are projected to reach 17.3 million units, up from 15.4 million units last year and 13.5 million units in 2010 in the U.S., according to information and analysis provider HIS, Calbury said in a release. Deliveries in the fourth quarter alone were worth an estimated $3.8 billion.

Morgan Smith of Sign-A-Rama (www.signarama.ca) recently returned from the annual worldwide Sign-A-Rama conference in Las Vegas, where he promoted the system to Canadian and international franchises.

Sign-A-Rama has more than 1,000 locations in 50 countries around the world, Smith said, noting that potential reach for the BallyhooTV system is significant.

“We came away from the conference with five strong leads for enthusiastic franchises in B.C. and Alberta. One has a restaurant client requiring exactly what BallyhooTV has to offer,” Smith said. “Additionally, Sign-A-Rama Canada has become a sister-country to the 88 Australian Sign-A-Rama franchises and we are looking forward to launching BallyhooTV into the Australian market later this year.”