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Contact: Rod Jerred Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 5559) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com W E D N E S D A Y . .1 1 IN K 2<>. 2<X ) 2 · I Hi BUSINESS Economic development at heart of ICI summit Industry can thrive in Oakville, Burlington By Robb Swybrous SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Decide to develop in Burlington and Oakville and w e'll help you prosper. That was the message last week from the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) and the Oakville Economic Development Alliance (OEDA) to a group o f com mercial/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 responsi ble for influencing a whole lot o f investment decisions," Don Baxter, executive director o f the BEDC, said. "There is growth pushing out o f the GTA, w e're just heightening their awareness." The BEDC and OEDA are economic organizations based in Burlington and Oakville respectively. Each consists o f boards with public and private-sector members aiming to promote and sustain business development in the communities. Last week's event was the second ICI summit hosted by the groups. Essentially the conference tries to highlight reasons why commercial and industrial industry can thrive in the OakvilleBurlington area. "The success o f Halton Region is anchored by the strengths o f Burlington and Oakville," Oakville M ayor Ann Mulvale told the group. "We don't see each other as competitors." Burlington M ayor Rob M aclsaac also addressed the audi ence, pointing out reasons for developers to choose to build in his city. M aclsaac spoke o f 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, automat ed manufacturing, financial institutions and steel processing) and its desire to attract new business, especially in the fields o f phar maceuticals and biotechnology. Baxter supported M aclsaac's points in his address, adding that Burlington's proximity to knowledge-based workers gradu ating from institutions like McMaster, M ohawk and Sheridan means this area has excellent access to skilled labour. OEDA's David Ballam pointed out Oakville's strengths in knowledge-based technology, the auto industry and tourism. The event was highlighted by a keynote address from Larry Smith, an economist with the University o f 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. "The Golden Horseshoe region has been successful for a long time and has a great rate o f growth," Smith said. "D on't get com fortable accepting that. This area has had good natural growth but the dynamic is changing." Smith encouraged developers to build modem structures to cater to the work force and maximize on the area's quality o f life benefits. Immigration supply, said Smith, is drying up. And since the North American birthrates have leveled off in the past few generations, developers and businesses must work harder to entice the skilled worker. Jamie Smith · Special to the Oakville Beaver O ntario C oncrete Products celebrated its official opening Friday at its 80,000-sq.-ft. facility on Prince W illiam D rive. A t the opening were ow ners Fred D eG aspiris, left, M auro M ozzo, Tony D eG aspiris, and M ayor A nne M ulvale. OCP a leader in the precast concrete industry By Howard Mozel OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Ontario Concrete Products' (OCP) state-ofthe-art plant is not only the first endeavour to be established in Oakville's newest business park, it is also the first o f its kind in North America. "We're taking our industry a quantum leap forward," said Brian Wood, president of Con Cast Pipe, the manufacturing group behind the facility. "It's unbelievable." Friday's official opening of the com pany's new 80,000-sq.-ft. Prince William Drive plant unveiled the advanced robotics and automation that Wood proudly says makes O C P -- Canada's newest concrete storm and sanitary sewer pipe and maintenance hole producer -- a leader in the precast concrete industry. "This is one o f the finest facilities o f its kind in the world today," said Wood. The choice o f day was significant, Wood explained, since it was exacdy 12 years ago that the com pany's Guelph plant opened. This sym metry aside, that's where the similarities between facilities end, he added. After all, the new site incorporates a level o f automation and robotics simply not available in 1990 that allows it to cut costs while ensuring the best product possible. "Through this emergent technology, mass pro duction can now come with the highest o f quality assurance," said Wood. "OCP offers a consisten cy and quantity o f product never before possible. We are proud to take the lead, scoring a first for our industry and ultimately, better serving our customers with the most durable and dependable infrastructure products." The plant is located south of the QEW, and just east o f Burloak Drive on the old Shell Lands, the northern portion o f which has been earmarked for industrial use. This location, says Wood, offers both convenient market access and just-in-time delivery. W hat sets the Oakville plant apart from its Guelph counterpart is the computer system that controls and constantly monitors the intricate, clockwork beehive o f activity that transpires within the facility. Any glitches that may arise are instantly modemed to the manufacturer in Austria where solutions are found and then implemented. "The hardware is simple," says Wood, who maintains such technology will do for his indus try what it did for the automotive sector. "The software is incredible." With OCP setting the standard. Wood says other North American competitors are following in his com pany's footsteps in order to remain competitive. "State-of-the-art automation, robot ics and laser testing are all highlights of the evolved production process," said Wood, adding that after a tight, 18-month schedule, the new plant was up and running. Wood points out, however, that no matter how sophisticated the technology, OCP has never lost sight of the human touch invaluable to all busi ness. The kind o f customer service that clients can depend on, says Wood, includes the support of engineering professionals w ho are on the job from the original consultation to the time projects are installed. 2002 Ontario Budget I n f ^ s t e p to w a r d s, s in th e bag h e Foot Shoppe Fundiaue; Ontario Growth and Prosperity: Keeping the Promise Balancing the Budget and Meeting Priorities On June 17,2002, Finance Minister Janet Ecker tabled Ontario's fourth consecutive balanced budget, providing a solid foundation for continued prosperity. The 2002 Budget provides funding for the priorities of the people of Ontario: · $25.5 billion to ensure quality health care, $1.7 billion more than last year; · $14.3 billion for quality education, over $400 million more than last year; and · Investing $500 million over the next two years on a safe and clean environment. These and the many other investments in this year's Budget are about values and choices. The right balance between efficient, effective, accountable government and priority spending on the services that matter most is w hy Ontario continues to set the benchmark, in Canada and throughout the world, for the highest quality of life and a future of prosperity. Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver R on W h ite, o w n er o f T he F oot S h o p p e, and K im M archek, m anager, display the special shoe bags current ly being sold for $25 each. O ne hundred per cent o f the proceeds from the sale o f the shoe bags will be donated to the C anadian Breast C ancer Foundation. The unique bags are handm ade with ribbon. Fundraiser is in the bag at this shoe store Breast Cancer Foundation to benefit `Follow me and I'll follow you' to this year's Foot Shoppe's fifth annual Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation fundraising ini tiative. Until July 6, The Foot Shoppe is following in the footsteps of its past successes by offering a luxurious, custom-made velvet shoe bag to clients for $25. A s always, 100 per cent o f proceeds from the sale o f these bags will be donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation in aid o f cancer research. These unique bags are hand-made with ribbon. They can be kept for personal use, but past clients o f The Foot Shoppe also know that they make perfect gifts, em bodying the spirit o f true charity. The Foot Shoppe owner, Ron White, knows how important it is for everyone to do their share to help provide research dol lars and to create awareness about breast cancer. "All o f us know, or have heard about, someone who has been affected by this terrible disease," says W hite. "A close friend of mine is a survivor o f breast cancer and she played an integral part in helping me launch my business. This whole event is to honour people like her, not only to raise research money, but also to continue to educate people and to create awareness." As in past years, each Foot Shoppe store will have an in store display w ith inform ation about breast cancer, com pli mentary pink ribbons and refreshm ents. Each store will also have a large display in the window to help prom ote the event. By holding the annual event, The Foot Shoppe is encouraging people to purchase the bags in support o f such a w orthy cause by using the motto: "A step tow ards the cure is in the bag". The Foot Shoppe stores are located throughout the GTA and include: 2465 Yonge St. (near Eglinton), 337 Lakeshore Rd. E. (downtown Oakville), and Mephisto by the Foot Shoppe at 55 Bloor St. W. in the Manulife Centre. O n t3 fiO For more information in English or French about the 2002 Ontario Budget, please call toll-free 1-800-337-7222. For Teletypewriter (TTY) call 1-800-263-7776. The 2002 Ontario Budget is available on the Internet at this address: HTTP://www.gov.on.ca/fin/hmpage.html