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B in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr i! 26 ,2 01 8 | BUSINESS After 50 years in Oakville, Tim Hortons is m oving its head office The change that will affect all 400 head office employees is expected to take place by the end o f the year TESS KALINOWSKI Toronto Star Tim Hortons is moving its Canadian headquarters to downtown Toronto's Ex­ change Tower after more than 50 years in Oakville. The change that w ill af­ fect all 400 head office em­ ployees is expected to take place by the end o f the year and is part o f a corporate modernization plan, said president A lex Macedo on Monday. "We want to make sure our company, our brand, remains very contempo­ rary. We want to be a more innovative company so that we can continue to fu­ el the growth not only for the brand, but for our res­ taurant owners," he said on Monday. Calling the move, "a very significant invest­ ment," Macedo said the company expects the downtown location will help "provide better mar­ keting plans, launch more appetizing products and make sure we get more guests into the restau­ rants." Tim's w ill occupy about 65,000 sq. ft. on the third floor and fourth floors o f the 36-storey Exchange building at King and York Sts. The company has been headquartered in Oakville since it opened its first res­ taurant in 1964 and it w ill retain "a significant pres­ ence" there with its Tim's University training centre for franchisees and man­ agers, said Macedo. But the fate o f its existing building, near Dorval Dr. and the QEW - a former warehouse that was adapt­ ed to an open concept of­ fice - has not yet been de­ termined. About half o f the head office staff live in the Oak­ ville area, the other half commute there from To­ ronto. The new location is convenient to GO Transit and the TTC and is con- Richard Lautens/Toronto Star Tim Hortons is moving its Oakville headquarters to Toronto. The change that will affect all 400 head office employees is expected to take place by the end of the year nected to Toronto's under­ ground PATH. Macedo said Tim Hortons employ­ ees will be fully supported in the move and the compa­ ny's innovation efforts. "We're going to take ad­ vantage o f everything To­ ronto has to offer to make sure our employees are happy about the move. We're going to train them in innovation, we're going to train them in culinary, we're going to train them in everything that's very easily available in Toronto that perhaps they can't find in Oakville," he said. "Ultimately, I think ev­ eryone will understand that the main reason that we're going out there is to understand what our guests want so we can pro­ vide for them as quickly as possible," said Macedo. Last month, Tim Hor­ tons announced it was ren­ ovating its stores with ligh­ ter, "natural looking" exte­ riors and upgraded interi­ ors with open concept seating and photo walls that feature its coffee sourcing and blending. Macedo was appointed to head up the brand last December after earning a reputation for rescuing strained franchisee rela­ tions at Burger King, an­ other brand owned by Tim's parent company, Restaurant Brands Inter­ national (RBI). Some Tim Hortons' store owners - those be­ longing to a group called the Great White North Franchise Association - have lately complained that RBI, part o f Brazilian parent 3G Capital, is mis­ managing the business by downloading costs onto franchisees and introduc­ ing cost-cutting measures that lower the restaurant standards. Macedo said he has no update on an announce­ ment last week by the fed­ eral government that it would investigate franchi­ see concerns that RBI had fallen short o f its commit­ ments under the Invest­ ment Canada Act in 2014. About 1,800 o f Tim Hor­ tons 4,000 Canadian stores are located in Ontario. NEWS M ayor reacts to Tim Hortons HQ relocation Town of Oakville photo Oakville Mayor Rob Burton ence" with its Tim's Uni- Tim Hortons Canadian H Q leaving for Toronto's Exchange Tower After 50 years in the community Tim Hortons is saying goodbye to Oak­ ville as the coffee giant pre­ pares to move its Canadian headquarters to down­ town Toronto's Exchange Tower. T im Hortons president A lex Macedo announced the move Monday, April 16 and noted the change would affect all 400 head of­ fice employees. He said the change is part o f a corporate mod­ ernization plan and is ex- pected to take place by the end o f the year. Oakville Mayor Rob Burton discussed the cor­ poration's impending de­ parture. "Tim Hortons has been a valued part o f Oakville's business community for more than 50 years," he said. "While we're sad to see the company leave, we re­ spect the difficult decision it made to consolidate its head office in downtown Toronto." Burton noted he is pleased the Canadian headquarters w ill remain in the Greater Toronto A r­ ea and said the new loca­ tion will be very commut- able for head office staff that live in Oakville. Tim's w ill occupy about 65,000 square feet on the third and fourth floors o f the 36-storey Exchange building at K ing and York streets. The company has been headquartered in Oakville since it opened its first res­ taurant in 1964 and it will retain "a significant pres- versity training centre for franchisees and managers, said Macedo. But the fate o f its existing building, near Dorval Drive and the QEW - a former warehouse that was adapted to an open concept office - has not yet been determined. Burton said the office would be an excellent stra­ tegic opportunity for other businesses looking to relo­ cate or move to the Oak­ ville community. "Oakville continues to be a prime destination for new investment and op­ portunities," he said. "Over the last year, we have attracted nearly 1,000 jobs and issued nearly $300 million worth o f new con­ struction building per­ mits." Macedo said the compa­ ny expects its new down­ town location will help "provide better marketing plans, launch more appe­ tizing products and make sure we get more guests in­ to the restaurants." -With files from the To­ ronto Star "Tim Hortons has been a valued part o f Oakville's business community for more than 50 years. While we 're sad to see the company leave, we respect the difficult decision it made to consolidate its head office in downtown Toronto . " - O a k v i l l e M a y o r R o b B u r t o n