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Canada's International Trade Minister lends Oakville an ear by Michael Gregory Oakville Beaver Staff 15 | Friday, March 6, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com International Trade Minister Ed Fast was in Oakville Wednesday, hosting a workshop on the benefits of trade exports and even taking time to tour a local businesses. "As I promote Canada's trade opportunities around the world I want to make sure that Canadians are aware of what those are," Fast told the Oakville Beaver following a closed luncheon session with select members of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. "Piece by piece, we're putting together a plan under which we're opening markets all around the world for small- and medium-sized companies to export." The minister held an export workshop in the morning with approximately 100 representatives from local small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs). The federal government's goal as part of the Global Markets Action Plan is to double the number SMEs exporting to emerging markets to 21,000. "It's a matter of communicating because we have so many small and medium-sized business across Canada that have the capacity to export, but haven't actually exported," Fast said. "Many of them are so cautious and they're unaware of the tools available to them that could allow their landing in a new market to be done safely." During his visit, Fast also took time to tour Oakville's GeoTab, which manufactures GPS fleet management and technology, as well as the Promotion plant on Brighton Road, where automation and robotic systems are made for the nuclear and automotive industries. Promation Vice President and General Manager of Operations Darryl Spector, said the 90-minute visit with Fast was beneficial for communicating some of the company's own challenges with exporting. "The biggest one is just knowing where to go and how to make those connections," Spector Federal Minister of International Trade Ed Fast, left, visited Oakville to host a workshop series, speak at an Oakville Chamber of Commerce select members luncheon and tour Brighton Road business Promation Nuclear. Pictured, while visiting Promation, from left, are: Henrik Noesgaard of Southern Ontario Defence Association (SODA), Oakville MP Terence Young, Dilip Das, Promation director, finance and administration, Fast, and Darryl Spector, vice president and general manager for Promation Nuclear. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver | photo courtesy Darryl Spector/Promation said, noting the cost of overseas travel and we were saying... and really understand our security. business more intimately," Spector said. Promation, which employs upwards of 70 Fast said Oakville is home to many people, currently exports through its customers world-leading companies and that he found to Korea, Argentina, Japan, Poland and Germany, to name a few. Fast encouraged company officials to engage in sector-specific, government-hosted trade missions in the future, and made note of some of the more technical concerns relayed to him about the government's tax credits for research and development work. Spector said he was impressed by the minister's attentiveness to understanding the company's operations. "For somebody of his caliber and his level, he really seemed to take interest listening to what Promation's products to be "innovative" in the many ways they're helping industry. "They're reflective of Canada's knowledgeadvantage in the world," Fast said. Ready to buy a New Car? Visit www.carcostcanada.com first. Canada's #1 resourCe for wholesale priCe reports. We'll show you all advertised & non-advertised factory incentives & discounts. The Ideal Surfacing Solution Style Beauty Comfort Rubaroc® Rubber Safety Surfacing with Rubaroc® combines high tech polymer resins with rubber to create a resilient, non-skid surface that is virtually indestructible. Available in a variety of colours, Rubaroc® is the perfect solution to your surfacing needs. For more information visit www.prestigesurfacing.com Denis from Oakville saved over $3,500 with his CarCostCanada report. Contact Us PHONE Call us at 289-813-3200 RUBAROC EMAIL