Woodstock: Year In Review

Lots of good news items have been pointed out in my blog space in 2012, so here is The Sentinel-Review newspaper year in review item compiled by reporter Tara Bowie.

Early in 2013 on a city council agenda, the final building permit report will be presented and will include commercial, industrial and residential projects. Sometimes several new construction items end up bulked into one calendar year as a permit could be granted six months before a foundation is poured. 

The city's economic development department posts its news on: www.cometothecrossroads.com.

Interested in Woodstock? Call Mark Schadenberg, sales rep, Royal LePage Triland today at (519) 537-1553.

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2012: Boom times for Woodstock

Sentinel-Review Staff

Thursday, December 27, 2012

WOODSTOCK - In stark contrast to years gone by, 2012 marked a year filled with economic good news stories for the Friendly City.

Instead of reading about manufacturing plant closures and massive job losses, Woodstonians heard of expansions and new development deals being inked with international multi-billion dollar companies.

The string of good news started at the end of March as Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada quietly announced it was boosting the production of its RAV4 and adding 400 jobs to its Woodstock facility. At the time of announcement, city officials said the expansion was likely linked to a government investment of $141.6 million in Toyota dating back to 2011. The increase in production capacity will bump up the number of vehicles produced from 150,000 to 200,000. The revamped production line is expected to cost Toyota $80 million. Updates are being done to line now and are to be complete by early 2013.

At the time of the Toyota announcement Woodstock's economic development commissioner Len Magyar gave a glimpse of what was to come when he said "Our inquiries took a nosedive in 2008. They have been slowly coming back over the last couple of years."

The next big announcement came at the end of July and was dubbed “the worst kept secret since Toyota” by a city spokesperson.

During a press conference at city hall, Sysco Canada and Woodstock officials announced a new 37,160-square metre (400,000-square-foot) food distribution facility was being built in the city’s Commerce Way Business Park. The new facility, when at capacity, should employ 250 to 350 people. The deal included the sale of 23 hectares (57 acres) of vacant industrial land to the Texas-based food-distribution giant. Negotiations had started a year prior, but the city had become much more aggressive by early spring. The price for the land was dropped significantly from policy rates. Sysco bought the property for $2.7 million, which works out to about $47,800 per acre, well below the policy price of $70,000 to $100,000 per acre.

“We haven’t got anything near our policy price in recent years – since 2008,” Magyar said then.

London was also contender for the future location of the distribution plant, but lost out reportedly because of site preparation costs.

Woodstock council agreed in early July to allocate $940,000 for infrastructure upgrades in Commerce Way that includes utility improvements, streetlights, sanitary and store sewer work, water main construction and some roadwork.

The next announcement came a few days later and, although not as big , was still quite significant. Execulink Telecom inked a deal to build a new 2,787-square metre (30,000 square-foot) corporate headquarters in Woodstock. The move meant the main office would move from its current location to the new single-level facility on Ridgeway Road off Pattullo Avenue at the south end of Woodstock. A portion of the staff at the former headquarters would move to Woodstock and a large customer service area would become the hub of the company’s activities.

Just a few short weeks later, at the end of August, it was announced Nova Steel was moving into the neighbourhood. The company – deemed a major player in the North American steel industry – acquired the former Hobarts Brothers of Canada building at 807 Pattullo Ave.

The company is expected to add 2,300 square metres (25,000 square feet) to the building. It’s unknown how many people are to be hired, but job ads were listed in the Sentinel-Review, including mill operator, cut-off operators, production supervisor, CAD operator/designer, process engineer, maintenance, packaging line operators, a butt-welding operator, quality co-ordinator and general labourers. Nova Steel produces electric-welded steel tubing used for a variety of markets including the manufacturing of automobiles, construction equipment, agricultural equipment, appliances and heavy equipment.

The last big economic news story occurred just a few weeks ago when the North American Stamping Group officially announced a new expansion for its Woodstock automotive stamping plant on Pattullo Avenue. The expansion will consist of about 6,500 square metres (70,000 square feet) of additional warehousing and manufacturing space, as well as 230 square metres (2,500 square feet) of new associate facilities and office space. The expansion is expected to bring 50 to 60 new highly skilled production, tool and die and design jobs to Woodstock.

Heading into 2013, the biggest uncertainty in terms of the manufacturing future of the area is the CAMI Automotive negotiations slated to start in September 2013.

Currently General Motors is looking to build a $500-million expansion at either the Ingersoll plant or its plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. At stake is which plant will build the 2015 model of two vehicles now made at CAMI, the Equinox and the Terrain.

Compiled by Tara Bowie