By Mark
Schadenberg
Their
job is not easy as their mandate is to attract new business and
assist companies in expansion plans locally as well
The
office of the development commissioner in Woodstock reports good news
as they look back to 2014 and report a healthy prognosis for 2015.
Development
commissioner Len Magyar (right in photo) and development officer Brad
Hammond (left) are always busy promoting Woodstock as a destination
to set up your business, relocate to the 401-403 crossroads in the
centre of Oxford County and the centre of southern Ontario.
Woodstock
is a great place to call home as a place to live and a place to do
business.
“Woodstock
had a very good year in 2014 in terms of new construction, with more
than $98.4 million in activity,” said Hammond via an email. “While values in this range have become the norm in recent years, it
is important to remember that prior to Toyota and Sysco (and many
other notable developments in the community) Woodstock typically saw
only $40 million in new construction in an average year.
“The
2014 figure is dominated by the residential sector ($65.3 million)
which saw permits issued for 165 single family homes, 14 semis, 7
apartments and 16 row houses.”
Everything is connected as new
homes and certainly re-sale homes were partially purchased by
employees of new and expanded companies in Woodstock.
Hammond's
discussion and comments about building permits and construction
dominated mostly on expansions and additions at companies already in
Woodstock.
“On
the industrial side Woodstock welcomed WSL Inc. and Trans-Mit Steel,
and saw sizable expansions underway at Steel Technologies, Vuteq,
Toyota and North American Stamping Group.
“While
it is often difficult to predict what the future might hold,
particularly in volatile economic and geopolitical times, Woodstock
has a great deal for which to be optimistic. We have an unparalleled
location, a strong labour force, and a business environment that
favours success. Based on recent history we should expect to see
continued expansions at our local companies and the addition of new
businesses to the community,” commented Hammond.
I'm
thinking that Vuteq has its fourth addition currently under
construction in the Parkinson Road / Keyes Drive / Longworth Lane
area.
The
City staffers continue to be innovative and brilliant at the same
time. I'm not saying that with a stick of butter in my palms, but
Woodstock has been keen in buying future development land for
industry and commerce. While not all the acreage is shovel-ready, if
someone wanted to buy 75 acres, Woodstock has it in its own inventory
which assists in controlling prices versus what a speculator may demand.
At
the same time, this extra 'farmland' is rented out to farmers. The
former Griffin farm (see graphic), for example, is 75 acres on
Devonshire Avenue near the Toyota plant and any farmer with
significant interest in cash crops within 15 km of that site would
leap at the opportunity to add it to their short-term rented
inventory. Equally, any large corporation would also keep an eye on a
land piece of that size and with its proximity to Toyota and the
403/403 corridor to plan on locating a factory at that destination.
()()()()()()()()()()()()
From
The Woodstock Sentinel-Review in February of 2014:
At
the an annual conference held by the Economic Developers Council of
Ontario, Woodstock's economic development department took home the
top prize in the website category for www.cometothecrossroads.com and
received honourable mention for its rebranding efforts.
"It
is a real honour when it is your peers that select you to win an
award," City of Woodstock economic development officer Brad
Hammond said.
"It
is a group of people that all do marketing, specifically the
marketing of a place like a community, so they all know a fair bit
about it and when they give you the nod, it really means something."
Contact today:
Brad Hammond, 519 539-2382, x2113
Len Magyar, 519 539-2382, x2112
LINKS:
Mark
Schadenberg, Sales
Representative
Senior
Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal
LePage Triland Realty
(519)
537-1553, cell or text
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