Chatham-Kent is continuing to present itself as a hotspot for businesses and investors, according to the economic development team.
The Chatham-Kent Economic Development Department currently has a number of open files with companies that are interested in setting up shop in the municipality including a marine manufacturer and a long term care provider.
Stuart McFadden, director of economic development, said he wants to ensure deals are finalized before he goes into details about any possible future projects. However, he said the department is currently working with real estate agents to try and find the best properties or buildings to accommodate the possible projects.
"Our job is to make sure people understand how easy it is to do business in Chatham-Kent and to let them understand what our community is all about," he said.
According to McFadden, Chatham-Kent is more and more frequently being seen as a place that has a lot of offer. He said some of those benefits include affordability and a unique rural-urban mix with plenty of amenities.
"We had a group from out of town, we took them around and toured the community, they just fell in love with it. It had a lot of difference from where they were from, which was more urban-centric. They loved the fact that we're close to the lakes, lots of things for their employees to do. They love the housing market pricing," he said. "I think a lot of its location. When you take a look at proximity to major markets, being in Toronto or if you need to get access to the [United States], we're within a sweet spot there. I think that's important to them."
Besides future projects that are in the works, McFadden also pointed to businesses that have recently come to the area, including Mercato Fresh and Oven 360, calling it a good mix of industries.
"People are taking notice," he exclaimed. "It's not only businesses, but we're also working with some companies right now that are looking to do some residential developments that have not done business in Chatham Kent before."
McFadden said behind the scenes, the economic development team is hard at work showcasing the benefits of Chatham-Kent.
"The reality is we need to grow, we have to grow in order to be sustainable long term," said McFadden. "We're going to continue to go out and market ourselves as a place to do business, market ourselves as business-friendly, do our best to help businesses set up easy."
