Summer 2011 Newsletter

Wednesday July 13, 2011

Welcome to the Invest in Middlesex Summer 2011 Newsletter. This quarterly e-newsletter has been designed for local businesses, prospective investors and our economic development partners.

Take a minute to get caught up on all the latest news and learn more about the opportunities available to you in Middlesex County.

Best Western Checks In
Going Dutch
Coppa Di Gelato Tasting Success
Heeman's a Local Food Champion
Libraries Offer Business Help

Best Western Checks In

Groundbreaking at Best Western Site The “world’s largest hotel family” is expanding to Middlesex County. Later this summer NoblEra Development will begin construction of a Best Western hotel on a 14-acre site bordering Adelaide Metcalfe and Strathroy-Caradoc.

The hotel, at the interchange of Highway 402 and Centre Road, will open in the spring of 2012, offering 62 rooms along with a convention and banquet centre. The 8,000-square-foot Sydenham Conference & Banquet facility will seat between 350 and 400 people and will be available for a variety of uses.

NoblEra is working with Imperial Design-Build and Regal Craft Homes on the project, which is valued at $35-million.

“This is great news for Middlesex County,” said Warden Joanne Vanderheyden. “We have made significant strides in increasing economic impact of tourism in the region. This development will further support our efforts to increase the number of visits and the lengths of stays in the County.”

Adelaide Metcalfe Mayor David Bolton echoed those comments, calling the development, “a real step forward for our municipality,” and “a great asset for the entire region.”

Best Western International is a non-profit membership association, to which hotel operators belong. Headquartered in Phoenix, it has more than 4,000 member hotels in 90 countries, making it a worldwide leader in the hospitality business.

The organization began in 1946 in California, as an informal referral system among member hotels. By 1963, Best Western was the largest chain in the industry with 699 member hotels and more than 35,000 rooms.

Its first expansion outside of the U.S. was to Canada in 1964. It expanded to Mexico in 1976. Last year Best Western had 2,194 hotels in North America, more than half of its overall total. Worldwide, the chain offers more than 308,500 rooms.

The NoblEra project will create many jobs, both short term and long term, and spark significant economic activity in the region.

According to Ontario Ministry of Tourism figures, tourists spent $473 Million to the Middlesex/London in 2008 (the last year for which there is spending data available).

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Going Dutch

SWEA Food Networking Picture Middlesex County went to The Netherlands in May, as part of a week-long investment mission organized by the Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) to promote investments in food production, renewable energy and logistics.

SWEA is a 15-county alliance created five years ago to promote economic growth and partnerships throughout Southwestern Ontario. The May 23-27 mission to The Netherlands was its first overseas mission, something it plans to do on a regular basis.

“It was a great opportunity for SWEA and for Middlesex County,” said Aileen Murray, Manager of Economic Development with the County, and a member of the team who made trip. “We could never afford to do this on our own, but working together through SWEA, we had a chance to reach out to the world and make some really good business connections.”

The 10-person delegation included Joanne Vanderheyden, Warden of Middlesex County and Mayor of Strathroy-Caradoc, and Ineke Haan, Manager of Human Resources at the Strathroy facility of food processor Bonduelle North America.

“Having the Warden there was great,” Murray said. “Beyond representing the region’s political leadership, her family is Dutch and she knows the language. She was a real asset. And Ineke Haan could speak specifically about the quality of the work force and the food processing industry, which was an area we focused on during the week.”

Also on the trip was SWEA president Serge Lavoie.

“The Netherlands is the third largest source of direct foreign investment in Canada, so it makes sense for us to pursue this market,” said Lavoie. “In addition, there are similarities in our economies, with mutual interests in value‐added agriculture and energy from sun, wind and biomass.”

Indeed, those similarities sparked many conversations about how companies in and around Middlesex County could work with firms in The Netherlands on food processing and renewable energy, Murray said.

One section of the tour included attending a food processing trade show. Over two days, working in smaller groups, the delegation held 20 meetings with participating Dutch companies, highlighting investment opportunities in Southwestern Ontario.

Canada is held in high esteem in The Netherlands because of the role the Canadian military played in liberating The Netherlands following the Second World War. The Canadian Ambassador’s residence in The Hague is on land donated by The Netherlands following the war. Midway through the week, the embassy hosted a business reception at the Ambassador’s residence and introduced members of the SWEA delegation to business leaders in the country.

“It was quite a prestigious event,” Murray said. “We had great support from the embassy, helping us set up meetings all week long with so many great contacts.”

All told, the delegation met officially with close to 30 companies in all regions of The Netherlands and also had less formal discussions with many more.

The goals of the SWEA delegation to The Netherlands are long-term.

“We want the people we met in the Netherlands to think of SWEA and Middlesex County when they think of Canada,” said Murray. “We packed a lot into our five days and spread the word about the opportunities here. It was a great success.”

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Coppa di Gelato Tasting Success

Coppa di Gelato first introduced its mouth-watering gelato and sorbet flavours eight years ago. Since then, tens of thousands of people have enjoyed the company’s authentic Italian ice cream across Ontario.

Today, Coppa di Gelato is on the verge of a major expansion that will dramatically increase its production of gelato and sorbet, along with a whole line of healthy dairy and non-dairy frozen treats.

The company enjoyed its first success in 2003 when owners Jeff and Viviane Swann opened a European style café and Gelateria in London. It offered a variety of soups and sandwiches, but very quickly it became best known for its Italian ice cream.

Building on that interest, the company opened several locations across Middlesex County, serving gelato and sorbet primarily during the spring and summer months. Again, the product was a hit with everyone who tried it, so in 2009 the Swanns decided to focus exclusively on the production of their increasingly famous Italian ice creams.

They closed their retail locations and began manufacturing in Kilworth, near their home. The plan was to run the business while searching for a new, larger facility in Middlesex County where they could build a world class artisan dairy facility to produce a whole range of low-fat frozen desserts for sale across the province and the country. The County is an ideal location because the new facility will need easy access to suppliers of raw milk, fresh fruits, nuts, and soy and corn products, which Coppa di Gelato hopes to find locally as much as possible.

The Swanns have narrowed down their search for the ideal location in the County and hope to expand within a year or so. Meanwhile, they continue to sell their popular gelato and sorbet to dozens of Southwestern Ontario restaurants and through independent grocery stores across the province.

Their ice cream is also available on university campuses, in service industries and at a variety of retailers who have trouble keeping it in stock, especially in the summer. The company also sells under private label agreements in various forms and packaging sizes. Its mobile gelato counters are very popular among organizations holding fundraising activities.

“We’ve established a reputation for excellent quality and service,” says Jeff Swann. “We’re looking forward to continuing to grow and play a role in the development of this region. What better place to grow our business? This region’s dairy farming and bountiful summer fields combine to make exceptional fresh, healthy and tasty ingredients for our gelato and sorbet products.”

Currently, the company has a staff of three with two sales people. When it expands, its workforce will grow to between 12 and 17.

There are a number of ways Coppa di Gelato accommodates its many customers, packaging unique products as required. Its list of flavours, products and serving suggestions is available at www.coppadigelato.com

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Heeman’s a Local Food Champion

Strawberries at Heemans The Heeman family was doing local food long before there was a local food movement. And thousands of people across Middlesex County and beyond have reaped the benefits for nearly five decades.

Heeman Greenhouses & Strawberry Farm is one of the County’s most popular places all spring and summer, particularly during berry season when people flock to the farm to buy or pick berries right from the field that day. There’s nothing fresher or tastier, and the Heeman secret has been out for a long time.

What fewer people know is that Heeman’s now grows Everbearing strawberries, a plant that produces fruit all summer and into the fall.

“When I tell people they can come here and buy fresh, local strawberries right up until Halloween they’re shocked,” says Will Heeman, 23, the eldest grandson of Bill and Susan Heeman, who started the farm on 25 acres in 1963.

Today, the family runs a total of about 400 acres with approximately 5 acres of it under greenhouse cover.

As much as it is known for strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, the majority of the business is the garden centre. The family plants and grows baskets of every description and size, along with just as many perennials and annuals, and sells everything on site to gardeners who come every spring, like swallows returning to Capistrano.

“We grow 12 months a year,” says Florence Heeman. She and husband Rudy are the second generation running the farm, parents to Will and his three siblings. “We’re already growing perennials for next year. We’ve got a great group of employees who work with the plants year-round and know exactly what they need and like. They can answer any questions people have because they’ve grown and nurtured the plants right here.”

During the busy summer season, Heeman’s employs as many as 72 people. The rest of the year, there is a core of 20 full-time employees who look after the extensive network of greenhouses, totaling about 200,000 square feet.

The newest greenhouse is a 20,000 square foot structure dedicated entirely to tropical plants owned by customers who need a place to overwinter them. They deliver them to Heeman’s in the fall and pick them up on the May 24 long weekend. The greenhouse filled up completely last winter. News of the service spread entirely by word of mouth.

Because the farm is a destination for so many, the family works hard to make it well worth the trip. During berry season, they sell sundaes topped with homemade strawberry sauce. There is a whole line of fruit sauces and jams, made with the freshest ingredients.

The farm also maintains an active website and uses social media to keep followers posted about what fruit is available, going as far as updating by the half hour to let people know if that day’s strawberries have sold out yet. The site features several videos about the farm’s operations and is chalk full of gardening tips, recipes and the history of the business.

“We’ve been in Middlesex County from the beginning, and we’re very grateful for the people who come every year, for our berries and plants,” Florence says. “It’s a great location for what we like to do.”

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Libraries Offer Business Help

Strathroy Library For anyone starting a small business, or just thinking about doing so, there’s a gold mine of information, available for free at their local branch of Middlesex County library.

All 15 branch libraries offer access to the Service Ontario’s Services to Business Guide, an extensive collection of resources designed to help self-employed workers, start-up entrepreneurs, small office/home office (SOHO) business owners, rural entrepreneurs and so many more.

The 52-page document is a treasure trove of information for anyone in the early stages of planning a business.

“There was a real need to support new and small businesses in smaller communities, where there might not be a Chamber of Commerce,” says Lindsay Brock, Middlesex County Library Branch Coordinator. “It’s a tremendous resource that not a lot of business people know about.”

The core of the document provides a variety of information on such topics as market research and planning, financing, registering a business name and obtaining a business license. It also offers advice and links to other sites on topics such as marketing and selling as well as the use of technology.

There’s also a section detailing the various provincial and federal agencies and programs that can help small businesses and start-ups.

In addition, Middlesex County has customized the information and includes a list of books on a range of small business-related topics. They can be held and delivered to a local branch at the request of a library user.

“Our library staff has received training on the Service Ontario website, so we can help people get information,” Brock says. “From the site, users can register or renew a business license, search for business permits and licenses through BIZPal, access applications for retail sales tax, employer health tax, and workplace safety insurance board programs, among other things.”

While the information is available at all branches, the Reference Librarian at the Strathroy branch, Chris Harrington, has a great deal of expertise and can be booked for appointments to go over the document in detail or search for specific information.

“It’s a very helpful site,” Brock says. “People often come in to get stats and do research. They’re often amazed at how much information Statistics Canada offers and how useful it can be.”

There is a mountain of information available to help new and small businesses, much of it free and organized by various agencies of the provincial and federal governments. The Services to Business Guide is the best way to access it. And the staff of all 15 Middlesex County public libraries is more than willing to help anyone find the information they need.

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