Our judging panel was impressed by the quality of applications received this year for 2026’s Pitch your Plan Youth Business Plan competition. With prizes available in two divisions – Elementary – Grade 7&8, and Secondary – Grade 9-12. Both winners were presented with a MacBook Air and Invest in Middlesex swag by Warden Sue Clarke to help support their business launch.
Three County Programs Help Fuel Local Municipal Growth, Investment, and Housing
As communities across Middlesex County prepare for future growth, three County funding programs are helping municipalities advance locally determined housing, infrastructure, employment lands, and economic development priorities.
The Community Improvement Support Program, Employment Lands Readiness Program, and Middlesex County Loan Program provide municipalities with tools to attract investment, expand housing options, prepare employment lands for development, and bring serviced land to market sooner. Together, these programs strengthen local municipal capacity and support communities in achieving their locally determined planning and development goals.
A Taste of Thailand, Rooted in Middlesex County
When Thai Pad opened its doors in Lucan, Ontario, it brought something new to Middlesex County - authentic, from-scratch Thai cuisine made the way it is meant to be made, with no shortcuts and no compromises.
Thai Pad is a family-owned and operated restaurant serving the Lucan Biddulph community and drawing visitors from across Middlesex County. For owner Lot Chansamone, the mission has always been simple: give customers the real experience.
Middlesex County is proud to announce the completion of its 2026 Tourism Wayfinding Strategy, a forward-looking plan that will guide how visitors discover, navigate, and experience everything our communities have to offer.
What is Pitch your Plan?
Pitch your Plan is a program proudly presented by Invest in Middlesex and designed to ignite a spark of entrepreneurial spirit in our youth! Middlesex students, grades 7-12 are invited to share their business idea, and a short Pitch video, explaining your bright business idea. More than bragging rights are up for grabs too, MacBook Airs are available to be won. One awarded to the elementary (Grade 7 & 8) winner, and one for the top Secondary school (Grade 9-12) entry.
Middlesex County is pleased to share the launch of its new Economic Development and Tourism Strategic Plan. Building on the success of our previous strategy, it’s a roadmap designed to fuel growth, spark innovation, and showcase everything that makes our region a great place to live, work, build, and explore.
This plan highlights what makes Middlesex County special: our collaboration, our creativity and our commitment to building for the future alongside our local and regional partners, businesses, and senior levels of government.
The strategy lays out how Invest in Middlesex will work with local and regional partners on a coordinated approach to investment attraction, business retention and expansion, workforce development and tourism promotion. As an upper-tier municipality, Middlesex County plays a key role in generating opportunities, strengthening regional competitiveness, and supporting local municipal partners.
When Ontario Plants was looking to expand, they weren't just searching for available land. They were looking for a place to build their future.
North America's largest propagator of young plants for greenhouse growers found that place in Middlesex County. Their newest and most state-of-the-art greenhouse facility in Glencoe is currently 12 acres, with three planned phases of expansion that will bring the site to a total of 48 acres. Combined with their established operation in St. Thomas, Ontario Plants produces approximately 60 million plants per year across both facilities, and that number is set to grow.
Middlesex County, ON, January 14, 2026 – Middlesex County is pleased to announce the three successful recipients of the 2026 Spark Mentorships & Grants Program, an initiative designed to support innovative tourism ideas that strengthen and grow the local visitor economy.
The Spark Program pairs selected participants with experienced industry mentors and provides a $3,000 seed grant to help bring new tourism concepts to life. Following a competitive application and pitch process, the 2026 Middlesex County Spark Program winners are:
Michael Courey – New Moon Community Homestead
Phil Moddle – Arrowwood Farm & Events
Dan Muzylowsky – Apple Land Station
When Norbec needed room to grow, they didn't just look for available land. They looked for a partner.
The North American leader in insulated metal panels and walk-in cold storage solutions found that partner in Middlesex County. Their new 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Strathroy-Caradoc represents more than a strategic expansion, it's a $45 million vote of confidence in our region's ability to support advanced manufacturing at scale.
Since 1982, Norbec has built a reputation across Canada and the United States for precision-engineered cold storage solutions serving food processing, pharmaceutical, and industrial sectors. As demand surged for their custom insulated panels and modular storage systems, the company faced a choice: where to invest in next-generation manufacturing capacity.
Southwest Middlesex has secured over $2 million in provincial and county support to service new industrial land in Glencoe, launching the $2.75 million Glencoe Business and Industrial Park Servicing Project. The initiative, expected to attract investment, create 150–200 permanent jobs, and support local business expansion, will provide fully serviced lots ready for development by 2027.
