By Paul Morden, from www.theobserver.ca The Observer
The agency responsible for attracting businesses and industry to Sarnia-Lambton has been named one of Canada’s top 10 economic development groups.
This is the fourth time the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership has made the annual list compiled by Site Selection magazine and announced Tuesday as part of the publication’s seventh annual Canada’s Best to Invest awards.
“It’s always a good thing,” said George Mallay, the partnership’s general manager.
“The more recognition you can get for the area, the better.”
The partnership also made the magazine’s 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 top 10 lists.
It isn’t an award the partnership applies for, Mallay said.
“They kind of do their own thing.”
The magazine, published by Atlanta-based Conway Data, chooses its annual top 10 economic development groups based on project data, regional partnerships, proactive and innovative programming, web tools and resources.
“The audience is, basically, people involved in the site selection business,” Mallay said.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley, chairperson of the partnership’s board, said in a press release that credit for the award goes to the hard work being done by Mallay and the staff at the agency.
“The economy has been tough and the unemployment rate, obviously, is not where we want it,” Mallay said.
“But, we are making progress.”
As well as working to attract new employers, the agency funded by Lambton County promotes entrepreneurship and works with local businesses and industries.
He said industrial fabrication and engineering companies in Sarnia have been attracting customers in the western oil patch recently, and other success stories include the opening of an Atelka call centre, BioAmber’s plant under construction on Vidal Street and plans by Ubiquity Solar to set up a manufacturing site in Sarnia-Lambton.
“We are getting more and more inquiries relating to hybrid chemistry,” Mallay added.
“This year, we’re going to be trying to do more with the creative industries.”
Also making this year’s top 10 list were the City of Ajax, Alberta’s Industrial Heartlands Association, Canada’s Technology Triangle, the City of Charlottetown, Hamiton Economic Development, Montreal International, Quebec International, Invest Toronto and the Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corp.
The Sarnia-Lambton Economic Economic Partnership is scheduled to meet Sept. 16 to review local economic strategies.
“We’ll be looking at our plan then, in terms of how we tweak it,” Mallay said.
Sarnia-Lambton’s unemployment rate was 9.3% in June, according to the Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board. That’s up from 8.2% in January.