Invest in Chatham-Kent
Chatham-Kent is a community of 108,000 located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario just minutes from the Windsor/Detroit border. To ensure that workforce availability is never a problem, over 1 million Canadians live within one-hour of Chatham-Kent’s borders.
Chatham-Kent businesses appreciate the skilled workforce, the ease to Canadian and US markets, the low business operating costs and the wide range of greenfield and existing businesses.
Easy access to Highway 401 and the proximity to three major border crossings coupled with competitive land costs have made Chatham-Kent a popular location for business.
Advancement of Agriculture
Chatham-Kent businesses are at the forefront of agricultural research and innovation. Chatham-Kent is set is one of the richest agricultural areas in Canada and is enhanced by the research and support of University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus.
Alternative Energy
Chatham-Kent is positioned as a “leader” within the Province of Ontario’s green energy strategy as awarded with the 2009 Leadership Award by the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
Wind projects are a growing opportunity for the rural sector. Kruger Energy’s 101-megawatt Port Alma project completed construction and was fully operational in 2008. GenGrowth-Boralex has four Chatham-Kent projects under construction which were scheduled to be fully operating in 2010. Several other wind energy and solar energy developers are in various stages of development.
Education and Training
Chatham-Kent is home to St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology, Thames Campus who seeks to meet the educational needs of students and the training needs of business and industry. A range of post-secondary, post-diploma, apprenticeships, continuous learning and contract training programs and services are available in the areas of technology and trades, health, community services, adult education, applied arts and business.
University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus is located within Chatham-Kent. The campus delivers education, research and extension focused on agriculture and environmental management. The campus has 600 full-time students enrolled in degree, diploma or certificate programs and over 6,000 alumni.
Economic Development Services
Chatham-Kent Economic Development Services provides confidential business assistance with available site and building information, community briefings and tours, statistics, research, grant writing and customized information packages.
Transportation
Realizing how important logistics play in today’s economy and the importance of being close to customers, Chatham-Kent is divided by Highway 401, which connects all major provincial and US interstates and highways. The trunk lines of three major railways – CNR, CP Rail and CSX further augment Chatham-Kent’s transportation system.
Locating your business in Chatham-Kent is a winning proposition for business!