The London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is on a mission to help London move forward. As London’s lead economic development agency, the LEDC is improving the economic climate for Londoner’s by assisting with the growth of local companies and the attraction of new businesses and investments to London.
Marketing and promoting London for business opportunities in global markets is a vital part of the LEDC’s business expansion and attraction strategy. The LEDC is active on both a local and international scale, and has participated in half a dozen investment missions so far this year to help attract investment opportunities and businesses to London. Notably, many companies in London are North American firsts as a result of investment missions, including Dr. Oetker and Brose from Germany, and Natra from Spain.
Below are some examples of how the LEDC’s investment missions and local outreach initiatives are putting London on the map.
The Centre for Automotive Research – CAR Management Briefing Seminars
From August 3-6, 2015, LEDC’s President and CEO Kapil Lakhotia travelled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to attend the CAR Management Briefing Seminars.
“As a member of the Ontario Automotive Communities Alliance (OACA), the LEDC collaborates with other cities to market Ontario for automotive investments,” says Kapil Lakhotia. “The CAR conference is a large auto-industry conference where OACA members have the chance to meet several companies and industry leaders.”
The CAR conference is well-attended by leaders from major original equipment manufacturers (OEM’s) and parts suppliers, as well as Ontario and Federal government representatives. The seminars range in theme from light weight technologies, connected cars, and autonomous driving, to clean energy, fuel economy and efficiency, and advanced safety innovations.
About the Centre for Automotive Research
Today’s competitive environment is becoming both faster and more complex as manufacturers launch new products at a quicker pace than ever before. For the last 50 years, the CAR Management Briefing Seminars have delivered thought leadership on the most important issues facing the automotive industry – and the strategies to succeed. These seminars explore how leading manufacturers are balancing product and process innovation with world-class quality and performance.
Please visit http://www.cargroup.org/ for more information about the Centre for Automotive Research (CAR).
Gamescom
The LEDC participates in many regional economic alliances, including the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC). This summer, LEDC’s Director of Business Development Larry MacKinnon and other OTC members travelled to Cologne, Germany to attend Gamescom 2015. The purpose of this investment mission is to promote Ontario to the world and invite foreign companies to join the interactive digital media firms currently thriving in the province.
Gamescom is the world’s largest trade fair and event highlight for interactive games. This year, around 345,000 visitors from 96 countries celebrated the next level of entertainment.
About the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC)
The Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) encompasses the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa Region, Waterloo Region and the City of London. As North America’s gateway to innovation, the OTC offers a world-leading, highly-educated talent base with excellent growth opportunities and a low-risk business environment.
Learn more about the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) at www.ontariotechcorridor.ca
Lunch n Learns
LEDC has created Lunch n’ Learn information sessions to provide an overview of how London is moving forward, recent wins and new initiatives. Since inception in 2014, LEDC’s Heather Pilot, Director of Business Development, has presented over 15 sessions, with plans to host more before the year’s end.
“We host the Lunch n Learn’s in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to reach out to the real estate community and site selectors about some of London’s recent wins,” says Heather Pilot. “I highlight the diversity of London’s growing downtown core and key sectors, including Information Technology (IT), manufacturing, and food and beverage processing.”
The presentation outlines major advantages London has in its targeted industry sectors and how the LEDC has helped bring new business investment into the city. London’s fully-serviced industrial sites are a highlight of the discussion, as they offer shovel-ready, master planned land available for sale.
Heather has presented for various companies, including FedDev Ottawa, The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), and many more that help spread the word about London, Ontario.
