CK Courting 18 Potential Investors

Economic development officials in Chatham-Kent are working with 18 potential investors, which could create 700 new, well-paying jobs. Director of economic development Michael Burton says he's pitching the region to many companies overseas. "The key points are (Chatham-Kent's) geographic location. It's got six to seven different entry points into the U.S. market," he says. "And it's nicely situated for the Canadian eastern market as well." Burton says he's not picky when it comes to jobs, but they do target certain industries. "Typically we'll go after projects that tend to diversify our economy. We're looking at a lot of projects in non-automotive areas," says Burton. "We've got consumer products, we've got chemical processing, medical products and a number of industrial products, which are not automotive." It's not all about attracting new jobs, Burton says they also entice current employers to expand. "We've had great success in our existing companies' expansion as well. We've got $152-million of expansion underway," says Burton. "About 70% of our budget, as well as our people and effort, goes into the local economy." In the last two years Burton says 13 new companies have come to Chatham-Kent, creating 360 new jobs. Burton hopes to have a few job announcements by the end of this year.