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The comprehensive program serves as a unique platform for leading public officials, planners, architects, developers and other practitioners to share their experiences, insights and contributions to the future of downtown revitalization. This summit consistently attracts over 150 attendees, and engages senior executives in pressing discussions that influence the future of urban development.

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It was, at first, a lonely venture. He had a family to support but he also had the vision to capitalize on technologies the economic geochemist knew were being developed by Canadian academics like him. It was just a matter of seeing the vision through.

He moved to Ancaster a few years later to be near McMaster University’s nuclear reactor — the only reactor in Canada that could be used commercially for the kind of mineral testing he had developed.

“We needed an edge over our competition and that was technology … that research that had not been applied commercially.”

It’s a formula that’s worked.

By the end of this year, Hoffman expects Activation Lab’s workforce will number about 1,500 people in 40 locations around the world. A new one in Burkina Faso just opened in March.

He expects about 100 new jobs will be added to the workforce of 350 at the corporate headquarters in Ancaster, from general labourers to staff with Ph.D or master’s degrees. Included among staff are his three children who were in school when he started, and his wife, who runs the human resources department.

Activation Labs has now also developed new branches, using high-tech methods and equipment in other industrial sectors such as life sciences, materials, environmental and agricultural.

In February, the company received $900,000 from provincial and federal development funds to further research into DNA-analysis soil tests which promise to determine if the conditions exist for a soybean cysnematode infestation — a common and debilitating problem common to the cash crop.

The company is now building a 200,000-square-foot lab in the Ancaster Industrial Park where Activation already has five buildings. This new one will house a mineral testing facility. One of the current buildings will house new agricultural and environmental labs.

But this is just one aspect of the incredible growth at Activation.

Hoffman said as minerals are discovered and mined, the need to use technology to discover deposits that are not easy to detect becomes more urgent, particularly for rare earth minerals, or harder to detect elements such as graphite. Then there is always the rush for gold.

Activation has created testing systems using a myriad of largely proprietary technologies to find mineral deposits by analyzing soil, rock, or even the bark of a tree or the bacteria in soil.

“We have developed a lot of technologies which can do that in a very cost effective way,” he said. “A lot of our technologies are unique.”

Activation has been actively growing domestically — moving its Thunder Bay facility into a larger building, for example, and this year opening a new western Canadian regional office in Kamloops, B.C.

By 1995 Activation had gone global, with a purchase of a company in the United States then eventually new labs in Australia and South America. Activation will open four locations in African countries this year and is currently building two in Mongolia.

Hoffman said even four years ago he never would have considered opening a business in Africa, but times, and the need for minerals, have changed.

“People have a fear of going outside Canada. We don’t see that there are a lot of companies going global,” he said. “Africa has been a continent that has been overlooked because of instability. There are areas that are still unable to be developed but there are areas that are ripe for development. It was a pretty well-kept secret. ”

He has also taken a different tack by hiring locals to manage foreign locations rather than expats.

“We find that employees prefer to work for someone from their home country. Many multinationals don’t do this.”

Hoffman said while there are difficulties with doing business in foreign areas such as Africa such as shipping delays and hiring staff, there are just as many doing business at home.

The reality is, however, Hoffman said he hasn’t hesitated because the demand for his business won’t allow it.

“We’ll never be a multinational billion-dollar company but we are likely fifth in the world in our industry,” he said. “We are good at developing technology and at seeing the potential advantage to commercializing applications (of academic research). I would say actually we’re very good at that.”

This article is for personal use only courtesy of TheSpec.com – a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.

Golden Horseshoe Aviation started operating at the Mount Hope field May 1 aiming to provide “busy business professionals who work or live in the Golden Horseshoe Area with access to safe, convenient private or commercial pilot training.”

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport has been without a flying school since 2008 when the airport operator forced Peninsulair out in order to turn its hangar over to another tenant.

“We are committed to providing Hamilton and the surrounding region with the opportunity to access high quality flight training” said airport president Frank Scremin in a news release. “We recognize the need for general aviation services, including flight training, at the airport and are thrilled to partner with Golden Horseshoe Aviation to offer a service that meets the demands of the general aviation community.”

Golden Horseshoe president Michael Geraghty said Hamilton airport would give his students “a sophisticated, controlled airspace that will allow them to develop the confidence and ability needed to fly in the busy airways of Canada and the United States.”

Golden Horseshoe boasts of its “executive class” surroundings, small class size, late- model aircraft equipped with modern avionics, flight briefings delivered using both “old-fashioned” white boards and online learning modules, and a full-motion flight simulator for students and recertification for existing pilots.

The company also rents late-model airplanes for existing pilots and provides aerial sightseeing for residents and visitors.

This article is for personal use only courtesy of TheSpec.com – a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.

In this spirit, there is also some outstanding technological ideas coming out of Mohawk College in Hamilton and will be showcased in their annual Apps for Health event (May 11-12, 2012, Mohawk College Fennell Campus)

Apps for Health interactive e-health event, providing an opportunity for professionals and students to discuss current trends in the industry while learning more about new emerging technologies, networking with fellow students and businesses and connecting with likeminded individuals, industry experts and health care professionals.

We encourage those interested in the life sciences field to check out this e-health event in the coming days and for more information on Hamilton’s life sciences sector, click here.

The 33-year-old already runs a 23-employee company in Toronto called HitGrab, which develops online games — think popular Facebook fantasy MouseHunt — for social networks.

He’s ready to expand into the mobile game market in a big way, but first HitGrab’s CEO wants to expand his virtual biz physically into Hamilton.

“Part of it is the talent pool … I don’t think very many companies are taking advantage of this particular talent pool in Hamilton,” said Auge, who hopes to scoop up between four and 10 talented programmers and designers — perhaps McMaster and Mohawk grads — before they “scatter” to other cities.

As a Flamborough resident, Auge is also looking forward to skipping the commute to his Toronto headquarters. “But to be honest, it comes down to cheap space, too.”

He’s part of a growing trend of business owners eyeing Hamilton as a potential relocation destination, according to city business gurus. “It’s absolutely happening,” said city economic development director Neil Everson. “Our last four years have probably been the best in the last 25 in terms of (incoming) companies and company expansion.”

Canada Revenue Agency statistics show Hamilton had about 350 more businesses in 2010 with revenues over $30,000 compared to 2009. They’re not all imports, of course. But Everson said their success breeds local startups and expansions, too. “It’s all part of a positive momentum for the city,” he said.

The city doesn’t specifically track transplanted businesses or out-of-towner expansions into Hamilton, but Everson can rattle off a list of the biggest without a second thought.

Canada Bread and later Maple Leaf Foods, its parent company, represent the biggest fish recently reeled in by the city following a countrywide consolidation. The bakery and deli meats plant will have combined to bring almost 1,000 jobs and $500 million in investment to the city’s Red Hill Business Park by 2014.

Tim Hortons opened a $30-million roasting facility in Ancaster in 2010, shortly before Winnipeg agri-food giant Parrish & Heimbecker signed a long-term lease to set up shop in almost 400,000 square feet of space on Pier 10.

The city’s “creative industries” are also luring new businesses every year, said David Adames, president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, with 300 new arts and culture-related jobs created in the downtown alone last year.

Everson lists five reasons in particular for Hamilton’s success in luring out-of-towners:

Cheap, available property: The Real Estate Investment Network named Hamilton Ontario’s No. 1 place to invest.

Cost-competitiveness: It’s cheaper to set up and run a business in Hamilton. For example, wages must be higher in Toronto to account for higher cost of living.

Transportation: Easy access to railroads, the harbour, the airport and major highways such as the Red Hill Valley Parkway.

Quality of life: Don’t underestimate the value of uncongested streets.

Intellectual infrastructure: our post-secondary institutions, health research facilities and related incubation centres such as Innovation Factory.

Innovation Factory is dedicated to helping start and grow innovative new businesses, has 10 clients that have either recently arrived in Hamilton or are considering the move, said experience manager Tammy Hwang.

Several have moved from Toronto seeking cheaper real estate and a “resource network” of associated businesses, she said. One, a solar power technology company, started out in China but moved to Hamilton to better serve a slew of regional clients.

Proximity and affordability lured Stephanie McLarty, founder of surplus electronics resaler REfficient. McLarty said she started out in Mississauga, but got hooked on Hamilton after taking on a couple of area customers.

“Cost of warehousing space was huge for us. I’d say it’s 30 per cent cheaper here than in the rest of the GTA,” said McLarty, who set up shop here last year. With her business exporting more equipment to the United States, she also likes her location between the border and Toronto.

She likes the city, too — something she admits was a “pleasant surprise.”

That feeling of surprise, she said, might be one of the city’s big business challenges. “Hamilton still has that ‘dirty’ image that it needs to kick,” she said. “It’s important for my business, too, because it becomes an issue for me in attracting the talented employees I need.”

McLarty’s wish list also includes transit improvements, so she cheered the promised GO train frequency improvements on the horizon. “Whether you’re a business owner or a potential employee, you need to realize Hamilton isn’t actually that far away (from Toronto),” she said. “The better the transportation links, the easier it will be to recruit and keep people.”

Nem Food
What: Frozen food manufacturer, contemporary Asian cuisine, in Stoney Creek
Who: Helen Thieu
From there to here: Vietnam
When: Immigrated 2008, new manufacturing plant in 2010
Employees: 14
What brings you to Hamilton? “I like the city very much, the convenience, everything is close, and traffic is good — we don’t have the problems, the (traffic) jams like in Toronto … I was going to go to Toronto, but I am happy here.”
What doesn’t? High property taxes

REfficient
What: Surplus electronics resale, recycling and sustainability auditing services, on Sherman Avenue North
Who: Stephanie McLarty, CEO
From there to here: Mississauga
When: 2011
Employees: 6
What brings you to Hamilton? “Cost of warehouse space was huge for us.”
What doesn’t? A “dirty” image problem the city needs to solve

newMediaSTAR.tv
What: Internet TV broadcaster and business training venture on the Mountain
Who: Mark Ironside
From there to here: Toronto
When: 2011
Employees: self-employed owner
What brings you to Hamilton? “The right space at the right price … I’m from Hamilton, so the idea of giving back was appealing.”
What doesn’t? City bureaucracy and “atrocious” taxes

Isis Digital Media
What: Mobile data collection solutions for health, education sectors in Waterdown
Who: Eric West, president
From there to here: Halton
When: late 2011
Employees: 10
What brings you to Hamilton? “This was the perfect building, the perfect opportunity … it sounds silly, but this is the first office space I’ve worked in where I can actually open the windows.”
What doesn’t? Metered street parking in a small commercial core

Swapopolis
What: Online marketplace and “matchmaking service” for gift cards
Who: Sean Snyder, chief “swap” officer
From there to here: Toronto
When: 2010
Employees: 5
What brings you to Hamilton? “It was the economics. The cost of setting up a business, of doing business is less here, for sure.”
What doesn’t? Keeping valued employees from scattering to larger centres is a challenge

Hansen & Lubbers
What: Furniture and home décor store on James Street North
Who: Richard Lubbers and Craig Hansen
From there to here: Oakville (they still have a store there, too)
When: moved 2010, opened store 2011
Employees: 2 (owner-operators)
What brings you to Hamilton? “We moved here to live, so that was a big part of it … but we also wanted to be part of the James Street experience.”
What doesn’t? No beefs at the moment, but looking forward to GO Transit improvements

HitGrab
What: Online social game creator, branching out into mobile games
Who: Joel Auge, CEO
From there to here: Toronto (still has offices there)
When: Hoping for 2012
Employees: 23 in Toronto, between four and 10 planned for Hamilton
What brings you to Hamilton? “The talent pool … (and) it comes down to cheap space.”
What doesn’t? He hasn’t set up shop yet, so he doesn’t know

McAsphalt Industries
What: $30 million asphalt processing, shipping facility at Pier 24
Who: Kam Bhatia, vice-president engineering
From there to here: Toronto
When: Operations began 2011
Employees: 30+
What brings you to Hamilton? A great transportation hub. “Having that kind of transportation infrastructure is a key part of our business,” Bhatia has previously told The Spectator.

Chuck Gammage Animation
What: Animation studio on James Street North
Who: Chuck Gammage, owner
From there to here: Toronto
When: June 2011
Employees: 10
What brings you to Hamilton? “I moved this way first, so moving the business meant less of a commute for me … Financially speaking, it was also a good move, because I can get more space for less.”
What doesn’t? Less frequent GO Transit to Toronto can be a “major drawback” for employees. He’s glad service is scheduled to improve.

PlayLab
What: Creates educational enrichment programs for kids, McMaster Innovation Park
Who: Mohan Nadarajah, CEO
From there to here: Toronto, Oakville
When: 2011
Employees: 17, full time and part time
What brings you to Hamilton? PlayLab partnered with Hamilton business development firm Trivaris. “We started finding more partnerships in Hamilton, with Innovation Factory, with Mohawk (College).”

Maple Leaf Foods
What: National food giant, building $395-million deli meats plant at Red Hill Business Park
Who: Michael McCain, president
From there to here: Consolidating plants across the country, including in Kitchener
When: plant should be complete in 2014
Employees: 670 estimated
What brings you to Hamilton? A central location, highway access and cheap land. “It fit perfectly for our business,” McCain told The Spectator last year.
What doesn’t? Maple Leaf abandoned a plan to bring a pork plant to Hamilton in 2005 in the face of resident opposition.

This article is for personal use only courtesy of TheSpec.com – a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.

Click here to read the full release (PDF)

Click here to read the full release (PDF)

The investment as announced Friday morning under Ontario’s Innovation Demonstration Fund. The program helps finance the process of turning an idea that works in a lab into a product that’s ready for the market.

Fibracast Ltd. is in the membrane filtration business, producing a system that uses a flat sheet of membrane material to filter out the impurities and turn waste water into drinking water.

The public money is a forgivable loan – if Fibracast’s technology can be shown to work and the company locates its manufacturing operation here the loan will be written off. The payoff for the province in 10 jobs during the testing phase and the chance of another 60 by next year.

MPP Ted McMeekin announced the loan and said such support is a key part of building Ontario’s much-discussed “green” economy.

John Tomescu, Fibracast CEO, said the company’s technology has the potential to cut the cost of membrane water treatment in half, opening vast new markets for technology that’s more effect than traditional treatment methods.

The public support, he added, was one of the reasons he chose to locate the company here rather than in California where the technology was developed.

“This kind of support is an amazing way of helping us bridge the research and commercialization phases of this project,” he said.

This article is for personal use only courtesy of TheSpec.com – a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.

Click here to read full article.

The total value of construction in the first quarter of this year is $271 million, up $75 million compared to the first quarter of that record-setting year.

Aside from the warm winter, Neil Everson, the city’s director of economic development, said part of the reason for the fast start is the issue of permits for long-awaited developments such as the $15 million in construction at McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) on Longwood Road, expected to be complete by January 2013 at a total cost of $26 million.

In March, the city also issued building permits worth about $6.5 million to the first hotel — a 129-room Staybridge at the corner of George and Caroline — in Darko Vranich’s massive condo and hotel plan. He is planning four buildings, containing 600 condo units, two hotels and retail space, a $125-million complex bounded by King, Main, Bay and Hess streets.

However, it’s the increase from $28 million in industrial/commercial development in the first quarter of 2010 to $65 million this year in a diverse set of companies that has Everson buoyant about 2012’s outlook.

“The diversity is what makes us really happy,” said Everson. “I think that’s what helped Hamilton weather the 2008 recession somewhat better than other places which may be reliant on the auto sector, for example.”

There was also a collection of small and not-so-small commercial projects such as the new Starsky grocery store in the east end ($900,000); the $7.7-million Walmart on the corner of Ottawa and Barton streets; another $768,000 phase at the Walmart power centre in Flamborough and a new Starbucks/Shoppers Drug Mart complex across from McMaster worth about $2.5 million.

The first-quarter results follow the release of the city’s economic development department’s annual review, which noted strong figures for 2011, with the critical non-residential (commercial and industrial) permits representing 21 per cent of the annual total.

Everson said it’s hard to predict what will happen with the residential building permits, but he’s crossing his fingers that the next quarter will be just as strong as Maple Leaf and another company, Activation Labs, start construction on new buildings.

The volume of inquiries has picked up — but Hamilton has often been the target of inquiries. Only lately have they followed through.

“They used to kick the tires; now they’re buying the car,” said Everson.

This article is for personal use only courtesy of TheSpec.com – a division of Metroland Media Group Ltd.