Agri-Food/Food Processing
When making a decision to invest in London, agri-food processing companies like yours will have a number of criteria which must be satisfied. At the LEDC, we understand your need for accurate and timely information and have prepared detailed material on the following topics for your consideration.
- Raw food materials: London has ready access to a wide variety of farms, dairies, and other sources of raw food materials. Middlesex County alone contains more than 2,600 farms on more than 620,000 acres including over 512,000 acres in crops.
- Demand for products: London is an urban centre of over 432,000 people located in the heart of Ontario farming country. 150 million people live within a one day drive of London.
- Distribution: The NAFTA superhighways 401 and 402 pass right through London on their way to Windsor/Detroit, Buffalo/Niagara, Sarnia/Port Huron and Toronto. London International Airport is the 11th largest in Canada with an excellent freight capacity. London also has two Class 1 railways providing direct rail freight access to the entire North American continent. In addition, London is close to several Great Lake ports for sea transportation.
- Environmental issues: London has an excellent and abundant fresh water supply from both lakes Erie and Huron. The City of London operates a number of waste water treatment facilities and is building additional capacity.
- Industrial property: London has an excellent supply of serviced industrial land as well as a stock of existing facilities that can be refurbished at a reasonable cost. There are no development charges for manufacturing facilities established in the City of London.
- Competitive electrical rates: Electricity is a deregulated utility in Ontario. A reliable supply of electricity is available at competitive market rates.
- Research and academic institutions: The London region is home to a number of research institutions including The University of Western Ontario - Department of Plant Sciences, the Federal Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre, and a number of rural Ontario agricultural research stations.
