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Open for Business – City of Summerside welcomed UK delegation to explore PEI as a viable business location

Press release

January, 10, 2019 – Summerside, PE – Economic development officials from the City of Summerside recently hosted a successful foreign investment mission of six United Kingdom companies. The inbound visit was supported by the federal and provincial governments with a common goal – to explain the competitive advantages of conducting business in Canada and Prince Edward Island, in particular. The six participating companies represented a cross section of industries: Connective Touch, a Biometrics company; Industrial Phycology, a wastewater treatment enterprise; Open Play, a recreational software company; Surple, an energy management IT specialist; Hello Lamp Post, an IT publicengagement company; and Cottam and Brookes, an aerospace enterprise.

In mid‐November, the delegate companies participated in a 4‐day tour of Summerside and across PEI where they engaged with over 50 local business and academic institutions to forge relationships and explore business expansion in Summerside to support North American growth plans.

The City worked with Fraser International, an business matchmaker, to select participants based on in‐market discussions and screening over the course of a five‐month period to identify UK based companies looking for a location in North American where they could base operations to service growing market ambitions. Officials from the City of Summerside initially met the Fraser group during a spring outbound mission to the UK in 2015; the forged relationship would eventually help create this PEI visit.

The Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency contributed $28,000 to the City of Summerside to support the planning and execution of the inward investment mission. The Government of Prince Edward Island, through Innovation PEI supported the project with a $12,000 contribution.

The City of Summerside is already reporting successful outcomes ‐ two companies are exploring joint venture opportunities; another company is looking to start its global expansion by hiring staff to launch a North American presence in Summerside; and the other mission companies have expressed serious interest in exploring expansion efforts this year.

Quotes

“Trade and Investment is key to economic growth in Atlantic Canada and with so much to offer it is important to engage in activities like this inbound investment mission to share the business possibilities that exist in Canada’s smallest province. The City of Summerside continues to strategically champion economic development opportunities ‐ the benefits are measurable and on track to be profitable.”

‐ Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

“It is vital that all levels of Government work together to show businesses and entrepreneurs that there is tremendous potential for success in Prince Edward Island. Our strong economy and hard working people combined with the wide variety of supports available to help businesses expand and succeed make our province an ideal location to expand or to start a new enterprise.”

‐ The Honourable Chris Palmer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism

“Creating meaningful relations between Summerside and International Companies looking to expand in North America are the building blocks of any successful Economic Growth Strategy. Given the sound business fundamentals, established networks and track record of Summerside with its existing infrastructure and programs such as the Living Lab has accelerated the interest of Summerside in our niche sectors.”

‐ Brian McFeely, Chair of Economic Development, City of Summerside

Contacts

Michael Thususka
Director of Economic Development  City Of Summerside
275 Fitzroy Street  Summerside PE C1N 1H9
Mobile:  902.432.0103
Email:  mike@summerside.ca
Web:  www.bigpossibilities.ca
Twitter:  @SummersideBiz 

Download the press release