-
- Sean Ford, a partner in
Dancor Construction Ltd. said London is a
great place for industrial-commercial
development. On Friday the firm welcomed
three industrial tenants to Skyway Park.
(HANK DANISZEWSKI, The London Free Press)
London's future as a manufacturing centre was
never in doubt as far as Sean Ford of Dancor
Construction Development is concerned.
The partner in the Brampton-based development
firm says London is a great place to do business and
his company has constructed about one million square
feet of industrial space in the city in the last few
years to prove it.
Ford said London has a competitive advantage
because industrial expansion in the Greater Toronto
Area has stalled.
"Many businesses will not expand there because
the infrastructure is old and the traffic is worse,"
he said.
On Friday, Dancor marked a milestone with the
official openings of three companies that have
leased space at 2351 Huron St. in the Skyway
Industrial Park -- Fraser Direct (logistics
fulfillment and customs brokerage), Fastenal
(industrial supplies) and Scheuch Inc. of Germany
(air pollution controls systems).
London Mayor Joe Fontana, MPPs Chris Bentley and
Khalil Ramal and MP Ed Holder took
turns thanking Dancor for its investment in the
city.
Ford noted there are no development charges in
London for industrial land compared with $17 to $22
a square foot in the GTA. Serviced industrial land
in London also costs about 40% less than in the GTA.
Ford said the ease and speed of completing a
development gives London a major advantage.
"We save a ton of time in getting approvals. In
the GTA it takes three to six months to get a
building permit. In London it takes four to eight
weeks."
Dancor has concentrated most of its investment in
the Skyway Park, attracting industries such as Billy
Bee Honey, CEVA, a logistics company, and London
Machinery Inc., which manufactures concrete-mixer
trucks.
But Ford said the next big push for Dancor will
be on the Hwy. 401 corridor, where the company is
constructing buildings on 21 acres near Wilton Grove
Rd.
Ford said the development would create a highly
visible "gateway" for the city.
"You will see some prestige buildings from the
highway. You get more if people can see more but you
have to show it to them on the highway."
E-mail
hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca, or follow
HankatLFPress on Twitter.
