Public Information Meeting Recap: ‘Collaboration Eats Chaos for Breakfast’

An annual event, the PIM provides an opportunity for Waterloo EDC to share successes from the previous year and its vision for the years to come.

The spirit of collaboration was alive in the room, as industry leaders, government representatives, partners, board members and Waterloo EDC staff traded friendly conversations before taking their seats in front of centre stage.

The theme of collaboration carried throughout the day as speakers celebrated Waterloo EDC’s investment achievements and the collaborative efforts and support that made them possible.

Murray Gamble, Chair of the Waterloo EDC Board of Directors, kicked off the meeting. He welcomed attendees and highlighted the organization’s impact in 2023, saying, “By the end of this year, Waterloo EDC will have delivered just under $2B in direct business investment into our community, which has in turn created thousands of new jobs.”

Murray discussed the importance of being ready for new investment opportunities: “Let’s work together to put the necessary elements in place so that when opportunity knocks in the future, we can say a resounding ‘Yes, welcome to our community.’”

He concluded by thanking the Municipal, Provincial and Federal funding partners for their trust and investment in Waterloo EDC: “We consider your support an investment in the future prosperity of our region, and I want you to know that we are committed to delivering an excellent return on that investment.”

Kitchener City Councillor Paul Singh took the stage to express his deep appreciation for Waterloo EDC’s significant contributions to the region’s economic development and talent attraction.

Paul praised the community’s resilience and ability to transform challenges into opportunities. “It’s at times like these that communities need to pull together,” he said. “I’m glad our community has Waterloo EDC to lead the way. For eight years, this organization has played a lead role in ensuring our community has a sustainable economic future and honestly, $2B [in investment] is nothing to scoff at.”

Up next, Tony LaMantia, President & CEO of Waterloo EDC, expressed gratitude for the support and partnerships contributing to the organization’s continued success.

He proudly shared the accomplishments of the Waterloo EDC team, who were all in attendance. Together, the team closed 11 deals worth approximately $224 million in 2023, including the multi-million-dollar expansions of companies like PWO Canada and Dana Incorporated.

Tony also noted the impressive ROI Waterloo EDC has achieved over the last eight years, citing a return of 114 times for every dollar in municipal funding.

Tony spoke about the resilience and adaptability of Waterloo EDC and its local partners in navigating the complex economic landscape in our region, leaving the audience with this inspirational message: “Collaboration eats chaos for breakfast. When we work together, we can overcome anything.”

Tony’s message was the perfect segue into the next part of the meeting, a special presentation from Colin Singh Dhillon, the Chief Technical Officer at the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA).

With 25 years of automotive experience at companies like GM, Toyota and Stellantis, Colin lent his perspectives on the EV revolution, semi-conductors and mobility. Throughout his presentation, he emphasized the need for Canada to take an active role in the global technology market in order to remain competitive.

He cited Project Arrow, an initiative to build Canada’s first electric vehicle to showcase Canada’s abilities in the EV sector, as an example of how collaboration among academia, industry and government can position Canada as a leader in the EV industry and beyond. He also hinted that Project Arrow 2.0 is on its way.

Colin concluded by challenging us to “stay nimble” and “go deeper” when exploring new technologies, being careful not to fall complacent while other countries continue to innovate.

In the meeting’s final moments, Michael Klein, Senior Vice President at Cushman & Wakefield, applauded Tony and Colin on their presentations, saying how timely and relevant the topics were to the current real estate and economic development situations in the region.

“This stuff that these gentlemen are talking about is happening today. It’s exactly what we need to do,” Klein remarked. He stressed the importance of addressing these challenges promptly and effectively, then congratulated everyone for “tackling these issues head-on.”

Let’s get to work

This year’s PIM celebrated our community’s collaborative spirit and resilience during times of change. We’d like to thank our guests and speakers, whose presentations left us proud of what we’ve achieved, but also eager to do more.

With continued support from our partners, Waterloo EDC is ready to take on 2024 and show businesses across the world why it’s worth investing in our region.