Rocky View County and Cochrane were recently named among Alberta Venture Magazine’s 25 Best Communities for Business.
In the magazine’s June 2012 issue, Rocky View was named as the best location for manufacturing and logistics (along with Leduc/Nisku and Mission, B.C.), due largely to the success and expansion of the Balzac industrial area, including the construction of the 1.3-million-square-foot Target distribution centre.
“It’s very gratifying to see our achievements recognized for Western Canada,” said County Reeve Rolly Ashdown.
Alberta Venture noted that current projects in the county total more than $122 million in value. Some of the County’s recent economic successes include being awarded its second consecutive Alex Metcalfe Award in 2011 and the Economic Developers of Alberta award for excellence in development of the Walmart food distribution centre near Balzac.
Other recent projects in the county include the $100-million Canadian National (CN) Railway Calgary Logistics Park, a 680-acre, two-million-square-foot warehouse centre under construction in Conrich, which is expected to open in 2013.
The park is expected to attract more than $1 billion in investment.
The magazine also named CrossIron Mills mall as a major contributing factor to the county’s economic success. The mall is the county’s largest employer, with more than 3,000 employees.
All of these developments have led to the county’s population increasing by roughly 19 per cent to 36,461 since 2001, with an average household income of $140,000 and unemployment rate of 5.8 per cent.
“We are experiencing tremendous growth, thanks to a solid reputation as an ideal place for businesses to locate and invest,” said Ashdown.
The magazine’s write-up on Rocky View stated “combine (recent successes) with the community’s other benefits, including the absence of a business tax and business licence fees, and it’s clear that Rocky View’s plan is coming together.”
“As the magazine has articulated, the current and future economic prosperity for the County is based in Western Canada,” said David Kalinchuk, Rocky View’s economic development manager.
“It is very nice to be recognized as one of the municipalities driving this prosperity.”
Cochrane
Cochrane was named the Best Community for Small Business (along with Parkland County and Kelowna, B.C.), having developed a healthy and sustainable small business scene that includes everything from coffee shops to construction shops.
“The town’s diversified economy makes it a good fit for the variety of small businesses that operate there, including construction, retail, agriculture and business services companies, as well as some technology and manufacturing firms,” stated a write-up by the magazine.
The success of Spray Lake Sawmills, Cochrane’s largest employer, and the expansion of the Canadian Tire store, as well as the beauty and business-friendly atmosphere of the community, are noted as contributing factors to the town’s population increasing by 46 per cent over the past decade, with an average household income of $83,000 and unemployment rate of 4.9 per cent.
Alberta Venture also named the Greater Calgary area, which includes Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, Bragg Creek, Springbank and Okotoks, as Canada’s top growth community, with a population tha has ballooned by more than 186,000 people in the past 10 years.
For more information on the 25 Best Communities for Business, visit www.albertaventure.com
