This document summarizes the business case for establishing a business in Guelph, Ontario. It highlights Guelph's central location within North America, low costs of doing business including taxes and labor, highly skilled workforce, culture of innovation and support for R&D, and partnerships between local government, businesses and post-secondary institutions. The document provides statistics on Guelph's economy, demographics, industries and major employers to promote the benefits and opportunities of doing business in the city.

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PROSPERITYBY DESIGN:The Business Case for Guelph

2. 1h
1.5h
3h
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
BORDER CROSSING
RAIL TRANSIT
PORT
UNIVERSITY
HIGHWAY
ONTARIO
NEW YORK
OTTAWA
KINGSTON
TORONTO
KITCHENER/
WATERLOO
BARRIE
GUELPH
HAMILTON
LONDON
WINDSOR
DETROIT
CLEVELAND
BUFFALO
NIAGARA FALLS
NIAGARA
FALLS
EVERYWHERE
FROM HERE you can do business
INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE
BY EMPLOYMENT
37,087 Professional, Scientific & Technical
22,445 Advanced Manufacturing
11,537 Retail & Service
8,803 Agri-innovation
6,829 Culture & Entertainment
6,099 Distribution, Warehousing & Wholesale
2,524 Information & Communication Technology
1,433 Clean Technology
Source: EMSI Analyst, 2014
In Guelph, you’ll find a competitive edge thanks to our unique combination
of people, resources, entrepreneurial spirit and global business outlook.
It’s the place of choice for businesses that are going places.
Guelph is within a day’s drive of 40 per cent
of North America’s population.
Daily two-way goods
trade between
Ontario-U.S. valued
at $766 million
*Data for the region includes the census metropolitan areas (CMA) of Guelph,
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, and Hamilton.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Population of Guelph CMA: 141,000
Population in region*: 1,500,000
Labour force in Guelph CMA: 92,000
Labour force in region*: 800,000
Number of businesses in Guelph CMA: 11,600
Average household income for Guelph CMA: $83,000
pronounced
[gwelf]
GUELPH
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3. As Mayor, it is my pleasure to
welcome you to our city. I can
assure you that we recognize and
value the jobs, economic growth
and community building that new
businesses bring. Our local
government is strongly committed
to supporting business, and our
city will be there for you every
step of the way.
Guelph is often described as a well-kept secret.
Businesses who have located here rave about the
city’s central location, skilled labour pool, and quality
of life. This city offers the best of both worlds:
big-city amenities and opportunities, with the
community spirit and neighbourliness you would only
expect to find in a small town.
We look forward to sharing our secret with you:
showing you how Guelph is the ideal place for your
business to thrive and delivering the support you
need to make Guelph part of your success story.
Mayor Cam Guthrie
ShaiGil
WELCOME
5

4. OPEN TO
THE WORLD
Your business
will have
room to grow
and prosper.
Investing in Guelph will place your
business in the heart of the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) zone. Once the Comprehensive
Economic and Free Trade Agreement
(CETA) comes into effect, businesses in
Canada will have assured access to
both the North American and European
free-trade zones. Imagine the possibilities
doing business in a combined market
of more than 900 million people that
generates about half of the world’s
economic output.
Canada is one of the world’s great trading nations:
free trade agreements are in effect with 44 countries,
and more are being negotiated with expanding
markets in Asia and Latin America.
Ontario – the seventh largest economy in North
America, with a GDP larger than many countries –
is expected to lead economic growth in Canada over
the next few years as export businesses benefit from
stronger U.S. growth, a lower Canadian dollar and
lower oil prices.
RWDI is an international company with offices all
over the world. Being headquartered in Guelph,
our access to the U.S. is quite easy, and its central
location to border crossings and international airports
is key to servicing our transportation needs.
Michael Soligo
CEO, RWDI
RWDI is the largest wind and environmental engineering firm of its kind, with
15 offices world-wide. Their plans for significant expansion over five years will
be focused in Guelph and will double their current staff complement.
THE STABLITY YOU
NEED FOR LONG-TERM
BUSINESS SUCCESS.
Guelph’s diverse economy is marked by steady
growth with few fluctuations in employment levels,
built upon Canada’s reputation for stability and its
robust banking system.
The World Economic Forum has ranked Canada’s
banking system as the soundest in the world for
seven consecutive years.
ONTARIO IS A TOP DESTINATION
FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT (FDI),
OUTPERFORMING ALL CANADIAN
PROVINCES AND U.S. STATES.
CALIFORNIA
TEXAS
SOUTH
CAROLINA
VIRGINIA
NEW
YORK
TENNESSEE
QUEBECLOUISIANA
ILLINOIS
$
7B $
6B $
4B $
4B $
3B $
3B
ONTARIO
Top 10 FDI Leaders in North America (2014)
Finance Canada, April 2015
$
2B $
2B $
2B $
2B
6 7
In Force
Concluded
Canada’s Free-trade
Agreements

5. COMMITTED
TO KEEPING
IT THAT WAY:
the City of Guelph connects
businesses with senior
levels of government and
identifies funding and
support programs designed
to help make your business
more competitive.
COST ADVANTAGE
Ontario’s combined federal and provincial corporate
tax rate is lower than the average federal-state tax rate
in the United States, and lower than the G20 average.
THAT’S RIGHT:
lower than other major investment destinations like New York, California,
Florida, Texas and North Carolina, or the UK, France, or Germany.
Plus, Canada has the lowest overall tax rate on new business
investment in the G7.
OUR LABOUR COSTS
ARE ALSO AMONG THE
LOWESTIN THE DEVELOPED WORLD,
SECOND LOWEST
IN THE G7.
And thanks to our
universal health-care
system, Ontario
employers benefit
from health-care
costs that are half of
what they would be
in the United States.
Reap the rewards of Ontario’s
low-cost, low-tax environment.
LOWER COSTS
+ LOWER TAXES
HIGHER PROFITS
8 9
TAX RATE ON NEW BUSINESS
INVESTMENT, 2015
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Japan
France
U.K.
Germany
Italy
Canada
OECDAverage
37.3
34.7
31.2
28.6
26.5
19.0
Percentage
17.5
20.2
U.S.
(excludesCanada)
$
89,038
$
125,000
$
100,000
$
75,000
$
50,000
$
25,000
$
0
Japan
France
U.K.
Germany
Italy
Canada
U.S.
AVERAGE LABOUR COSTS
(per employee)
Source: KPMG Competitive Alternatives, 2014

6. INNOVATIVE AND
ENTERPRISING
Guelph promotes an entrepreneurial culture where new ideas
flourish. We’re home to some of the world’s most innovative
companies in key growth sectors including agri-innovation,
advanced manufacturing, and clean technology.
We’ll help bring your
big ideas to the world.
A HOTSPOT FOR
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
INNOVATION
DRIVES GROWTH
Strong support for R&D creates an
innovation ecosystem that attracts
top talent, including leading scientists
with ahead-of-the-curve ideas. With
several of Canada’s best universities,
including the University of Guelph,
right on your doorstep, the
opportunities for collaboration in
Guelph are as boundless as your vision.
MORE THAN
$
14 BILLION
IS SPENT ON R&D
EACH YEAR IN ONTARIO.
A wealth of programs and services is
available to support businesses in a variety
of areas including research, training
programs, commercialization and
technology transfer, and more.
Your business will benefit from the
most generous R&D tax credits of
any G7 country.
We live in a time where the fast-paced change
of information and knowledge is making research
ever more important. The University of Guelph
is a hub for research and a wonderful
platform for continued partnerships between
our researchers and the business sector.
Dr. Franco Vaccarino
President and Vice Chancellor, University of Guelph
10 11
Source: EMSI Analyst, 2014
GUELPH BUSINESSES
9,000
7,500
6,000
4,500
3,000
1,500
0
2009 20142013201220112010
Source: EMSI Analyst, 2014
GUELPH JOBS
90,000
75,000
60,000
45,000
30,000
15,000
0
2009 20142013201220112010
8,149
89,179

7. NSF International broke ground on a 25,000 square foot Canadian hub located at
the heart of the Ontario Food Cluster in the University of Guelph’s Research Park.
A TOP DESTINATION
FOR NEW IMMIGRANTS.
Ontario attracts nearly half of the people who move to Canada each
year. One in five Guelph residents is an immigrant to Canada, and
67% of new immigrants to the region have a post-secondary degree.
TALENT ABOUNDS
MAJOR EMPLOYERS
PRIVATE EMPLOYERS
> Linamar Corporation
> Cargill Meat Solutions
> Polycon Industries
> The Co-operators
> Guelph Tool Inc.
> Blount Canada Ltd.
PUBLIC EMPLOYERS
> Upper Grand District School Board
> University of Guelph
> Wellington Catholic District School Board
> Guelph General Hospital
> Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs
92,000Guelph labour force
435,006
Post-secondary students
and graduates within a
one-hour drive of Guelph
Labour force
in region*800,000*Data for the region includes the census metropolitan areas (CMA) of Guelph,
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, and Hamilton.
Expertise you can rely on
Being centrally located in Guelph provides
NSF-GFTC with prime access to the
professional and skilled labour we need to
remain competitive in a global marketplace.
Petra Schennach
Global Managing Director, NSF International, NSF GFTC
Source: Guelph BR+E Business Visitation and Survey, 2014.
of Guelph businesses
surveyed said the stability
of the workforce is78%
GOOD TO
EXCELLENT
In today’s economy, access to global
talent is critical to meet the growing
demand for the technical skills that
fuel growth. The region’s highly
educated and skilled labour force
coupled with Guelph’s central
location and commuter links provide
employers with ready access to
the employees they need.
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8. PARTNERS IN BUSINESS PRIMED FOR
OPPORTUNITY
Working with local and regional partners, the City
of Guelph continues to lay the groundwork for
business success through initiatives such as:
> developing and marketing over 200 acres of
new employment lands in the Hanlon Creek
Business Park
> strategies that are revitalizing the city’s
downtown core with new residential and
commercial development
> expanding regional transportation
options for commuters and employers
> award-winning programs to address
the needs of local businesses and
support economic growth
> building investment capacity by encouraging
private-sector brownfield development
> strengthening partnerships with the
region’s post-secondary institutions
to focus on the needs of business
Fusion Homes started development on The Metalworks, Guelph’s largest mixed-use brownfield condominium
development. This project works toward many of the targets of Guelph’s downtown growth plan.
As far as complexity goes, our project was a nine out
of 10. We found that every time we approached staff it
was a very collaborative experience. We had the ability to
sit down and solve problems together. Without that, we
would likely still be years away from breaking ground.
Lee Piccoli
CEO, Fusion Homes
Your success is our success.
Guelph is a city open to new ideas, proud of its tradition of
collaboration and supporting new development opportunities.
What is unique to Guelph is that you don’t just get an
individual or a single organization looking after your
interests, you have an entire team. So whether it’s
connecting you with opportunities beyond our
borders or locally, you have a cluster approach
to support the growth of your business.
Kithio Mwanzia
President and CEO, Guelph Chamber of Commerce
The Metal Works
Development
Hanlon Creek
Business Park
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9. THE GUELPH VIBE
POPULATION GROWTH
CITY OF GUELPH
170,000
150,000
130,000
100,000
90,000
70,000
1991
87,976
1996
95,821
2001
106,170
2006
114,943
2011
121,688
2031
proj.
169,000
Source: Statistics Canada, 2011
Although our new location in Guelph is within commuting
distance of our previous office, many of our employees
chose to move their families to Guelph because of
its reputation as a great place to live. The City of Guelph
did a fantastic job in helping our employees
and their families transition to their new home.
Ernie Sweeney
President and CEO, Würth Canada
With the population expected to grow steadily to an estimated 169,000 by 2031, the City of Guelph
will continue working with private and public sector partners to fuel Guelph’s business potential.
We’re one of Canada’s
safest cities, one of its
smartest, and its volunteer
capital. We’re rich in culture
and history, architectural
heritage and natural, open
spaces. Our residents
enjoy a combination of
big-city amenities and
small-town ambience.
You CAN
have it all.
THE LIFESTYLE
From family-friendly suburbs to upscale condo living in the
downtown core, Guelph offers a full range of housing and
lifestyle options for all income levels.
One of Canada’s
most liveable cities
THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Guelph schools offer a full range of unique and innovative
educational programs to suit a variety of needs from
pre-school to post-secondary.
Walkable, transit-friendly neighbourhoods
enhance the city’s economic and social vitality.
With abundant parklands and miles of trails to explore, no matter
where you live in Guelph, nature is right outside your door.
The city’s thriving cultural scene features renowned music festivals,
art galleries, theatre, and fine restaurants — there’s something
for everyone just about every day of the week.
The University of Guelph is consistently
ranked as one of Canada’s top universities.
The University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University
are also nearby in Waterloo, and five other major universities
are within an hour’s drive of Guelph.
Guelph employers also tap into the many career-focused
programs and apprenticeship training opportunities
at Conestoga College, one of Canada’s leading
polytechnic institutions.
Würth Canada moved its Canadian head office to Guelph’s Hanlon Creek Business Park to
take advantage of the abundance of available land and access transportation corridors.
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GadflyDanceCompany

10. Guelph’s
prosperity
is by
design.
Since founder John
Galt laid out his vision
in 1827, Guelph has
flourished through
thoughtful planning
and community
engagement.
The City’s economic development
strategy creates an investment-friendly
climate that continues to add value
to our social, economic and
environmental assets.
By working with the business
community to create new investment
opportunities, Guelph is building the
connections that will continue to
sustain our city and its enterprises
in years to come.
PLANNING FOR
THE FUTURE
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11. The City of Guelph’s economic development office
is here to help your business succeed by providing:
> site location analysis, with a range of available City-owned
and private lands and buildings to suit your needs
> assistance with expansion projects
> advice and referrals to senior government organizations
and funding agencies
We recognize that every business is different and we’re committed
to finding solutions that meet your specific needs. Contact our office
to start the conversation – we look forward to hearing from you!
Copyright 2015. City of Guelph. This material is the sole property of City of Guelph and may not be reused or modified without express written permission.
Guelph Economic Developement
City of Guelph
1 Carden Street
Guelph ON
N1H 3A1
519-837-5600
bizinfo@guelph.ca
guelph.ca/biz
Data source information
519-822-1260 x 2823
bizinfo@guelph.ca