Go Global-Go Canada Update 1

1 comment March 31st, 2009

Visiting the Ontario province of Canada is a real experience.  The Toronto office of the State of Illinois organized a 2 1/2 day of visits and tele-conference calls to 8 potential distributors for my company’s products.

Ontario is a manufacturers dream! Approximately 30-35% of the workforce is employed in manufacturing.  The southern Ontario area is highly dependent on the auto industry, so most of the news is about the impact of what happens to GM and Chrysler.  Opinion is that Ford is doing OK.  But the concern is that GM and Chrysler have real problems and the situation is being watched carefully.

As in the U.S. Ottawa (like our Washington D.C.) is insisting on more cost reduction before they put more money into these businesses.  The newspaper’s mornings headlines read: “Collision Course; In return for billions in loans, Ottawa is demanding big changes from GM and Chrysler, including union concessions.  Trouble is, the union’s in no mood to bargain”

Headline in the Business Section: “Rick Wagoner’s exit: Despite the hurdles he faced when he took over, he simply did too little too late”

But there is more industry beside the autos here…more later.

Driving around the area, I saw a great amount of construction of high rise condo complexes.