Foreign direct investment (FDI) is one of LEDC’s most complex and high-impact functions — and one of the least understood. Most people see ribbon-cutting. What they don't see is the years of research, outreach, and persistence – or the hundreds of leads it takes to bring a global company to London.
Bringing a company to London can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. LEDC competes on a global stage where every city is pitching itself to the same companies. Our job is to show investors that London isn’t just a good option, but the right one. Sometimes, we have to sell four layers before we sell London — first Canada, then Ontario, then Southwestern Ontario, and finally the city itself.
It starts with a clear-eyed understanding of what London does best. Through asset mapping, LEDC identifies the region’s strengths: 35,000 farms across Southwestern Ontario, a strong manufacturing base, proximity to three U.S. border crossings, the Highway 400 corridor, major waterways, research institutions, utilities, and skilled workforce talent. These assets focus our attention on key sectors where London can lead: Agri-Food, Advanced Manufacturing, Tech & Creative Industries, and Health & Life Sciences.
A defining advantage is our industrial land strategy. While many cities wait for opportunities to appear, London builds for them. The city proactively buys, services, and prepares industrial land so that when a company is ready to invest, the city is ready too. Combined with a $0-per-square-foot development charge, this approach reduces cost and accelerates timelines — making London one of Canada’s most competitive manufacturing destinations. It’s a quiet strategy that drives many headline-making investments.
Once the groundwork is clear, the global hunt begins. LEDC and its partners — including Invest Ontario, Invest Canada, trade commissioners, consultants, and regional alliances like the Ontario Food Cluster — identify potential companies worldwide. Some leads start at trade shows, others from years of persistent relationship-building. The average sales cycle is about two years, spanning RFPs, site visits, and customized pitches designed to show how London can meet every operational, logistical, and workforce need.
And the work doesn’t stop once a company says “yes.” Many firms are new to Canada, and LEDC becomes their on-the-ground partner — coordinating with utilities like London Hydro and Enbridge, navigating grants and government programs, and connecting them with postsecondary institutions and workforce training programs. When Maple Leaf Foods expanded in London, Fanshawe College developed a custom meat-carving program to train local workers. That kind of collaboration is repeated across industries, ensuring companies can hit the ground running.
Each investment — from Andriani to Dr. Oetker, Maple Leaf Foods, and Medicom — represents thousands of hours of research, strategy, and collaboration. The process is long, complex, and fiercely competitive, but it delivers lasting impact: high-value jobs, new partnerships, and a stronger, more resilient local economy. Most of the work happens behind the scenes, but the results shape London’s economic future.
