On Tuesday, January 16th at the London Convention Centre, Mayor Matt Brown gave his fourth State of the City Address (SOTCA). The London Chamber of Commerce’s SOTCA is held annually and is a one-of-a-kind event to mark the beginning of the new year. It sets the tone for both the Mayor and Council as they set out to tackle important issues that face our municipality. It is a must-attend event for the London business community, drawing an audience of over 1,300 people.
From London’s building boom over the past year which continues into 2018, to our growing digital creative sector, Brown highlighted many of the 14,000 businesses fueling growth in London. })
“London has attracted $250 million in investment in the past three years, creating 5,000 jobs in digital creative, advanced manufacturing, food and beverage processing, defence and more,” said Brown, recognizing that 80% of our labour market comes from small-to-medium sized businesses.
On the job front, the Mayor mentioned a host of local businesses that are growing and looking for talent over the next year, including Diamond Aircraft, JMP Engineering, Zomaron, MLD Solutions, Race Roster, Public Sector Digest, and Start.ca. Keep your eye on our London Tech Jobs page for these openings and many more throughout the year. })
Some notable mentions from the 2018 SOTCA:
- Diamond Aircraft, recently acquired by Wanfeng Aviation, will soon build two new aircraft in London, increasing its workforce to 300 from 180 this year. The company’s long term commitment to London includes doubling in size by 2023
- Five London, Ontario companies made Deloitte’s Fast 500 and Fast 50 list, including Diply, Arcane, Big Blue Bubble, Voices.com, and Big Viking Games. These companies represented 10% of the list, making London one of the leading cities for tech growth
- The City of London and Windsor are partnering through the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) to develop a research and development centre for self-driving cars, with many more being established across southern Ontario
- The Entrepreneurship Support Network is launching a #LondonCAN campaign to support the city’s entrepreneurs and better prepare them for a bright future. Go to findyouranswers.biz to learn more and to join the conversation
- Infrastructure projects, such as Back to the River, Rapid Transit, and Dundas Place, will continue to build momentum in 2018
- Brescia University College announced its building a $14 million, 30,000 square foot Academic Pavilion, set to open in 2019, while developments regarding programming and more are taking place at Huron University College and King’s University College
- 2017 saw the construction of many new high rises in our downtown, with more coming, featured along with the opening of Fanshawe College’s Kingsmill campus in 2018
- Old East Village is seeing redevelopments like never before, with The Factory set to open in April 2018 and add over 100 jobs, Powerhouse Brewing opening in the Factory, HCL Logistics and Drexel Industries taking over part of the former Kellogg’s building, and the former McCormick site seeing new life
- Outdoor retailer SAIL will be joining IKEA at the south London site near Highway 401 and Wellington Road
See below for opening video highlights from the 2018 SOTCA, as well as the #LondonCAN campaign:
We’re live at @LdnCC for the #LdnOnt #SOTC2018 hosted by @LondonCofC & sponsored by @Deloitte. Watch here: https://t.co/7v66wQzDvJ pic.twitter.com/BvDoqvzlNF
— Matt Brown (@MayorMattBrown) January 16, 2018
Today, we launch #LondonCan, an initiative from the #LdnOnt Community Economic Roadmap. Our city is an attractive place to plant & grow businesses. Let's help tell that story. More: https://t.co/wJXNv0MwFq #SOTC2018 pic.twitter.com/Rh2o4uMNaw
— Matt Brown (@MayorMattBrown) January 16, 2018
