FRONTLINES 2021 Business Highlights From Invest WindsorEssex In late May 2022, Invest WindsorEssex (IWE) — the lead economic development organization for the Windsor Essex region — hosted its 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at Caesars Windsor. The AGM was held in-person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic and welcomed over 100 community partners, business clients and stakeholders. The meeting reported on the 2021 business development accomplishments and activities, including performance metrics and the corporation’s financials. The 2021 annual report was also released (available on: InvestWindsorEssex.com). Overall, the performance of the Windsor Essex economy was very positive. “Invest WindsorEssex was successful in attracting $9.9 million in government grants to support economic development initiatives for Windsor Essex in 2021,” states Stephen MacKenzie, President and CEO, Invest WindsorEssex. “The IWE team was also successful in attracting $110 million in investment and creating 776 local jobs.” 2021 department activity highlights include . . .
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Under the Emerging Technologies banner, the Business Retention and Expansion team hosted two virtual conferences and two speaker series workshops, which attracted over 550 attendees from the region and beyond. Topics ranged from automation and cybersecurity to business strategies for success. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre (WEbusinesscentre.com) had a very busy year as they managed and administered the RE3 (Rebuild, Reopen, Revive) program for Windsor Essex and across Southern Ontario. The team distributed $1.8 million in COVID-19 relief funding to 379 small and medium-sized women-led businesses that were affected by the pandemic. The Investment Attraction team laid the groundwork for many of the recently announced large investments in the automotive sector (including the Stellantis/ LG Energy Solution battery plant: NextStar Energy Inc.). Starting with the P3 Group Study, the team did extensive research into developing a strategy to grow the region’s zero-emission, e-mobility ecosystem. They also succeeded in attracting several new IT companies to Windsor Essex.
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Automobility and Innovation launched the Canadian Automobility Hub — a first-of-its-kind in Canada EV (Electric Vehicle) ramp-up factory. This facility will serve as an innovation centre for start-ups, SMEs, OEMs and research institutions. Furthermore, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario announced a five year commitment and $7.5 million, to Invest WindsorEssex and regional partners, to offer of a full spectrum of training and programming for automobility entrepreneurs and scaling firms. This will continue to attract investment to the region and create jobs of the future for Windsor Essex — The Automobility Capital of Canada. Finally, Marketing and Communications launched a full rebrand, name change and new websites for the organization (WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation is now Invest WindsorEssex). The rebrand reflects the organization’s continued efforts toward promoting and advancing economic opportunities in Windsor Essex in a modern and competitive way. “The future is Windsor Essex,” MacKenzie concludes. “Our region is well positioned to continue this momentum in 2022 and beyond.”
