Site Selection Check List

Industrial Land and Services

Availability of Industrial Land

  • # of available acres
  • greenfield/brownfield (existing/prior land use)
  • Serviced
  • Not serviced
  • Distance to major highway, 400 series, etc.
  • Cost per acre
  • Rail access or distance to rail service
  • Zoning
  • Location (GIS, topography, map, photograph)
  • Environmental Considerations (wetlands, environmental assessment in progress, restrictions)

Costs

  • Taxes
  • Electricity provider and capacity
  • Water and sewer capacity
  • Heating costs
  • Gas provider, size of main, pressure per square inch
  • Telecommunications provider and related information

Contact Information:

Comments:

List of Industrial Parks

Existing Buildings, Facilities, etc.

  • Size of building (sq. ft & dimensions)
  • Office Space (sq. ft.)
  • Manufacturing Space (sq. ft.)
  • Former use of facility
  • Food Grade (federally or provincially licensed)
  • Existing equipment (specify)
  • Cooler/Freezer existent and capacity
  • Age of building
  • Ceiling height
  • Floor/Wall/Roof type
  • Loading bays (recessed docks or grade level (drive-in doors))
  • Sprinkler Systems
  • Construction
  • Parking

Costs

  • For Sale
  • For Lease
  • Taxes
  • Electricity provider and capacity required (maximum demand; max. consumption)
  • Water and sewer capacity costs
  • Heating costs
  • Gas provider, size of main, pressure per square inch - costs (maximum demand; max. consumption)
  • Telecommunications provider and related information - costs

Contact Information:

Comments:

Community Profile

Information available at REDDI website: www.reddi.gov.on.ca

Demographics

  • Population
  • Population of surrounding area (40 - 60 km)
  • Population trends (last 5 years)
  • Age demographics

Household income level

  • Salaries

Labour

  • Unemployment rate (current and past trends)
  • Skilled Workforce (presence of specialized skills)
  • Size of available labour force
  • Resident employment
  • Residents' employment by breakdown of occupation
  • Availability of skilled trades labour force
  • Education levels of employable labour force
  • Salaries for food related occupations (such as entry-level manufacturing, process engineers, machine operators, etc.)

Costs

Labour costs can be found at: www.2ontario.com

Community Information

  • Public Investment made in community in last 5 years ($$, infrastructure, etc.)
  • Private Investment made in community in last 5 years ($$, manufacturing, etc.)
  • List of top 10 manufacturers in area.
  • Number of employees per top 10 manufacturers
  • Number of international companies located in community
  • % of companies unionized by sector
  • Number of work stoppages/strikes in recent years
  • Commuting times/distances for out-lying communities (40 to 60 km)
  • Housing prices
  • Colleges, Universities in commuting area
  • Public schools
  • Training programs and facilities specific to manufacturing or food industry

Contact Information:

Comments:

Infrastructure

Transportation

  • List trucking, distribution and logistic companies in area (60 km)

List local and regional transportation networks

  • Closest airports (distances, services available, etc.)
  • Closest rail hubs
  • Closest ports
  • Closest intermodal, etc.
  • Highway infrastructure

Distance to major markets

  • Proximity to Canadian markets
  • Proximity to American markets
  • Distance to U.S. border crossings (kilometres and miles)
  • Wait times to cross border: information available at www.mto.gov.on.ca (information available in real time)

List suppliers/supporting businesses

  • Food processing equipment (eg. Boilers, etc.)
  • Consulting services (ex. Food safety, etc.)
  • Raw Materials
  • Packaging
  • Warehouses/cold storage/distribution

Projections

  • Population growth projections
  • Initiatives/projections for upgrading existing power
  • Initiatives/projections for upgrading existing water
  • Initiatives/projections for upgrading existing sewer
  • Initiatives/projections for upgrading existing roads

Contact Information:

Comments:


For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca