business and industry
Marketing industrial success key in expansion
By COLLIN GALLANT
The mantra of jobs, manufacturing and industry was well-heard in 2013 as concerns over economic growth laced local elections.
High profile closures of the ADM Flour Mill and the Halliburton drilling shop made headlines, coupled with reports over low wages in the local region and booming growth elsewhere in Alberta left Hatters feeling left behind.
At the same time, unemployment is nearing a five- year low, and Medicine Hat’s existing industrial base — much of it reliant on low natural gas prices — is seemingly healthy.
However, just like turning over a garden leads to new growth, the City of Medicine Hat’s business officer says
a new drive to explore and lure industry to the city will pay dividends but not as we might expect.
Opportunities for “smokestack chasing” are limited, said Keith Crush.
In North America, the manufacturing sector is general contracting, leading to less investment, fewer opportunities and greater competition for new projects.
However, one sizable selling point the Gas City has is an existing industrial base that eclipses most mid-sized centres.
Decades old and thriving industrial players include the largest nitrogen plant in Canada, a Goodyear Tire production plant, sizable methanol production and specialty chemical refining, and a host of small to mid- sized metal manufacturers with oilfield experience . . . .
all located on a division point on a Class A railroad.
“People would give their eye teeth to have that industrial base in their community,” said Crush. “What I’m hearing in the community is that we have to celebrate that and market that.”
“We’re having those sorts of discussions with the current industrial group all the time.”
The opportunity, as Crush sees it, is not in a new one-off plant opening, but either supporting existing expansions or courting complementary industries. Waste heat and other byproducts of existing production sold to related industries bring not only jobs for Hatters, but more of the value-added chain to southeast Alberta, helping existing industry.
“When I think about economic development, heavy industry has to be the driver, and commercial expansion will follow that,” said City Councillor Jim Turner, who sits on two regional economic development boards.
“I would like to move it all together with a heavier industrial park, with intermodal loading and the whole bit. It’s a matter of whether we can find a private developer to build the business park, or is this something that the City would have to take the lead on.”
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In many ways, the major local players would appear ready for those discussions.
Four of Medicine Hat’s major industrial employers had major corporate announcements in 2013:
■ Methanex brought its recommissioned methanol plant to full production after $30 million was spent to “debottleneck” production process. Later in the year, it filed a federal environmental application to examine a $1.2 billion expansion though no final decision has been made.
■ CF Industries took over full control of the Canadian Fertilizer nitrogen plant in 2013, buying the outstanding 33 per cent share for $910 million. Also, sales of certain business segments in the U.S. show a greater concentration on nitrogen production.
41148792•03/25/14
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