Ian Gillespie! Read the latest from our City columnist, who profiles the most interesting people in London

Profiles of entrepreneurial spirit

Jill Ellis-Worthington

April 18, 2008

London is a city of achievement, and its citizens are among the most innovative and dynamic of any in Canada.

Among those citizens are individuals who have distinguished themselves - men and women making their dreams and the dreams of others come true through their business ventures.

At the London Free Press, we take pride in their successes and commitment. We believe that readers want to know more about those who stand out in the business community. According to Steve Glickman, director of business growth and retention for the London Economic Development Corporation, much of the success of the local economy is due to the city's position as a "market town," meaning that residents of the smaller cities around ours visit it regularly to make large purchases. "London is the only tier two city in Ontario (He defines this as being between 150,000 and 350,000 population.) surrounded by green." So, if your business is in the tri-city Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge area, you have a lot of competition from other retailers, just a hop, skip and a jump away. Same goes for the GTA, since you can drive from Oakville, to Mississauga to Brampton easily enough in search of goods. But London's position is a favourable retail environment, as it is a draw for shoppers from a large surrounding area.This positive position has helped London's job sector prosper. From 2001 to 2005, 14,300 jobs were added to the local economy, according to a Clayton Research study entitled Employment, Population, Housing and Non-Residential Construction Projections, prepared in 2006 as part of London's Official Plan process. Every five years municipalities are required by provincial legislation to review their official plans, which is a document used by city council to look at land use and economic indicators.

Gerry Macartney, CEO and general manager of the London Chamber of Commerce, says that much of this growth can be attributed to both long-time local fixtures and new, up and coming enterprises. "We're very fortunate to have long serving and long suffering businesses that have stood the test of time - many of them family businesses. We are grateful to have them here. New ones are building on those successes and creating new opportunities. Those are the new icons. If we continue to build on it [past success] we'll find more opportunities for those businesses. Businesses from outside the city say to themselves, 'London has something going well there, and maybe I should invest there.' Many did; many still will."

Echoing these sentiments is Janette MacDonald, manager of Mainstreet London. "Retail is growing downtown," she asserts, explaining that 70 new businesses have opened in the core over the past two to three years. These offer unique and boutique shopping opportunities. "We want the unique experience downtown - not big boxes or what's in the malls. We think that's what makes people want to come downtown."

We are pleased to present Success Stories. This special section features a cross section of business people who will share their history, vision and strategies with LFP readers. It focuses on companies' anniversaries, new offices, great employees and the many things that make each one of them special.

Staying in business 10 or 20 years in sometimes tough economic times, growing that company and then being able to crow about it are all achievements worth recognizing.

We hope you enjoy this first issue of Success Stories.

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