Well I suppose this is considered new business development...

17 medical marijuana producers want to set up in Hamilton

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...lton-1.2679016

There are 17 medical marijuana producers lining up to locate in Hamilton, but the city still doesn’t know where the facilities will go and how large they should be.

The city has received 17 letters of intent from potential pot producers who have applied to Health Canada under new rules that open the door to new production facilities.

But on Tuesday, the city’s planning committee still couldn’t decide what kind of size restriction to put on them in rural areas – one of the only powers the city has.

Nine of the applications are for plants in urban areas. Of those, four are in commercial zones, so they won’t be approved, said Ed VanderWindt, director of building services.

On Tuesday, the planning committee voted that when plants locate in urban areas — preferably brownfield sites — there’s no limit on how large they can be. The only stipulation is that the plants must be on lands zoned industrial or business park.

Plant Products moves to Ancaster


A Leamington-based company has moved one of its distribution centres to Ancaster industrial park from Brampton to be closer to its customers.

Gordon Jahn, a spokesperson, said Plant Products was purchased by MGS of Leamington about a year ago, but the company decided to retain its brand name.

Plant Products primarily serves the horticultural industry, golf courses and lawn care companies with fertilizers, pest control products and seeds. It has 30 employees at the Ancaster office where it relocated last December.

"This location works out extremely well," said Jahn. "We're not in gridlock in Toronto, but we're close enough to go there if need be. But the main thing is that we are so close to the greenhouse industry in Niagara and near all the highways to reach other parts of Ontario."

The company is projecting about 6 to 7 per cent growth this year as a whole, he said.

Plant Products is hosting an open house for customers at the end of June.


The Hamilton Spectator

Forget art. Pot is the new steel. ;)

Hey, their money is at least as green as anyone else’s.

Storefront on James North transforming into business accelerator

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/57...s-accelerator/

Seems like a collaboration between McMaster and Mohawk.

That actually kind of pisses me off all the government funded projects taking over storefronts. They pay the premium rents with grant money and help tighten supply and drive up prices for regular businesses.

We have this plus the new Mac offices just up the street from their whole section of Jackson Square plus that new thing going in in the former Cabral gift shop. These are all good things but couldn't they just as easily go into say an empty floor of the Stelco Tower?

Regardless of all the buzz around James Street north, it it is still not the nicest street, yet. Every bit counts, so I welcome the addition.

I think it is interesting that the Forge wants to have a spot in a more urban environment. They've already have space in the Innovation Park, but it seems in terms of where startups want offices has really moved away from the isolated campus model that the Innovation Park basically follows (although it really isn't that isolated, there's not a lot of restaurants within five minutes of walking distance).

It really depends on what kind of company it is. Software/information-tech businesses that this is meant to serve don't generally have large space requirements and the opportunities to connect with other businesses and software developers are most important -- so they can thrive in a centre-city location where those connections can be more easily made (and there is access to intercity transit that allows better connectivity to other places). This location will also give Forge the best access to the market of entrepreneurs it aims to assist. The other urban amenities nearby are a plus too.

For start-ups that have more of an engineering/manufacturing focus the MIP makes more sense, as they'd have the space to develop their technology products and access to the labs and technical expertise already on site (or just down the road at Mac's main campus).

The Starwood hotel directory now includes reference to a Four Points opening in Stoney Creek in July 2017.

Does anyone have any information on this?

Four Points by Sheraton Hamilton - Stoney Creek - Opening July, 2017
49 Goderich Road
Hamilton, Ontario L8E 4W8 Canada

Presently the Quality Hotel Hamilton. Formally a Holiday Inn Express.

edit: delete

Goderich is still the old City of Hamilton. Sorry SC you don't get into your turf until the wasteland east of Lake.

four points is an improvement over the quality inn

IBM are moving into the Stelco Tower, will occupy 6 floors
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...town-1.3473315

6 floors. that;s a lot of people. Those floor plates are the largest in the city.

WOW big news

I'm most impressed that Hamilton's health care focus has finally resulted in some serious private sector jobs.

I learned yesterday that Maaco Auto Body Repair and Pro Oil Change have moved their head offices from Markham to Hamilton. They are now located in the Carstar building on the east mountain across from Carmen's. They are all now owned by Driven Brands Inc of Charlotte, N.C.

Apparently after they bought Carstar Canada (Bought US Carstar first), they let most of the people go in the states and replaced them with new management. The new President of Carstar North America is Michael Macaluso, who was Carstar Canada president and a Hamilton boy.

Michael Macaluso

That name rings a bell... ;)