Development Guide Introduction: From the Office of Economic Development
Development Opportunities
County Fair Mall Leasing Guide [PDF] |
Summerside Food Services Overview [PDF] |
Granville Street Mall Leasing Guide [PDF] |
Summerside Holmans Office Complex [PDF] |
Summerside Hotel Development Opportunity [PDF] |
Summerside Market Opportunities Guide [PDF] |
Vogue Optical Mall Leasing Guide [PDF] |
Waterfront Mall Leasing Guide [PDF] |
395KB Contents
1. Introduction: Small City. Big Business.
2. In Brief
3. Business in Summerside
4. Infrastructure Highlights
5. Living in Summerside
6. Supported Opportunity
7. Sophisticated Transportation Infrastructure
8. Small City ... Big Opportunity
9. Slemon Park Aerospace
10. Investment Climate
11. Prince Edward Island Prosperity Plan
12. Business Environment
13. Crunch Our Numbers
14. Education
Small City. Big Business. That’s the Summerside advantage.Back to Top
Summerside’s traditional economy has diversified into a modern service, high technology, education, tourism, and retail economy. Our economy has an opportunist reputation, and over the past decade has seen significant advancement and growth in employment, business expansion, investment and in the birth of new firms.
Sectors targeted to bring a new level of prominence to Summerside include Aerospace, ICT Enterprise, Education, Consumer Product Providers and Advanced Manufacturing. We are pleased with our triumphs and hope you will consider joining our path to success.
Aside from our favourable investment climate, competitive operating environment and partners committed to success, our sales proposition for you includes a skilled, dedicated & available workforce, tailored incentive packages through our partners, superlative quality of life, tax free zones, research & development clusters for specific sectors and a growing economy.
Our goals of achieving a balanced, sustainable and diverse economy contributing to the well being of the province, a healthy base of indigenous enterprise combined with new, dynamic enterprise and our evolution and growth as a vibrant community are grounded in our approach.
Finally, Summerside is located in central Prince Edward Island, surrounded by verdant farmlands and bordered by a wide sandy beach. We offer excellent leisure opportunities, including the newly constructed $40 million dollar Credit Union place, recently redeveloped Health Centre and a wide range of employment opportunities – all of which combine to make Summerside an attractive place to live, work and relax.
Why Do Business in Summerside?
• Lowest Commercial Tax Rate of any City on Prince Edward Island
• Ranked by KPMG as most competitive of locations surveyed in North America
• Innovation and Development Labour Rebates
• Specialized Labour Tax Rebates
• Available and Skilled Labour Pool
• Competitive Lease Rates on Prince Edward Island
• Summerside Owns its own Internet Technology Infrastructure Company
• Summerside Owns it own Electric Utility with over a 99.9% Confidence Rating
Business in SummersideBack to Top
An Overview
Centrally located on the Island, Summerside provides easy access to both the local market and the world.
Over 100 million people are all within a day’s drive and our local trading population is 45, 000 with Summerside residents numbering just over 16, 000.
The Confederation Bridge is a mere twenty minutes from downtown Summerside, via direct major highway access. Transportation is enhanced with a first class airport in our backyard, and an international airport within a 40 minute drive. The Port of Summerside can accommodate ships with near year-round operation and offers world class service and a newly constructed heated shed.
Summerside’s downtown and waterfront continue an upsurge in development, heralded by a $7 million dollar investment in the Holman Building. Additionally we are home to one of Atlantic Canada’s premier Aerospace parks, Slemon Park, which features a cluster of organizations within the aerospace industry.
Together with our low cost operating environment, skilled workforce, and progressive business approach, Summerside presents a strong case for business location.
The success of Summerside is premised on the planned approach to development and certainly the properties we have identified, the public investment in infrastructure and the growing residential, commercial and industrial will provide any company with all the necessary attributes for success.
Infrastructure HighlightsBack to Top
Well-connected
Summerside is a major user and supplier of telecommunications products and services and also provides a sophisticated point to point access ring infrastructure.
• Part of one of the largest free calling areas in the world
• 100% Digital Fiber Optic Backbone Network
• ATM Province Wide
• Part of the most reliable digital public network system.
• Part of the most intense ringed fibre system in North America
• The City’s ownership in a fibre and wireless network provides high-speed connectivity for our business and resident community.
Summerside has made consistent investments in renewable, sustainable infrastructure to support both business and residents.
Your business will benefit from an uninterrupted power supply...
The Summerside Electric Commission has been in operation since 1920. It is the only community owned electric utility in PEI and currently serves almost 7000 customers. We are proud to report that the SEC has a reliability factor of 99.99%. Currently, the City of Summerside has undertaken construction of a Wind Farm within municipal boundaries which will include four 3MW turbines, generating 12 MW of electrical power. The project has commenced and is expected to deliver electricity by the spring of 2010.
Our commitment to green infrastructure continues.
Upgrades to the Summerside Pollution Control Centre improve it from a facility of primary treatment to a tertiary treatment facility with nutrient removal and increases its capacity by 60%. The upgrade greatly reduces organic and nutrients discharged into the Summerside Harbour. A portion of the upgrade was the installation of a sewage sludge treatment process. This N-Viro Process produces a bio-solid that conforms to the USEPA Class AA@ bio-solid standard - pathogen free with low metal content. An ultraviolet disinfection system replaced the gas chlorination system to further decrease the impact on the harbour. Odour control is conducted by a bio-filter that uses natural organisms which remove odour causing chemicals. Finally, the treated effluent is recovered and reused as process water, significantly reducing the amount of potable water that is required at the facility.
Living in SummersideBack to Top
Summerside gets an A+ on quality of life indicators. With its pristine environment and traditional ties, Summerside offers a high quality of living that is hard to match in today’s world. Home to many leisure and social opportunities, from our new multipurpose leisure event centre, the Credit Union Place to our Museums and Performing Arts Centre and the various restaurants and cafes that dot our landscape, Summerside’s creative, dynamic beachside culture is unmatched in similarly sized cities.
Health and education are priorities in Summerside. Our new health centre, The Prince County Hospital was constructed in 2004 and provides a wide range of in-patient, outpatient and community-based health and wellness services. Education ranges from provincially approved day care and Montessori options to the local campus of Holland College. Numerous opportunities are also available in city-wide interest courses – frequently held at the City’s Lefurgey Cultural Centre.
Further to our active, creative lifestyle is the relaxation of living in a safe environment; PEI presents just about the lowest level of crime in the nation, with an excellent air quality index. Truly, a location to be envied!
A Closer Look
Aside from our favourable investment climate, competitive operating environment and partners committed to your success, Our Sales Proposition includes:
• skilled, dedicated & available workforce
• tailored incentive packages through our partners
• quality of life
• tax free zones
• research & development clusters for specific sectors
• growing economy
Low union rates keeps labour costs down
A key drawing card of the island is the quality of the work force. PEI has one of the lowest rates of labour turnover in North America, and the province also has a very low level of unionization. Summerside’s population and labour force is a valuable source for business enterprise. With a growing population and diverse skill base, Summerside skilled labour are providing productive and skilled labour resource to the ever growing sectors in the economy. PEI’s record of employee turnover is extremely low resulting in lower training costs and higher productivity.
Supporting Your Unique Needs
Government and economic development agencies give companies in PEI a great amount of attention, more so than those located in more populous centers. Governments are flexible and work together to help your business succeed.
The international KPMG study continues to rank Prince Edward Island as one of the most cost effective locations to do business. PEI offers competitive corporate taxes and tax credits, low operating costs, and affordable labour costs. You will find a well-educated and highly skilled workforce here.
A Less Taxing Environment:
• Federal Corporate Tax Rate 22.12%
• Provincial Corporate Tax Rate (Manufacturing and Small Business) 7.5%
• Provincial Corporate Tax Rate (other Business) 16%
• Provincial Commercial Property Tax Rate $1.50 per $100 of Assessment
• Municipal Commercial Property Tax Rate $1.92 per $100 of Assessment
• Average Industrial Land Price $12,000/acre
• A full annual rebate on all provincial taxes for aviation related business operating in Slemon Park
• 10 year tax rebate program for export-focused manufacturers or value added service providers
• 35% Scientific research and investment tax credit
• 10% Manufacturing equipment and machinery tax credit
Supported OpportunityBack to Top
Economic Development Services
The City of Summerside offers the complete package when it comes to development opportunities. Our community is well positioned to provide top-quality infrastructure as well as a highly skilled labour force. Coupled with our low cost-operating environment, economies of scale for development, an abundance of greenspace, and A+ quality of life indicators, Summerside is a community ready for the future.
The Economic Development Office is the information focal point for enterprises contemplating the redevelopment, expansion, relocation, or consolidation of their industrial or commercial activities within Summerside.
We offer our customers a “one stop shopping” environment as we are the primary source of industrial/commercial information, and act a liaison with all levels of government.
We guarantee customer satisfaction, rapid response time, confidentiality, and the highest quality of information and reports.
Some of our Core Services Include:
• Information on Summerside’s Business environment
• Details on sector business shows and seminars
• Contact names in the real estate industry and development community
• Zoning and building permit information
• Site selection research
• Trade area analysis
• Guidance through the processes of:
• Official Plan and zoning amendments
• Site plan approval
• Contacts with regional, national and international companies wishing to align with Summerside firms
• Research on available industrial and commercial lands or buildings available for lease or sale in Summerside
• Contacts with print, television and radio media
• Custom mailing labels and contact list
• Directory of Summerside Businesses in print and computer formats
• Information on trade missions and foreign delegations
• Joint marketing opportunities with existing Summerside Businesses
• Literature and advice on forming a new business.
Sophisticated Transportation Infrastructure Back to Top
The success of a city is closely linked to its transportation infrastructure. Summerside’s Success Story includes:
• First Class International Airport in our Backyard
• Modern and Efficient Port Facilities
• Only 20 minutes from the Confederation Bridge
• Direct Major Highway Access
By Air
Summerside is located forty-five minutes from Charlottetown Airport, connecting the province with the rest of North America, 1.5 hours from Moncton International Airport and 2.5 hours from Halifax International Airport.
Summerside is also home to Slemon Park, a full serviced airport, comprised of a 1,500 acre site of exceptional aerospace and training facilities, overlooking beautiful Malpeque Bay. It is minutes from downtown Summerside and a mere 20 minute flight to Halifax.
Summerside Airport
Situated 5 minutes from the city centre, the Summerside Airport is geographically located 235 Nautical Miles Northeast of Bangor, Maine and 400 nautical miles Southwest of Gander, Newfoundland.
Owned and operated by Slemon Park Corporation, the airport services private, corporate, charter and military domestic and international flights as a full service Fix Base of Operations (FBO).
With experienced staff priding themselves in quality PEI hospitality, the Summerside Airport provides the service you require once your aircraft lands.
The airport does not service scheduled commercial traffic thus their free air space enables their staff to cater completely to any aircraft that lands at Summerside Airport. Landing at Summerside Airport offers your aviation department the following advantages:
• Lower landing and facility fees (Quality Service)
• Quick Turn Around Time
• Optimum Departure to Intercept North Atlantic Tracks
• 300 + VFR Days (non-obstructive approach, BARO V NAV)
• Large Ramp Space
• Heated Hangarage
• 5000 Gallon Fuel Truck
• Catering and accommodations on site
• Contract Fuel Price
• Customs Service/CANPASS Permit holders only
Port Facilities
Summerside’s Deep Water Commercial Shipping Port is situated on Bedeque Bay on the South Coast of PEI. The port remains ice-free from April through to December. Shipments in and out of the port include Potatoes, Aggregates, Grains, as well as other products. A recently constructed 53,000 square foot heated transit shed adds to the attraction for shippers, as well as the abundance of additional outside storage.
Our Port Facilities Offer:
• Stevedoring
• Fuel
• Supplies
• Fresh Water
• Sewage Disposal
• Access to Ice Breaking Services
• Wharfinger & Harbourmaster Services
On The Road
Summerside offers a ring road for straightforward access to all internal points, including the downtown waterfront and intercity industrial zones.
*Time difference is based on both cities being on Standard Time or Daylight Savings
Small City ... Big Opportunity Back to Top
Opportunity. That’s the Summerside advantage.
Summerside has substantiated strength and room for growth in the following key sectors:
Aerospace
• Fixed wing air-framer
• Strip & paint facility
• Engines Repair and Overhaul, propeller/rotor blade shop
• Avionics
ICT
• Interactive media
• E-learning
• Software development
• Video game development
Advanced Manufacturing
• Precision machining
• Environmental industry
• Building material
Slemon Park Aerospace … an attractive locationBack to Top
The Aerospace sector is one of the fastest growing sectors on Prince Edward Island, and represents over 20% of total provincial exports. Some of the most world renowned companies call Summerside home – Atlantic Turbines International, Honeywell, Wiebel Aerospace, Testori Americas, and MDS-PRAD Technologies.
Prince Edward Island has created an attractive environment for the aerospace cluster focussing primarily on the regional aircraft market, but also the helicopter, mass-transit and other related industries and the concentration of leaders at Slemon Park Aerospace Centre are leading the way.
The creation of an attractive business climate by the Federal and Provincial governments through the formation of a tax free zone for aerospace companies who locate to Slemon Park is one key site selection advantage of Slemon Park. The incentive program includes an annual 100% rebate of Provincial Sales, Income Tax and Property Tax until the year 2012.
Other attractive site selection advantages include:
• Low operating costs
• Workforce
• Very competitive and flexible lease rates
• Private operational airport
• Hangar facilities for repair and overhaul, aircraft modification or research and development activities
Information & Communications Technology
Summerside is a major user and supplier of telecommunications products and services, and also provides a sophisticated point to point access ring infrastructure.
• Part of one of the largest free calling areas in the world
• 100% Digital Fiber Optic Backbone Network
• ATM Province Wide
• Part of the most reliable digital public network system
• Part of the most intense ringed fibre system in North America
• New introduction of a broadband service through a strategic alliance with Newbridge Communications
Many communities talk a good book on IT and connectivity but the reality is often less apparent. Summerside has earned and played a major role in the roll out of rural broadband by building a high-speed network which serves not only the City, but the entire western half of the Province. In the late 90s, Summerside recognised the importance of high speed in its own operations and built a fibre network connecting municipal buildings. It was a logical development to ask how this could be leveraged to the benefit not just of the Summerside business community, but also the wider market Summerside serves as the main market town of western PEI.
As part of this process, the fibre network was upgraded from 10 mbps to 100 mbps and extended, most particularly to the Summerside water tower which was utilised as the initial mast for a high speed wireless network, at first serving an area of several hundred kilometres around Summerside, with contiguous service area from North Cape in the far west of the province to Rustico and Victoria in the east linked with a wireless backbone, some 20 main network access points are designed to provide coverage to a planned 2000 homes and businesses by the end of the year.
In concert with infrastructure advancements, Summerside and western PEI have developed a vibrant IT community. The aircraft industry in Slemon Park, is of course a heavy user of many advanced technologies. Kodak maintains a research lab in the city and Fibre Connections is a valued tenant of the Industrial Park and an active participant in the Summerside IT community. Many smaller firms follow niche interests such as web and database development. The IT and arts communities are collaborating on the development of a support infrastructure for the very talented music community and plans underway include internet radio, multicasting, media production – many of these projects with international partners.
Diversified wood and paper related products are a strong & thriving sector in Summerside.
Area enterprises are lead by companies engaged in the manufacture of, specialty furniture, customized cabinetry and the abrasive and coatings sector. Adding value to wood has been a time-honoured tradition. In fact, the manufacturing and exporting of finished goods have become one of Prince Edward Island’s fastest growing sectors. Flooring, moulding, millworks, furniture wood components and abrasive products are some of the products shipped to worldwide markets each year.
• The superior workmanship that goes into each Prince Edward Island wood product is supplied by a dedicated workforce who have learned to match their traditional skills with today’s technology.
• Our business people understand the needs of the marketplace and are committed to delivering high quality products and service which customers deserve and expect.
• Summerside Companies leading the way in Building Products, Consumer Products, Furniture, Lawn and Garden Products and Handcrafted Giftware.
Innovative leading edge companies are just one way to describe Summerside’s manufacturing sector. Summerside is home to a solid base of manufacturers representing over 18% of total employment. Key sectors include:
• Food Processing and Agriculture Related Industries
• Aerospace and Related Industries
• Wood Products
• Metal Fabrication
The food sector in Summerside is comprised of many firms involved in the agri-food and seafood processing sectors.
With the abundance of agricultural and marine resource, Summerside has a natural competitive strength in food processing. Enterprises engaged in this sector range from seafood processing, dairy and related products and potato and related products.
Providing companies with a competitive business environment where key location sensitive costs such as real estate and labour are significantly lower than most North American regions. Summerside is fortunate with the growing, educated population and labour pool, pioneering excellence in cooperative education and training, and supportive regulatory environment that make Summerside business investment able.
All levels of government have recognized the importance of business and human resource investment and have specialized and customized financing and training programs to meet company needs.
Prince Edward Island Prosperity PlanBack to Top
Prince Edward Island’s new integrated Ministry of Innovation and Advanced Learning will lead the detailed development and delivery of this strategy. During the 2008-09 fiscal year, the Ministry will develop its business and operational plans. This transition year will allow the time needed to finalize the funding sources for this strategy, realign structures and personnel, establish and orient boards, and develop new partnerships and agreements. The strategy will then be implemented over the five years from April 2009 to March 2014.
Business EnvironmentBack to Top
Prince Edward Island is consistently ranked as one of the most cost effective locations to do business in North America. Our labour force is known for its low turnover levels and high participation rates while industry salary and wage rates are extremely competitive.
KPMG 2006 Competitiveness Index compared business costs in 128 cities in twelve countries in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Canada ranked #1 as most competitive country.
PEI ranked #1 most competitive of locations surveyed in North America in the sectors of Shared Services – Back Office processing
PEI is the lowest cost business location in North America for electronic assembly, precision manufacturing, aircraft manufacturing, and specialty chemical production
Summerside is the lowest commercially taxed City on Prince Edward Island.
Tax Friendly
Prince Edward Island is dedicated to establishing tax-friendly initiatives for key strategic business sectors including the information technology, film and new media industries, with an existing tax-free zone dedicated to aerospace IT companies and tax-free business parks planned for the province’s rural regions.
Location
Prince Edward Island, one of ten Canadian provinces, is centrally located within the region known as Atlantic Canada. The region is home to 16 universities and numerous community and private colleges providing one of Canada’s most talented regional workforces. Prince Edward Island is also conveniently positioned to access central Canadian and Northeastern US markets.
Technology is a Growing Concern
Prince Edward Island provides client support to private sector information technology companies offering sustainable job and wealth creation opportunities in Prince Edward Island. Technology PEI delivers a number of programs designed to help companies succeed in the knowledge economy. See how our programs and client support services can help you create new business
Business & Employment
Planning for growth in a city should be more than building homes for people to live in. It should also include plans for business and industry, the jobs and services which make a city work. Summerside has been planned with concern for those who live here, as well as providing jobs for the majority of residents. Summerside businesses number 1,000 and employ over 7,000 workers. A diverse Summerside economy has created a highly stable operating environment for existing businesses and residents.
Industrial Opportunities
Over 596 acres of land in Summerside have been designated for industrial development; primarily in the west and northwest sectors, relating to the airport and highway accesses to town. Combined with the low land and servicing costs make Summerside an attractive location of choice. As well, in 2006 the area stakeholders hope to start to develop Summerside Business Park Two, with serviced lots available for development in 2007.
Average industrial land values in Summerside range between $12,000 and $30,000 per acre.
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
