While there is always room for improvement, Puslinch is faring not too badly in the realm of economic development.
However, one of the things the township would like to do to attract business – increase the amount of available commercial/industrial land along Highway 6 and 401 – seems off the books for the time being.
On April 6, Wellington County economic development director Jana Burns updated Puslinch councillors on economic development activities at the county level and how it benefits Puslinch.
Burns said “Economic development is about growth, it is about jobs and wealth going to the local community, how money is spent in the community, making certain money is spent in that community and creating resilience – to ensure there are not just one or two large operations the community is dependent upon.”
She added economic development is about growing the local GDP (gross domestic product) in the community so there is resilience in the local economy.
It means when businesses grow, the number of job opportunities also grows, Burns said, which “in turn means the potential for an enhanced standard of living,” she added.
“Ensuring businesses are growing and healthy and that they know about the community as a place to invest is increasingly important. Ultimately that means the municipality can provide the infrastructure and necessary services within the community.”
In providing demographic information, Burns noted there are a number of factors in the ability of Puslinch to attract businesses and investment.
These include having a well-educated population and the township’s location along the Highway 401 and Highway 6 corridor.
Puslinch Township
2015 demographics
With its 7,660 residents, Puslinch represents 8.1% of Wellington County’s population.
“You have a very well-educated population where 57% of your residents have post secondary education – compared to the county average of 47%,” Burns noted.
With 2,643 private dwellings, Puslinch has 8% of all homes in the county.
At $930,646, Burns said the average home value is significantly higher (44%) than the rest of Wellington County.
The same can be said of the average household income of $144,691, which Burns said is 36% higher than the average across Wellington County.
But in looking at how homes are utilized, Burns provided the following figures:
– 1-person households 19%;
– 2-person household 39%;
– 3-person household 15%.
In short, Burns said 73% of all households in Puslinch have three or less people.
She noted the 3.9% unemployment rate in Puslinch represents the rate across the county “which is extremely low.”
Burns added 89% of those in the workforce travel outside Puslinch to work.
At the same time, Puslinch provides 4,756 jobs – 15.6% of the positions in Wellington County. In addition, the township comprises of 13% of all businesses in county.
Top industries and businesses in Puslinch are manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing, wholesale trade and other services – other than public administration.
Burns noted between 2012 and 2014, growth areas for business included agricultural wholesale, management and technical consulting services, and other professional services.
Burns noted that Wellington County’s economic development activities have been recognized both provincially and internationally.
She also spoke of various initiatives since 2012, including economic development strategies and implementation, workforce strategy, Wellington business directory, economic development webpage, business resource map, sector investment profiles, county-wide business retention and expansion initiative, Wellington business News e-Newsletters and business visits, talent attraction initiative and the Wellington County sign strategy.
“We often work with businesses to find them a home. We know that they are interested in Wellington County because of its proximity to the 401, the labour pool, the University of Guelph, and the cost of doing business, which is often lower than in the GTA,” Burns said.
She added that between 2010 and 2014 there was over $1 billion in construction value – 56% residential and 44% non-residential.
“The advantage we have in Wellington County is that there are a lot of small innovative manufacturers in addition to larger manufacturers to balance that out,” she said.
Councillor Wayne Stokley asked Burns’ opinion on the News of the Morriston bypass approval and whether the bypass could lead to a renewal of local economic development.
“To say it would be a stimulus (to the economy) would be a complete understatement. It is a remarkable investment promise from the government,” said Burns .
She noted that even when they are not using the road as a direct route for their own products, employees travelling the road give up after a few months out of exhaustion.
“It has affected much more than just Puslinch. From pure economics, this is a very big deal.”
Councillor Susan Fielding said one of the biggest challenges in Puslinch is that even though it has a wonderful location, “the lack of industrial land available locally … is a real concern.”
Despite the snarls, Fielding considered the proximity of Highways 401 and 6 as an advantage to the community, “but we just don’t have anywhere to grow. We are in a great location, but we need more land.”
Burns noted Centre Wellington is in a similar situation. However, she added there is a large area designated as employment lands along the Hanlon Expressway that should be sufficient for the future.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer was pleased to hear there was some return on investment.
However, he was curious if there was any way to tie recent construction and business expansion directly to economic development initiatives.
Burns said “for our department it is a little bit difficult.”
She said it is simple enough to make the link when someone has direct interaction with a business. But to attribute a specific number of jobs or an amount of investment coming to the community for economic initiatives might be harder to track, Burns said.
Bulmer said it would be good to have an idea “because using tax dollars to leverage other tax dollars really doesn’t sell to the public.”
He asked if there was any means to develop a transition plan for the village of Morriston.
Bulmer stated that when Highway 6 bypassed Freelton, the community shrank, and it has grown back – “but it has taken time.”
Mayor Dennis Lever considered the number used for housing prices “a bit high.”
He agreed if the $930,646 was compared to the last 200 homes in Puslinch it is probably low, but compared to all the homes in the township the average number is in the $600,000 range.
Burns said she would take that information under advisement.
