Premier Doug Ford made a stop at the 12th Annual Manufacturing Summit hosted by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
The premier touted his plan to build 1.5 million homes and how the Region of Waterloo’s commitment to industry and economic growth will help.
"Waterloo region is going to see massive growth, because there is opportunity here. And because the chair and the mayors have created that environment for people to come here," Ford said.
According to the premier, Ontario employs more tech sector workers than Silicon Valley. He wants to find ways to remove red tape, where possible, to streamline and speed up manufacturing and building in the region. The premier said each day there are new companies wanting to come to the province and set up business.
"Billions of dollars coming into our province, because they know it's a quality of life. When they come here, they're going to have the best quality of life for their employees," Ford said.
According to the chamber, manufacturing makes up 20 per cent of the region’s economy.
"It is advanced manufacturing, it is high-tech, it is leveraging new machinery, skilled workers," Ian McLean, president and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce said.
McLean said the combination of technology and talent in the area also continues to drive the potential for expansion and more business.
"We have two universities, the college, we have hospitals, we have think tanks,” McLean said.
"We have many skilled employees here year round. So it's definitely an advantage to have a pool," Andreas Haas, CEO of PWO Canada Inc. said.
Manufacturers like PWO Canada Inc. in Kitchener say their employees include immigrants and workers who've come from other provinces. They are often told the quality of life in the region is better.
"The region definitely provides everything that you need for work, for work life balance. So you will find everything for your family. So it's a whole package," Andreas Haas, CEO, PWO Canada Inc. said.
