Front Lines

The Town Of Essex Welcomes Liftow Limited

Looking to add to its local footprint,

Liftow Limited is preparing to move to Essex from its current location in Windsor, where it has operated for more than 40 years.

“It’s not that we haven’t been well served at our current location, but we’re landlocked and we simply need more space,” explains Doug Van Dube, Liftow Limited’s local Branch Manager. “We’re operating out of two buildings, which is inconvenient, and we’ve been looking to move for a couple of years.”

The project development and construction, led by the Troup Group of Companies and Wincon Construction, is currently under way at 320 Talbot Road South in Essex. Projects Supervisor Paul Schincariol of Wincon anticipates an early summer 2022 opening.

When complete the facility will encompass about 14,000 square feet, with room to grow on site.

“The greenhouse industry has become a major part of our client base and this moves us closer to those customers while at the same time allowing us to continue having easy access to Highway 401 and the eventual new Highway 3 corridor,” indicates Van Dube.

Liftow has been Canada’s leading partner for end-to-end Toyota forklift and material handling solutions since 1960.

They are the largest Toyota forklift dealer group in North America and continue to be the #1 choice for material handling needs.

“We feel that with the future Gordie Howe International Bridge, the current developments along the Highway 3 corridor, including the exciting residential development in the Town of Essex, will make this a great spot for our business to prosper,” adds Van Dube. “This will be a very busy area and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

Van Dube says the development will not only add numerous temporary jobs during the construction phase, but will also support the company’s goals for continued growth.

“We are thrilled to welcome Liftow Limited to the Town of Essex,”

In attendance at a November ground-breaking ceremony for the new Liftow Limited operation in Essex last year, from left are: Wincon Construction’s Paul Schincariol; Councillor Sherry Bondy; Councillor Morley Bowman; Councillor Steve Bjorkman; Councillor Kim Verbeek; Deputy Mayor Richard Meloche; Mayor Larry Snively; Liftow’s Doug Van Dube, Jamie Stephen and Red Andal; Councillor Joe Garon, and Councillor Chris Vander Doelen. Photo courtesy of The Town of Essex.

says Essex Mayor Larry Snively. “The development of this state-of-the-art facility represents a significant investment in the local economy.”

Liftow has more than 800 employees across Canada plus those in the U.S. divisions serving Vermont and Wisconsin.

Its local operation has 15 employees, plus a few more who work from remote locations. Learn more about this company on their website: Liftow.com.

FRONTLINES New Members Needed For Italian-Canadian Association

Raising the profile of a business organization dedicated to providing leadership and support for the region’s Canadian Italian community is part of a longrange plan, according to the Windsor Chapter President of the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association (CIBPA).

“Our median age is tipping a little high at the moment,” says Niva Segatto of the organization that was established in 1961. “We’re trying to let people know we still exist and that we want to grow with a group of new members.”

COVID-19 restrictions hit the organization, as it did many others, with meetings, galas and events cancelled over the course of the past 22 months or so.

The local organization used to hold dinner meetings on a monthly basis and hand out annual awards for business of the year, family business of the year, and person of the year.

It now plans to reward a young entrepreneur of the year when these events resume in 2022 when the group celebrates its 60th anniversary.

“It’s a great networking organization for people in the local Canadian Italian community,” Segatto comments. “We have members from a wide cross-section of the community from professionals to trades people.”

The organization currently has about 110 local members, according to Segatto and is seeking to add to that total as soon as possible to help rejuvenate the existing membership. (People must be of Italian descent to become a member).

CIBPA has 10 other chapters across Canada — Calgary, Hamilton-Halton, Montreal, Niagara, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Winnipeg.

The organization’s mandates include providing leadership and support to all member chapters on debates of national economic importance; fostering an atmosphere of unity across all chapters; working closely with other organizations

The Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association held its Annual General Meeting at Windsor’s Fogolar Furlan Club, October 29 and 30, 2021, with delegates coming in from other chapters in Ontario and Quebec. Posing at the club, following a series of meetings, from left are: Danny Castellan; CIPBA National President Gianni Leonetti; Dr. Paul DeMarco; CIBPA Windsor Chapter President Niva Segatto, and long time Windsor member Emanuele Calamita. Photo by Dave Hall.

within the Italian Canadian community; and promoting the values of the organization through the development and maintenance of strong ties with other business and professional groups across Canada and internationally.

For information on the association and why you should become a member, refer to: Windsor.CIBPA.com.

WHAT’S YOUR PLAN FOR RETIREMENT?

RRSP, TFSA?

We’ve got solutions to help you reach your retirement goals. Speak to a Motor City representative to find out your options today. Don’t forget to contribute to your RRSP by the March 1, 2022 deadline.

Book an Appointment:

Scan the image with your smartphone to book your appointment with a representative

MCCCU.COM

519-944-7333

FRONTLINES Ettractive Wins $20,000 Scale(Back)UP Prize

Six scaling businesses, within a diverse cross-section of regional sectors, recently had the chance to make their pitch in front of a group of seasoned investors, industry experts, and members of the Regional Alliance Windsor-Essex (RAWE) for a top prize of $20,000, the largest ever in the program’s five year history.

The scaleups are part of the fifth cohort to graduate from the award-winning ScaleUP Tech Accelerator program, launched by WEtech Alliance and generously powered in 2021 by Libro Credit Union, and Invest WindsorEssex, with support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southwestern Ontario.

“Helping new businesses gain a foothold in the market and providing a framework for existing businesses to pivot and adapt is music to this economic developers’ ears,” says Stephen MacKenzie, President and CEO at Invest WindsorEssex. “A large portion of economic growth comes from creating an environment that accelerates a business’ ability to change and evolve. As our region emerges as a global hub for automobility

Congratulations to Ettractive, the 2021 winner of the ScaleUP Tech Accelerator program! Pictured from left are staff members: Gaurav Mudekar, Kyle Glover, Pat Troy, Patrick Thompson, Matt Macri, Yudong (Gary) Tian, and Elysia Kustra. Photo courtesy of Ettractive.

activity, it’s important that programs like this exist to help fuel that evolution.”

In the last two years, the focus for this program has been from a Scale(Back)UP perspective. With the global economy still emerging from the burden of the pandemic,

applicants to the program were motivated to reinvent themselves to tackle new economic realities. They were encouraged to approach the program as an opportunity and licence to think differently, attempting new approaches to growth.

“A program like ScaleUP creates a safe space to talk about failure, make mistakes, and learn together,” indicates Lori Atkinson, Regional Manager (WindsorEssex) at Libro Credit Union. “We know that being immersed in that type of environment can lead to some pretty amazing results, with over 151 employed with ScaleUP Alumni companies across Southwestern Ontario. Libro is proud to support the compounding impact this program has had on our region in the five years since its launch.”

The four-month accelerator program provides one-on-one mentoring, cohort sessions, and access to provincial, national and global networks of programs and mentors valued at over $15,000.

In addition to the formal program, WEtech Alliance partnered with RAWE member organizations, the Government of Ontario, SOAR Innovation, the Windsor Essex Capital Angel Network (WECAN) and its investors to host the pitch competition.

Following a virtual Dragons’ Den style pitch that measured the cohort company’s growth over the course of the program, the winner of the 2021 top prize was Ettractive (Ettractive.com).

This automobility start-up is an expert in the electrification of vehicles and has opened a new location in the region. It will be one of the leading partners on developing software systems for the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association’s (APMA) fully Canadian-made electric vehicle, Project Arrow.

“Ettractive is so proud to have been selected as the ScaleUp Tech Accelerator winner for 2021,” says Patrick Thompson, Business Development Lead for Ettractive. “We were surrounded by amazing companies in our cohort and are thrilled to be grouped together. A major thank you to the team at WEtech! They are a phenomenal resource for any business — not only startups. They have been a huge help in our early success.”

The fifth graduating class of Scale(Back) UP also included the following companies: TDL Systems under the brand name OLT Footcare; Ortaliza Urban Vertical Farms; DuroByte; Castlebreck, and StrongerU Senior Fitness.

Applications for the sixth cohort opens summer 2022. To learn more about the ScaleUP Tech Accelerator program visit: WEtech-Alliance.com/scaleup.