Media Release
Region Voted Alberta's Best Community for Business
Alberta’s International Region – June 16, 2009 - The Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Authority (EDA) has sent an award-winning submission to Alberta Venture, a well-respected business magazine, which placed Alberta’s International Region in the top spot as Alberta’s Best Community for Business.
Featured in the magazine’s June issue, Alberta’s International Region was awarded first place out of ten spots based on a survey of more than 30 communities. Communities were evaluated based on rental rates, land costs, taxes, transportation access, licensing fees, market size and growth rates, average incomes, cost of living, post-secondary institutions, capital projects and more.
Key reasons why Alberta’s International Region stood out as the top winner include:
- Moderate rent and land costs,
- Business-friendly attitude,
- Big upside opportunity, created by close proximity to Canada’s fastest growing major airport, Edmonton International Airport, strategic location and critical mass in manufacturing, oilfield services and technology, and
- Negligible downside risk created by industry diversification and close location to population centres and transportation hubs.
“It’s very exciting to have our region named the number one place to do business. It’s also validation of what our politicial and business leaders have been working towards over the past 25 years,” says EDA Executive Director, Pat Klak.
The EDA has joined such leaders on developing Port Alberta – a new gateway for cargo transportation combining air, rail and road transportation. Port Alberta will take advantage of the region’s strategic location, situated along the Canamex Corridor and Nisku Business Park, Canada’s largest energy industrial park.
A state-of-the-art Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator in the region has also provided Agri-Business entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain skills and expertise needed to expand business. The first of it’s kind in Canada, the Incubator is located near a Food Processing Development Centre, a modern, fully-equipped pilot plant and product development laboratory designed to strengthen the capability of Alberta’s food processors.
To view Alberta Venture's article, please click here.
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For more information, contact:
Patricia Klak
Executive Director
Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Authority
(780) 986-9538