| MPP
Arnott Addresses Automotive
Industry Success in Waterloo-Wellington
The following is a statement by Waterloo-Wellington
MPP Ted Arnott, which he made to the Legislative Assembly
of Ontario on May 27, 2002:
Mr
Ted Arnott (Waterloo-Wellington): First of all, I want
to congratulate the member for Nipissing on taking his
seat this afternoon for the first time.
I
also want to inform the House of another positive development
in Ontario's automotive industry and more new jobs in
my riding of Waterloo-Wellington.
As
indicated recently in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record,
Trim Masters Inc is set to begin construction of a new
factory in Elmira that's expected to employ about 150
people in the business of supplying seats and door panels
for Toyotas assembled in Cambridge. These new jobs will
strengthen the automotive cluster that is developing
in Waterloo-Wellington to supply that same Toyota plant
and the Honda plant in Alliston. Reinforced by governments
-- local and provincial -- our educational institutions
and skilled workers, the auto cluster is enhanced with
every new supply-line industry that comes to our area.
To
illustrate the strength of our automotive industry,
I'll share with you some facts provided to me by Canada's
Technology Triangle, a not-for-profit economic development
organization that markets Waterloo region and its cities
internationally. Their 1999 export study found that
the motor vehicle industry is the most important in
terms of value, accounting for about $3.5 billion in
exports. Around Waterloo region and Wellington county,
the auto sector is flourishing. Elmira is also home
to YM Technologies, a Honda supplier. There's TG Minto
in Palmerston, Musashi in Arthur, Jefferson Elora in
Elora, Long Manufacturing in Mount Forest and Denso
in Guelph, all of which have opened in the last six
years or so, supplementing our substantial automotive
employment at companies like Budd Canada and Lear Seating.
I
want to congratulate the Minister of Enterprise, Opportunity
and Innovation for the summit that he held last week.
Together, in partnership with the province, we will
continue to work hard to strengthen our local economy
and continue to create the new jobs we need.
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