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Friday, March 14, 2008

BNE recruiting north of border

Business First of Buffalo - by James Fink Business First

The Buffalo Niagara Enterprise has unveiled a marketing campaign that targets Canadian firms looking for a U.S. presence.

The BNE has identified 350 Canadian firms ­ many from Ontario ­ that are scouting U.S. locations. A targeted brochure with a play on Canada's hockey heritage and the Buffalo Sabres was mailed to the firms, along with blue-and-white face paints. Blue and white are the colors of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As another enticement, the BNE hopes to bring in at least 18 representatives from Canadian firms for a local site visit that will tie in with the Sabres-Montreal Canadiens game March 28 at HSBC Arena. Delaware North Cos. donated its box at the arena to the BNE to help with the site visit and campaign.

CEO Tom Kucharski said the BNE is looking at Canadian firms that have at least $10 million in annual sales or revenues; don¹t currently have a U.S. presence but are considering one; and work in such fields as bioscience, logistics, financial services and advanced manufacturing.

"We're not looking to steal these companies, only convince them if they need a U.S. presence, then they should consider the Buffalo Niagara region," he said. "A lot of these companies need a label on their products that says 'Made in the U.S.A.' to satisfy the needs of their clients."

Assemblyman Robin Schimminger, D-Tonawanda, said he agrees with that strategy. He is chairman of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce & Industry.

"Our goal should not be stealing companies from Canada, but if they are looking for a foothold in the U.S., then they should consider this region," Schimminger said.

In recent months, the Buffalo Niagara region has seen several Canadian firms set up a local operation. Labatt USA, for example, moved its U.S. corporate headquarters last year from Norwich, Conn., to downtown Buffalo and now has its beer that is sold in America branded with the label of 'Labatt USA, Buffalo, N.Y.'

In late February, Mircon Group of Cos. bought a Town of Niagara warehouse to open its first U.S. operation.

The Buffalo Niagara region won out over sites on the West Coast and Southeast.

Kucharski said the BNE has always considered Canada and Southern Ontario a primary market.

However, in the past few years, it has bumped up efforts to lure Canadian firms to the region by running drive-time radio ads and making deep connections with the Ontario Board of Trade.

"If you look at the results, you can see it is working," Kucharski said.

Among the pitches the BNE uses is the region¹s immediate proximity to Toronto.

"Companies that need to be in the U.S. don¹t have to be in North Carolina or any other place in the South when they can come here and find a place with a lot more similarities to Southern Ontario than any other place," said Paul Pfeiffer, BNE director of investor and public relations.