Hawkesbury making strides with economic development plan

HAWKESBURY - He's only been on the job for a few months, but Mathieu Mault is making great strides in brightening the economic development picture for the town.

Mault, who was recently hired to act as the town's director of economic development, presented his economic development activity report for the months of December and January during the regular council meeting, held Monday, January 25.

He began with an update on Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW), the local windshield making company that announced it would be closing its doors and taking more than 160 jobs with it.

"Currently, there are about eight employees at the plant, keeping it going for now," he said. "That's pretty much it. There aren't many people left working there at this point."

Mault noted that a new questionnaire was developed and circulated to local industries in January. The questionnaire allowed industries to describe what type of work they do, how many people they employ and other "useful information.

"The questionnaire also directed industries to our website, where we now have a section for economic development," Mault commented. "We asked industries to tell us what we (the town) are doing well and what we aren't doing well. We want to work with them as best we can."

He said he is hoping to host a meet-and-greet breakfast for industries in the near future, so "everyone can get together and learn more about each other.

"Some dates have been thrown out, and we're just waiting to find out what time of day and date best suits everyone."

Mault was pleased to announce that a new business would be coming from Montreal within the next few weeks to settle in Hawkesbury.

"The company is Dyco and it will be coming to settle at Tupper Street in the next short while," he explained. "We are very excited to have them here. They will be coming with around five to 10 employees to start, but they have plans to expand."

Dyco prides itself on being passionate about renewable energy and promotes the use of renewable energy. It offers a wide product line of solar photovoltaic mouthing systems, including roof mount, ground mount, pole mount and ballasted mount.

"This is very good news," Mault stated. "Many (solar) companies are choosing to come to Ontario because now is the right time. This is the perfect time for a company like this to come to our community."

He told councillors he has been trying to attract another business to the area "for several weeks" but can't reveal the name of the business just yet.

"I'm still working on it," he commented. "I've been working on this for several weeks and it's still hush-hush. Hopefully, I will be able to make another good news announcement very shortly."

Mault concluded his presentation by highlighting the new economic development section on the website once again, noting it offers information on why industries should consider establishing themselves in Hawkesbury, information about Hawkesbury's business park and links to other useful tools and site. He said a new industry will be profiled on the site every month.

"There are a few things that are still in the works, such as the photo gallery, but it's come together well," he said. "Obviously, I'd like to expand the website in the future, but this is a good start for now."

Councillor Gilles Roch Greffe praised Mault for his efforts, noting, "The website is great...it will grow in time, but this is a good start. It's going to help us get more attention from industries."

Mayor Jeanne Charlebois also had high praise for Mault's dedication and effort, especially for his ability to bring Dyco to the area.

"That's five to 10 more jobs we didn't have before," she remarked. "We are definitely on the right track. Keep up the excellent work."