Corporate Markham In The News
December 15, 2005 - Honda Canada Inc. has finalized the purchase of 72 acres of land in southern York Region. The company has yet to make an official announcement, however Honda has confirmed the November 30th land sale will pave the way for its new Canadian head office in Richmond Hill , adjacent to the municipal border with Markham. The property is located at Highway 404 and Major Mackenzie Drive and was a strawberry farm for decades. Honda spokesperson Sandy Di Felice commented," The reality is if you're looking for a significant parcel of property, there's limited opportunity in the GTA", adding that the convenient location for hundreds of current Honda employees, lower real estate costs and lower tax rates in York Region helped to determine the final location. Preliminary plans for the site are said to include a three-building facility housing 500,000 square feet of office space, a training facility and a massive warehouse for storing Honda parts for Ontario and Quebec. About 1,000 jobs are expected to be re-located to the new site which would make Honda Richmond Hill's largest employer. Southern York Region also boasts the Canadian headquarters for several major automakers including Hyundai in Markham, Suzuki and Mazda in Richmond Hill and Magna International in Aurora.
November 22, 2005 - ATI Technologies Inc. headquartered in Markham, announced today that its Chairman, K.Y. Ho, has retired as a director and officer of the Company. Mr. Ho was a founder of ATI in 1985 and also served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer until June 1, 2004. Mr. Ho stated,"ATI has been more than a major part of my career, it has been a part my life that I will always treasure. With the OSC matter now resolved completely in my favour, I have decided to spend more time with family and pursue my personal interests. I leave ATI with confidence that under the continued leadership of our CEO David Orton, ATI will successfully continue its track record as the leading graphics company in the world." Mr. Ho has guided ATI Technologies Inc. to become a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative 3D graphics and digital media silicon solutions. An industry pioneer since 1985, ATI is the world's foremost graphics processor unit (GPU) provider and is dedicated to deliver leading-edge performance solutions for the full range of PC and Mac desktop and notebook platforms, workstation, set-top and digital television, game console and handheld device markets. With 2005 revenues of US $2.22 billion, ATI has more than 3,400 employees in the Americas, Europe and Asia. ATI common shares are traded on NASDAQ (ATYT) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (ATY).
November 7, 2005 - Geac Computer Corporation Limited of Markham and Golden Gate Capital of San Francisco, a private equity firm focused on investing in high-growth businesses in change intensive industries today announced that they have reached a definitive agreement for Golden Gate Capital to acquire Geac in an all-cash transaction valued at US$11.10 per share (which, based on Friday's Bank of Canada exchange rate, was CAD$13.11), or approximately US$1.0 billion, pursuant to a plan of arrangement. The agreement has received unanimous approval from Geac's Independent Committee and Board of Directors. The Independent Committee was advised by Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. The Independent Committee also received a fairness opinion from CIBC World Markets. The parties anticipate closing the transaction in the first calendar quarter of 2006. The closing is subject to certain customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and Geac shareholder and court approval of the plan of arrangement.
Commenting on the transaction, Charles S. Jones, President and CEO of Geac said, "Today's announcement provides outstanding opportunity for all of our key stakeholders. For shareholders, we have achieved an offered price of US$11.10, a per share value which represents a 27.0% premium over Friday's trading price and a 38.7% premium to enterprise value. For our customers and employees, this proposed transaction and the resources available through it provide a long-term future for our business. Geac has capitalized on its industry-specific focus and expertise in the Manufacturing, Government, Financial Services, Healthcare and Retail sectors. Our vertical market success should be enhanced by the current initiatives and momentum within the Golden Gate portfolio." Upon completion of the acquisition, Geac will be reorganized into two separate Golden Gate Capital portfolio companies.
As part of the reorganization, Infor, an existing Golden Gate Capital funded company, will acquire Geac's ERP software products - including System21, Runtime, RatioPlan, Streamline, and Management Data - and the employees who support them will move to Infor. As the largest provider of enterprise software exclusively focused on the manufacturing and distribution industries, Infor delivers integrated solutions that address the essential challenges its customers face in areas such as supply chain planning, relationship management, demand management, ERP, warehouse management, marketing-driven distribution, and business intelligence. Infor has more than 2,300 employees in 47 offices around the world and supports approximately 18,000 customers in more than 70 countries.
November 1, 2005 - Markham Centennial Community Centre is currently under-going a $9 million expansion that will see the popular recreation facility expand from 99,100 square feet to 132,955 square feet. The expansion includes a two-level fitness centre, swimming pool and indoor bocce courts to accommodate growing membership as Markham continues to expand its population base. The bocce project will cost $2 million with the Markham Bocce Association contributing $400,000 over two years and agreeing to pay $54,000-a-year utility costs plus $55,000 in start-up funding. The community center will remain open during construction which is expected to be completed in late 2006. Markham mayor Don Cousens noted, "We are adding to this important recreation facility so we can better serve the many needs of our growing and diverse population."
October 21, 2005 - Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Canada officially opened its new Canadian headquarters in Markham. The 75,000 square foot facility is located at 88 McNabb Street in south Markham. Jon Coleman, Vice-President and General Manager of Pfizer commented on the re-location from Toronto stating, "Markham itself was the main thing. The municipality is known for innovation. Transportation infrastructure, shops, daycare and all the benefits and conveniences were part of the decision. The neighbourhood felt like the right place to be." Markham Mayor Don Cousens added "There's real movement to Markham for a combination of reasons. The quality of life here is good, business taxes compared to Toronto are about 40 per cent less and these companies know they're welcome". The 156-year old company based in New York City, specializes in a broad range of non-prescription healthcare products from smoking cessation to skin care and cold and allergy relief. Major brands include Listerine, Visine, Nicorette, Purell, Viagra, Rolaids and Sudafed.
October 7, 2005 - Golf Town Canada Inc. of Markham is pleased to announce that it's President and CEO, Stephen Bebis, has been selected as the winner of Ernst and Young's 2005 Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year in the Business-to-Consumer Category. The award was presented at the 2005 Ontario Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Banquet which was held October 6 th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This award is recognition of Mr. Bebis' ambition, dedication and innovation which he has focused towards building the top specialty golf retailer in Canada and the 4th largest golf retailer in the world. In accepting the award, Mr. Bebis acknowledged that it reflected the hard work and dedication of all Golf Town's employees, vendors and business partners in working towards these same goals. Golf Town was founded in 1998 and is now the largest golf retailer in Canada with 24 stores across the country. Each location consists of approximately 20,000 square feet of brand name golf clubs, bags, apparel, shoes, accessories, CPGA teaching pro services and indoor putting greens. Golf Town Income Fund units are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol GLF.UN.
October 1, 2005 - FCI Broadband, a division of Futureway Communications Inc. of Markham , has announced the launch of its Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, service in the Greater Toronto Area. The company said its Italk Digital Phone Service allows customers to call throughout Canada using any high-speed Internet connection. This works like traditional current phone service, but instead of using traditional copper lines, VoIP uses the Internet to connect calls . FCI Broadband is also full service provider of local and long distance telephone, high speed Internet and data center services to homes and businesses in the Greater Toronto Area. Canadian owned and operated, FCI was one of the first Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC) certified by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to deliver local telephone services in Canada . FCI Broadband is one the first companies in North America to launch Extended DSL High-Speed service to business customers outside the traditional provider's reach. Extended reach service unlocks the bandwidth limitation of ordinary copper wires at a very economical price.
September 1, 2005 - The Town of Markham has been ranked first in the province of Ontario in recycling its trash. Residents have been separating household waste into three streams: recyclables into blue boxes, kitchen organics into green bins and the rest into garbage bags or bins. This has led to a dramatic diversion rate of 66% of the town's garbage being saved from going to Michigan landfill sites. The green bin collection program was introduced in fall of 2004 and has led to a 90% participation rate. Waste Management supervisor Claudia Marsales commented, "Now that the program is in place, it means 45 tractor-trailer trucks are not making the trip from Markham to Michigan every month." She added that arrangements are being made to accommodate more items such as plastic bags and Styrofoam into blue boxes. Plans are also in the works to expand the program to small businesses, schools, apartment buildings, churches and special community events. Markham is the first municipality in York Region to have a three-tier waste management program. Neighbouring communities of Richmond Hill and Vaughan will launch green bin programs in 2006 followed by Whitchurch-Stouffville in 2007.
August 17, 2005 - ATI Technologies Inc. (TSX:ATY)(NASDAQ:ATYT) today announced the Xilleon(TM) 240, a highly-integrated TV-on-Chip(TM) designed to enable cost-effective digital television (DTV) sets for the North American and Korean markets. Xilleon 240 delivers both industry leading digital signal reception and high-quality image processing display functionality required for a complete DTV solution. The new chip from ATI's Digital TV Group is the first to integrate all the major components necessary for manufacturers to build digital integrated televisions at lower costs and in advance of the fast approaching DTV requirements. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that 50 per cent of all 25-inch to 36-inch TVs include digital tuners by July 1, 2005 and 100 per cent of this same segment by March 1, 2006.
"TV manufacturers have an urgent need for solutions that enable them to cost-effectively add DTV reception to their products," said Daniel Eiref, Director of Marketing, DTV Group, ATI Technologies Inc. "Xilleon 240 integrates all the key technologies necessary for TV manufacturers to implement a digital LCD, rear projection, or CRT television with reduced cost and no compromise in performance. ATI is driving the DTV market so consumers can enjoy the best digital television has to offer."
The Xilleon 240 TV-On-Chip includes a powerful MIPS(R) CPU (central processing unit), a Digital Front End capable of demodulating and decoding 8VSB for ATSC terrestrial broadcasts or 64/256 QAM for digital cable (including a Forward Data Channel demodulator for OpenCable applications), an HD/SD capable MPEG video and audio decoder, an NTSC video decoder featuring a 3D comb filter, a video scaler and deinterlacer, and other image processing features. Xilleon 240 includes advanced deinterlacing technology that reduces artifacts such as jagged lines and delivers the highest quality digital image processing. Xilleon 240 samples and reference designs, including ATI's CARD, are available now to qualified customers in advance of volume shipment this fall. ATI's CARD (Customer Application Ready Design) is a highly scalable and complete software stack and reference platform that enables high-definition television (HDTV) manufacturers to produce ATSC or Digital Cable Ready televisions (for CableCARD solutions) with minimum investment in time and resources.
ATI Technologies, based in Markham , Ontario will exhibit its HDTV technologies at the DisplaySearch HDTV Conference 2005, held in The Beverly Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, California from August 22 to 24, 2005 .
July 8, 2005 - JM Hospitality Inc. and HDBB Investments Inc. have announced plans to build two six-story hotels at the north-east corner of Woodbine Avenue and Highway 407 in Markham, pending approval from Markham council. The companies hope to start construction for the first hotel next spring with completion near the end of 2006. The second hotel would be built in two to three years. The first hotel would include a swimming pool, fitness centre, conference rooms and offer extended-stay suites designed to accommodate guests for one to two weeks. These suites include a sleeping area, work station, kitchenette, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave oven. Bhulesh Lodhia, a director of the companies commented, "There is an absolute need for an extended-stay hotel in Markham. There are only two hotels in Markham offering extended-stay features." Mr. Lodhia's company also built the Comfort Inn at 8330 Woodbine Avenue in Markham in 1985. The second hotel fronting onto Woodbine Avenue on the currently vacant site would include 97 guest rooms, a swimming pool and a fitness centre. The hotel development would be the first in Markham since 2001 when the two Marriott hotels, Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott, were completed.
June 15, 2005 – Pacific Mall and Market Village have announced a major expansion to the popular shopping complex in south Markham. Representatives of Remington Group Inc. owners of Market Village and Torgan Group, owners of Pacific Mall, outlined the plan at a local press conference which calls for an additional 400,000 square feet of retail space, a luxury hotel and a multi-level parking structure to be built at the 34-acre site located at the north-east corner of Kennedy Road and Steeles Avenue. Sam Cohen, partner with Torgan Group commented, "This project will make the mall more attractive to the Chinese community and to the general public. Markham Village and Pacific Mall are not just malls. They're cultural centres." The project is expected to begin in two or three years and would take 18 months to complete. The expansion would also bring the combined size of the malls to about 1 million square feet and would re-inforce the status of the site as a popular shopping and cultural destination within the GTA.
June 15, 2005 – J. Addison School has announced that it has applied to the Town of Markham's Zoning Department to relocate from its current Scarborough location to a new facility in Markham. The private school has chosen a 2.7 acre site at the northwest corner of Woodbine Avenue and Valleywood Drive as its preferred location and would serve 600 students from grades 7 to 12. Architect Wesley Lim commented, "There's quite a demand for private schooling in York Region." If Markham Council approves the application, construction would begin on the new school including a full-sized gymnasium next spring for classes starting in September, 2006.
May 1, 2005 – Angus Glen Golf Club, located in Unionville, has been ranked as the 78 th best golf course in the world outside of the United States in the May, 2005 issue of Golf Digest , the number one golf publication in the U.S. In particular, it listed the club's 18-hole, par-72, 7,400 -yard South Course in the select group of courses. A total of 1,005 golf courses from around the world were considered for the rankings. Wil Koopmans, Angus Glen Golf Club's director of golf commented, “It's nice to see that York Region has on of the top courses in the world.” The prestigious St. Andrews Golf Club in Scotland was ranked number one outside the United States . Angus Glen has hosted several major professional golf events including the 2001 Telus Skins Game, the 2001 Bank of Montreal Canadian Women's Open and the 2002 Bell Canadian Open which will be hosted again in 2007.
April 9, 2005 – PharmEng Technology Inc. of Markham was named 2005 Best International Business at the annual Chinese Canadian Entrepreneur Awards. The company was established in 1997 by Alan Kwong as a sole proprietorship and has grown to more than 85 employees in Canada and the United States . The firm, which specializes in full service consulting and manufacturing for the pharmaceutical industry, will also be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange later this month and is planning further expansion in the U.S. and Asia. Mr. Kwong commented, “There's a lot to be celebrated, but there's a lot of work to be done.”
April 7, 2005 – Stockton Gallery of Fine Art completed its opening in historic Unionville on the second floor of the Stiver House at 206 Main Street while the main floor opened in March. The gallery will focus on original Canadian art and currently contains collections from 10 artists. The first exhibition opens June 2nd . Gary Hollo, director of the Stockton Gallery commented “We wanted a bit of art for everyone. We didn't want to become an exclusive gallery for only expensive art”. He added the gallery's biggest challenges may include making people aware it exists and educating them about the value of art.
March 18, 2005 – York Region Rapid Transit Corp. unveiled the first of 119 Viva rapid transit stations at Allstate Parkway and Highway 7 in Markham . Viva is scheduled to start in September and the new station is located beside Seneca College 's new campus in the former Allstate building. It is expected to initially serve over 1,000 students, a number that is projected to grow to more than 3,500. Seneca College president Rick Miner commented “Viva will not only benefit the students, but will provide quality transportation for the many staff and faculty there.” Viva stations will have special fare machines where riders can purchase and validate tickets before boarding, eliminating the need to pay on boarding. The Viva system will link the growing urban areas of Markham , Richmond Hill , Vaughan , Aurora and Newmarket along four major transportation corridors, including Yonge Street and Highway 7. There will also be links with the Toronto Transit Commission system, GO Transit and transit systems in Peel and Durham regions. The federal, provincial and regional governments each contributed $50 million to fund the first phase of Viva, which, when fully operational, will lead to a thirty per cent increase in transit ridership and preventing 7,000 car trips on major regional roads.
February 12, 2005 – Angus Glen Community Centre and Library was officially opened in Markham. The 172,950 square foot complex includes a full-service library, indoor pool, two regulation-sized ice pads, gymnasium, program rooms and youth and senior centres. The $42 million state-of-the-art facility boasts a 30,000 square foot library and features a computer lab, a café, fireplace lounges, study rooms, a teen room and a discovery zone for pre-school children. Located at 3990 Major Mackenzie Drive East, just east of Warden Avenue, the complex was approved by Markham Council in 2001 and will cater to the growing population in north Markham.
February 8, 2005 – ATI Technologies Inc. and Terayon Communication Systems, Inc. of Santa Clara, California announced they have signed a definitive agreement for ATI to acquire Terayon's cable modem silicon intellectual property and hire approximately twenty-five employees from Terayon's design team. Under the terms of the agreement, ATI will pay Terayon up to a total of $14 million dollars in cash, $6.95 million of which will be paid on closing with the balance subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including completion of certain deliverables. The acquisition will extend ATI's product and technology range and provides for one-stop-shopping for the value-added silicon in next generation digital televisions. "ATI is the leading supplier of silicon in HDTVs," said Geoff Phillips, Vice President and General Manager, Digital Television Business Unit, ATI Technologies Inc. "This acquisition of Terayon's field-proven IP cements our lead as the industry moves to Interactive Digital Cable Ready technology, and keeps us at the cutting edge of DTV development." ATI has shipped over 5 million digital television chips in 2004 to leading consumer electronic companies including Sony, Samsung, Mitsubishi, JVC, Philips, Funai, ALPS, Panasonic, Thomson, Toshiba, Sanyo, Sharp, Hitachi, Changhong, Xoceco, Hisense, Scientific Atlanta, Pace, and Kreatel. ATI's THEATER™ and NXT™ demodulators have 85% market share and its XILLEON™ MPEG decoders have 40% market share in the ATSC/DCR Markets.
January 14, 2005 – York Region District School Board released recent results of how each York Region public school preformed on Ontario-wide Grade 3 and Grade 6 testing in reading, writing and mathematics. Two Markham schools ranked 1st in each grade category: William Berczy Public School located in Unionville ranked first in the Grade 3 category with an average score of 97, including 100 in math while Markham’s Roy H. Crosby Public School took top spot in the Grade 6 category with an average score of 95. The annual tests are conducted by the Ontario government agency Education Quality and Accountability Office. William Berczy Public School Principal Clayton LaTouche commented “I’m proud to say we have superb students sent to us by amazing parents and they are taught by excellent teachers. That’s what allows us to achieve excellent results.” Schools in Markham, Vaughan and Richmond Hill made up 15 of the top 20 Grade 3 classes and 17 of the top 20 Grade 6 classes in York Region.
December 20, 2004 – ATI Technologies Inc. announced that in 2004 ATI’s Digital Television division shipped more than 5 million chips for HD (high-definition) TVs and HD cable and terrestrial set-top boxes. In addition, ATI announced market leadership in ATSC/OpenCable™ silicon solutions with an ATI-estimated 85% market share for THEATER™ and NXT demodulators and a 40% market share for XILLEON™ MPEG decoders and display processors. ATI’s NXT, THEATER and XILLEON chips enable consumer electronics manufacturers to create a wide variety of products that feature exceptional reception and video display performance. Manufacturers also have access to ATI’s extensive software support and reference designs to help them bring to market unique products that conform to worldwide industry standards. Leading manufacturers of HD TV’s using ATI chips include Hitachi, JVC, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, Sony, Toshiba and RCA. “ATI is providing consumer electronics manufacturers with the industry’s best performing DTV and set-top chipsets,” said Daniel Eiref, director of marketing for DTV Products, ATI Technologies Inc. “ATI’s corporate commitment to research and development in digital television technologies is enabling our customers to deliver brilliant products while at the same time meeting the United States Federal Communications Commission mandated conversion to integrated digital reception.”
November 1, 2004 – Markham Board of Trade announced its annual business award winners at a recent event. ATI Technologies Inc., a world leader in graphics technology, was recognized for product and technology excellence. Karen Chadwick of Queen’s Pantry was recognized for business success combined with community involvement and assistance to other businesses. Rogers Cable earned the community relations and cultural enrichment award for community-oriented initiatives. Easton’s Group of Companies, headed by Steve Gupta, was recognized for commitment to developing hotels and multi-unit residential and commercial properties in eastern Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area. Samtack Computer Inc., a distributor of personal computers and peripheral equipment was awarded for high standards and working conditions. The company was started in a Markham garage by Sam Chiu and expanded within a year to Montreal, Ottawa and the United States. Chestwood-Mezey Distribution, a Canadian distributor of office furniture, supplies and products received an award for high quality and service. A&M Computer Supplies, an independent manufacturer of printing supplies and services, won an award for innovation. The company was founded in 1979 and remanufactures inkjet and printing toner cartridges. Wah Lung Labels won the international trade award for winning contracts with Wal-Mart Canada, Roots Canada and Vogue. The company has a 30,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Markham and its factory in China distributes to Taiwan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India.
October 15, 2004 – Angus Glen Golf Club has announced that it will be modifying its 18-hole north course in preparation for the 2007 Bell Canadian Open. This will consist of narrowing of some fairways, adding some new bunkers and new tee desks to make some holes par five instead of four. Tentative plans were drawn up by north course original designers Doug Carrick and Jay Morrish and were reviewed by PGA players including #1 ranked Vijay Singh, Mike Weir and Davis Love III. The work will be conducted by Angus Glen’s head groundskeeper Ernie Amsler and his staff and will take place gradually with no interference to customers playing the course. The Unionville golf course is rated as one of the best golf courses in North America.
September 7, 2004 – Michael-Angelos Market Place is now under construction at the north-east corner of Highway 7 and Woodbine Avenue in Markham. The 50,000 square-foot grocery store, the second outlet of the chain, is expected to open in Spring 2005 and will have extensive produce, baked goods, meat, seafood and deli sections together with a catering department. The site was once the home of Knob Hill Farms grocery store and the new store will cater to today’s busy, health conscious consumers with prepared foods all made in-store by Chef Tony Tomei. Prepared daily, the heat-and-serve selection will include soups, marinades, sauces and dips. Spokesperson Sandra Berardi commented, “We expect the Markham store will be very successful. Not only are we proud to be members of a thriving and ever growing community, but we have the distinction of being located at the gateway to Markham.” The new facility is expected to employ about 300 staff.
September 1, 2004 – CHEV AM 1610, Markham’s community radio station has begun broadcasting from facilities on Main Street Markham. The station is on the air daily from 6 pm to 11 pm and plans are already underway to increase the air time. Station owner and President Tom Neo said CHEV will offer live coverage of community events, including local events and amateur sports by a play-by-play announcer. The station is focusing on such events as the Markham Fair, local hockey, high school football, community charity events and coverage of local music talent from York Region, Durham Region and Toronto. Mr. Neo added, “CHEV will also provide coverage of regional community affairs on a weekly basis. We have a bulletin board offering what’s happening in the various communities”. The station will also provide local bands without recording contracts a venue for additional exposure.
August 27, 2004 – IBM Canada Ltd. has announced that it has hired 600 workers so far this year, with plans to add a total of 1,200 new employees across Canada by January 2005. Hundreds of recent graduates and experienced industry professionals are expected to join IBM’s Markham software lab by the end of 2004. The announcement represents a 50 per cent increase in hirings from last year and about 65 per cent of the hirings will be in the Greater Toronto Area. IBM Canada spokesperson Mike Quinn confirmed the hirings will bring the total number of IBM Canada employees to more than 20,000 by 2005. “I would point to the evolution of on-demand business and on-demand computing and our efforts to meet the growing needs of our customers,” Mr. Quinn commented. The job openings will include software sales, software development, finance professionals, systems integration specialists, technical support, management consultants, project managers, computer science and engineering graduates. The hirings also coincide with the $200 million U.S. invested globally at IBM sites for skills and development training and a $322 million Canadian investment earmarked for research and development at the Markham software lab. Worldwide, IBM plans to hire 19,000 people this year, bringing its global workforce to about 330,000. IBM Canada employs over 7,000 employees in Markham at both its Canadian head office and IBM Software Solutions Laboratory.
July 23, 2004 – CorporateMarkham.com Inc. is pleased to announce that it has successfully referred Panda Software to the Town of Markham’s Economic Development Office, which has resulted in the opening of Panda Software’s first Canadian head office at 100 Allstate Parkway in Markham, Ontario. Panda Software, based in Bilbao, Spain, is a global leader in virus and intrusion software development and has offices in 47 countries including the United States, Japan, Germany, France, China and the United Kingdom. The company has been ranked as the fifth fastest growing company in Europe over the past five years and has received numerous international awards for its software products. T. S. Gossai, President and C.E.O. of CorporateMarkham.com Inc. commented, “We have always believed that our vision for CorporateMarkham.com was fundamentally sound from the beginning. It is a powerful vehicle in which to promote Markham’s business community internationally and attract millions of dollars of economic benefits into our community. Panda Software is a rising star in the global software market and we are very pleased that CorporateMarkham.com was instrumental in setting the stage for their entry into Markham.” CorporateMarkham.com Inc. operates Markham’s largest and most comprehensive online information services directory CorporateMarkham.com, which now represents over 2,400 local organizations. The company also offers online advertising, website development services, database services and online employment services through its jobsMarkham division.
Visit Panda Software at: www.pandasoftware.com and CorporateMarkham.com at www.corporatemarkham.com
July 1, 2004 – Markham Family YMCA, is on schedule to open in winter of 2005. The 60,000 square-foot facility is being constructed near Highway 407 and Kennedy Road in Markham and will consist of an indoor swimming pool, fitness area, gymnasium, running track, meeting rooms, change rooms, and various facilities and programs for personal growth and development. The building will connect to Markham District Energy, providing and energy efficient building, and will implement new technologies to promote on-site ground-water infiltration, reduce water consumption within the building, promote waste reduction and encourage energy conservation. The $6 million capital campaign for the Markham YMCA kicked off in February 2004 and has been generously supported with gifts from the business community and community organizations. For more information on how to participate, please contact Cathyann White, General Manager, Markham Family YMCA at 905-948-8711 Ext. 246 or visit www.ymca-toronto.org/markham.
June 28, 2004 – PowerStream, a new electrical utility jointly owned by the Town of Markham and the City of Vaughan is now the third largest local distribution company in Ontario, delivering electrical power to more than 190,000 residential and business customers. The company was created from a merger between Markham Hydro Distribution Inc., Richmond Hill Hydro Inc. and Hydro Vaughan Distribution Inc. The new company is expected to benefit from greater business and operational efficiencies which are expected to also benefit its end customers. PowerStream will occupy the same offices of the former utility companies in Markham, Richmond Hill and Vaughan.
May 14, 2004 – CBL Data Recovery Technologies Inc. of Markham has seen its co-founder and chief technology officer Zhengong Chang honored with the Chinese Canadian Entrepreneur Most Innovative Award. Mr. Chang and his partner Bill Margeson opened a small computer repair business in 1993 to serve the growing high-tech community in Markham. Today, CBL offers data recovery services around the world through a network of laboratories in nine countries on five continents. Mr. Margeson commented, “He is a master of innovation. He recovers data when the best minds in the business can’t do it. When all else fails, people come to Chang. He’s the Red Adair of data recovery.” Mr. Chang is a native of Beijing, China and can to Canada in 1988 after receiving his Master’s degree in computer science in New Jersey. “For someone in my line of work and with my background, being named most innovative is very gratifying” noted Mr. Chang. CBL has grown to employ move than 50 highly skilled people in fields such as semiconductor physics, computer science, electrical engineering, automation control, telecommunications and psychology. “It’s a very specialized niche. There’s only a handful of companies in the world and no one has our recovery success rate of 85 per cent,” Mr. Margeson added.
April 16, 2004 – Markham, Ontario has been ranked as one of the best places to invest in residential real estate in Ontario by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), an Alberta-based research agency. Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Aurora and Newmarket were singled out in York Region as particularly hot spots in the REIN study. It applied criteria, including public transit, community amenities, the average income of residents, housing mixes and vacancy rates, to measure potential return on investment. “The people who live in York Region should be going around with big, goofy smiles on their faces. They will see their values increase more quickly than the provincial average,” commented REIN president Don Campbell. Sylvia Houghton of Re/Max Classic Properties Inc. also noted, “A lot of transferees are coming to Markham and Unionville from all over the world. They’re very aware of the superior education system here. They also know about the superior recreational services offered in this area.” Markham’s real estate market also benefits from close proximity to Toronto, a strong corporate base, a well-educated work-force and many upscale residential neighbourhoods.
April 1, 2004 – Sanofi-Synthelabo Canada Inc. has donated over $1 million of anti-inflammatory medicine to Health Partners International of Canada, a Canadian Third World aid agency. Health Partners collects and distributes medicine and health supplies to physicians and non-governmental agencies in the world’s poorest nations. The donation of 1.1 million tablets of Idarac is being distributed in Belarus, Cuba, Ecuador, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Malawi, Peru, Pakistan and Romania. It’s expected the donation will treat about 100,000 people in those regions. HPIC president John Kelsall commented, “This donation is a wonderful opportunity for HPIC to make a difference in the lives of thousands of people around the world. This drug will help alleviate pain and suffering for people in the world’s poorest countries, where hope is in short supply.” Sanofi-Synthelabo’s Canadian head-office is located on Allstate Parkway in Markham and focuses research and development on cardiovascular disease, diseases of the central nervous system, oncology and internal medicine.
March 15, 2004 – Novopharm Ltd. has announced it will spend $20 million to expand its Markham penicillin production facility located at 575 Hood Road. The drug manufacturer has purchased vacant land just south of its plant and plans to construct a warehouse and also add a water purification system. The plant currently employs 200 people and will add 45 new jobs within two years of completion of the expansion. President and CEO Allan Oberman commented, “This announcement represents our ongoing commitment toward ensuring all of our facilities meet the emerging needs of a global pharmaceutical market that continues to develop and mature.” Novopharm also recently upgraded its manufacturing plant located on Main Street in Stouffville, just north of Markham.
February 1, 2004 – United Way of York Region has announced it has raised over $6.2 million for the 40 social service agencies it supports for the first time in its history. Campaign chairperson Garth Issett commented “We clearly see the increasing demand in the community because of the growth and government funding not keeping up with the population growth.” He also pointed out that the organization exceeded its goal by $71,000 despite a sluggish local economy, SARS and the power outage. He expects a stronger economic outlook will have a positive impact on this year’s campaign. The United Way of York Region is headquartered in Markham with offices throughout the region.
January 7, 2004 – Seneca College has announced that it will open a new campus in Markham in the fall of 2005, which is expected to attract 1,500 students within two years. Seneca president Rick Miner commented “Markham is the most underserved region in the Greater Toronto Area. It was clearly an area where there was a need for a post-secondary institution and others weren’t moving in.” The college has purchased the landmark Allstate Insurance building on Allstate Parkway located at Highway 7 and Highway 404 for $33 million. The 10 storey, 256,000 square foot facility has a 300-seat cafeteria and occupies 11 hectares of land that would also allow for future expansion. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada opened the building in 1986 and is relocating its 600 head office employees to a leased complex in the same area. As “Canada’s High-Tech Capital”, Mr. Miner expects business and information technology courses to be an integral part of Seneca’s programs in Markham. “What we want is for the programming to reflect the social and economic needs of Markham”. With 17,000 full-time and 90,000 part-time students at 14 locations, Seneca College is Ontario’s largest community college.
January 5, 2004 – Markham Stouffville Hospital has officially taken over control of Lakeridge Health Uxbridge, completing the hospital’s transfer that began in 2000. The new facility will be known as Uxbridge Cottage Hospital, a site of Markham Stouffville Hospital. Lorne Zon, Vice-President of Markham Stouffville Hospital commented “It really is a natural alliance” adding that because of the proximity to Uxbridge, many Whitchurch-Stouffville residents commonly used that facility as well. Many of the services of the two hospitals have been linked for years and the move also made geographical sense as Uxbridge is within easy commuting distance of Markham. Over 1,000 Uxbridge residents had day surgery at the Markham hospital in 2002, and with plans to rebuild the Uxbridge hospital on a new site, there will be many advantages of realignment and shared services for patients at both facilities.
See our profile in the Markham Economist & Sun
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Corporate News
