AarKel Tool and Die Inc. was recognized as the first ‘Industry Recognition’ of 2016 by the Wallaceburg & District Chamber of Commerce and Municipality of Chatham-Kent Economic Development Services.
A ceremony was held at AarKel’s Elm Street location on Tuesday morning with local representatives of each organization.
Larry Delaey, president at AarKel, said they employ about 165 people in Wallaceburg.
“We’re one of the larger businesses in town,” Delaey said.
“We’ve got three plants… plant one (on Elm Street) is more of our headquarters, administration, sales, HR, and quality. We have two manufacturing plants across town, where our CNC machining and assemblies are.”
Delaey thanked Geoff Wright, economic development officer for business development in Chatham-Kent, uring the ceremony.
“Geoff and I have grown closer in the past two years,” Delaey said.
“He’s helped me quite a bit in getting AarKel’s name into grants and getting over a lot hurdles that I was running into.”
Wright complimented AarKel’s leaderships and staff.
“These organizations don’t run by themselves.. it takes a strong team,” he said.
“We’ve changed our model in how we approach manufacturers in the last few years. We’re seeing a fair amount of participation. We knew that growth was occurring in the marketplace because companies respond to the marketplace. What wasn’t happening was we we’re connecting with those companies that were growing and connecting them to the government grants and incentives that are available. Hats off to Larry for taking that first meeting and believing in the cause.”
Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope said he is glad to see their business retention strategy playing out.
“Yes we do want foreign direct investment, but I think it important that they have to go hand in hand,” he said.
“(AarKel has) travelled overseas, we’ve travelled overseas to promote our businesses and look at business opportunities that may exist. We understand that the quality that is produced here in Wallaceburg, especially at AarKel, is second to none. It is a very high quality product that is being produced, which is important, it’s going into automobiles.”
Hope said he was happy to see the Chamber coming back on stream with the recognition program.
“Not only is it about blowing our own horn, it’s about promoting the businesses inside of our community and talk about the importance of jobs that are created through Chatham-Kent, and the jobs created through business retention,” he said.
“Most importantly, the great thing we are doing is tapping into the resources and money that is available from the provincial and Federal government.
Hope discussed AarKel’s long history in Wallaceburg, which started back in 1977.
“Wallaceburg was the heartland of the tool and die industry in Ontario and it continues to be,” Hope said.
“It’s not gone, we just went through a transformation.”
Karen Debergh, president of the Wallaceburg Chamber, said they plan on holding these recognition events twice a year.
“We wanted to recognize businesses that add to the economy in Wallaceburg and the future of Wallaceburg,” she said.
“At this point, I don’t think anybody exemplifies that better than AarKel. Not only are they one of the biggest, is not the biggest employer in town, they are also one of the most innovative with their technology and their resources. You also invest into the community… they sponsor several sports teams and also give money to scholarships and achievement awards at the local high schools.”
AarKel was in the news recently, after working with students at WDSS: AarKel teams up with WDSS students
– Photo: From left, Valerie Foster, Dennis Alexander and Larry Delaey from AarKel, Karen Debergh, Wallaceburg Chamber, Coun. Carmen McGregor, Mayor Randy Hope, Jim Purdy, AarKel, and Mark Matteis and Greg Davenport from the Wallaceburg Chamber.
