August 16, 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HYDRO ONE RELOCATES TO ST. THOMAS

The St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce both the relocation and expansion of Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) into two separate buildings in the City of St. Thomas.  Hydro One has purchased a 21,300 square foot building at 320 South Edgeware Road and a 20,000 square foot facility at 425 South Edgeware Road. 

At the 5-acre 320 South Edgeware Road location, Hydro One will employ approximately 12 mechanics to service some of the over 7,500 vehicles that the company uses in Ontario.  Hydro One will be moving into this building in the early fall of 2011.  Prior to Hydro One’s acquisition of this property, it was used as a pre-delivery inspection facility as part of the former Sterling Truck Assembly operation.

At the 425 South Edgeware Road location, Hydro One will employ 25-30 Transmission Line Maintainers and will service an area that ranges from Niagara Falls in the east to Windsor in the west and mid-way to Owen Sound in the north.  The investment in this facility will include an addition of over 4,000 square feet on the 20-acre site.  In addition to the employment mentioned above, there will also be a number of administrative and support staff in each of the facilities.  This property was previously used by Active Transport and was also part of the former Sterling Truck Assembly operation.

St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation President Dennis Broome was excited by the news and remarked that “These are high-quality jobs in a very solid sector.  This announcement should serve as an example that St. Thomas is moving forward and well-positioned to support companies of any size from a variety of sectors”. 

Hydro One selected the St. Thomas sites based on the central location in Southwestern Ontario, the easy access to Highway 401, the strong employment base, the availability of suitable facilities and the reasonable cost of doing business in the City.  Both of these investments are relocations from Hydro One-owned and leased sites in the City of London, Ontario.  The proximity to the company’s previous sites will allow many of those currently employed in London to continue working for Hydro One in St. Thomas.

St. Thomas Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman welcomed the announcement and stated “We are proud to be associated with a true leader in its field and a company that is dedicated to making the right environmentally and socially responsible choices in every facet of their business”.

Hydro One is the largest electricity transmission and distribution company in Ontario and owns and operates approximately 96% of Ontario’s transmission capacity.  Including all of their subsidiaries, the company operates with over 5,700 full-time employees and over 2,000 part-time and contract employees.

Although the Hydro One brand is just over a decade old, the company itself dates back over 100 years and continues to grow today as one of Ontario’s best corporate citizens and top employers.

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Daniele Gauvin