11/12/2012
Craig Babstock
Times & Transcript
22 Mar 2012 07:31PM Monctonis the most cost-competitive city for business in Canada and the U.S., according to KPMG. The audit, tax and advisory firm released the results of its Competitive Alternatives 2012 study on Thursday and ranked Moncton at the top of its list. The city was found to be more cost-competitive than 15 other Canadian cities including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. The KPMG study examined 26 significant business cost elements including labour, taxes, real estate and utilities in 16 Canadian cities, and compared more than 110 cities in 14 countries around the world. The study found Moncton was also more cost competitive than the U.S. cities that were examined. “Larger cities are more appealing for many companies to do business, but smaller regional cities clearly offer a more cost-competitive location for certain types of companies,” says Brad Watson, a partner of KPMG in Canada. “Our study found that business costs in smaller regional centres, like Moncton, are on average, lower than in the largest business centres in both Canada and the U.S.” Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc was pleased to hear the results of the study. “I think it’s spectacular news,” said the mayor. “To be number one in all of Canada is pretty impressive, no matter how you look at it. “I think it speaks very well for our community and city that Moncton continues to attract recognition like this.” Cities in Atlantic Canada fared well in the study. Moncton was followed by Fredericton in second place, then Halifax (3rd), Trois-Rivières (4th), Charlottetown (5th), Quebec City (6th), Montreal (7th), Winnipeg (8th), Windsor-Essex, On. (9th) and Saskatoon (10th). The last six cities ranked on the list were St. John’s (11th), Toronto (12th), Edmonton (13th), Vancouver (14th), Prince George, B.C. (15th) and Calgary (16th). Enterprise Greater Moncton was a sponsor for the study and worked with KPMG, providing information about Moncton for the research. CEO John Thompson says the previous three versions of this study had Moncton sitting in first place for Atlantic Canada and the northeastern U.S., so this latest result is a big step forward. “It’s significant,” he says. “It’s third-party recognition of what we do in this community and it brings national exposure. It shows we’re doing a lot of things right.” The study also ranked Canada eighth in the world after China, India, Mexico, Russia, Brazil, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Among major Canadian cities, Toronto ranked 12th with moderate industrial leasing costs, transportation costs and natural gas costs advantages for that city relative to other cities, while high labour costs add to the total cost picture in Toronto. Montrealranked seventh with the lowest business costs among the 30 largest cities in Canada and the United States (all with metro populations of two million or more). Low or moderate transportation costs, industrial leasing costs and electricity costs help Montreal’s performance relative to the other Canadian cities. Vancouverranks 14th with the highest office leasing costs among the 16 featured Canadian cities, for both downtown and suburban office space. Relatively low utility costs benefit Vancouver. Calgaryranks as the most expensive among the 16 featured Canadian cities, but still ranks as being more cost-effective than 42 international cities studied. Relatively high wages, suburban office leasing costs and electricity costs all add to Calgary’s total cost picture, while low natural gas costs represent a plus for Calgary.
22 Mar 2012 07:31PM
Monctonis the most cost-competitive city for business in Canada and the U.S., according to KPMG.
The audit, tax and advisory firm released the results of its Competitive Alternatives 2012 study on Thursday and ranked Moncton at the top of its list. The city was found to be more cost-competitive than 15 other Canadian cities including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.
The KPMG study examined 26 significant business cost elements including labour, taxes, real estate and utilities in 16 Canadian cities, and compared more than 110 cities in 14 countries around the world. The study found Moncton was also more cost competitive than the U.S. cities that were examined.
“Larger cities are more appealing for many companies to do business, but smaller regional cities clearly offer a more cost-competitive location for certain types of companies,” says Brad Watson, a partner of KPMG in Canada. “Our study found that business costs in smaller regional centres, like Moncton, are on average, lower than in the largest business centres in both Canada and the U.S.”
Moncton Mayor George LeBlanc was pleased to hear the results of the study.
“I think it’s spectacular news,” said the mayor. “To be number one in all of Canada is pretty impressive, no matter how you look at it.
“I think it speaks very well for our community and city that Moncton continues to attract recognition like this.”
Cities in Atlantic Canada fared well in the study. Moncton was followed by Fredericton in second place, then Halifax (3rd), Trois-Rivières (4th), Charlottetown (5th), Quebec City (6th), Montreal (7th), Winnipeg (8th), Windsor-Essex, On. (9th) and Saskatoon (10th).
The last six cities ranked on the list were St. John’s (11th), Toronto (12th), Edmonton (13th), Vancouver (14th), Prince George, B.C. (15th) and Calgary (16th).
Enterprise Greater Moncton was a sponsor for the study and worked with KPMG, providing information about Moncton for the research. CEO John Thompson says the previous three versions of this study had Moncton sitting in first place for Atlantic Canada and the northeastern U.S., so this latest result is a big step forward.
“It’s significant,” he says. “It’s third-party recognition of what we do in this community and it brings national exposure. It shows we’re doing a lot of things right.”
The study also ranked Canada eighth in the world after China, India, Mexico, Russia, Brazil, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
Among major Canadian cities, Toronto ranked 12th with moderate industrial leasing costs, transportation costs and natural gas costs advantages for that city relative to other cities, while high labour costs add to the total cost picture in Toronto.
Montrealranked seventh with the lowest business costs among the 30 largest cities in Canada and the United States (all with metro populations of two million or more). Low or moderate transportation costs, industrial leasing costs and electricity costs help Montreal’s performance relative to the other Canadian cities.
Vancouverranks 14th with the highest office leasing costs among the 16 featured Canadian cities, for both downtown and suburban office space. Relatively low utility costs benefit Vancouver.
Calgaryranks as the most expensive among the 16 featured Canadian cities, but still ranks as being more cost-effective than 42 international cities studied. Relatively high wages, suburban office leasing costs and electricity costs all add to Calgary’s total cost picture, while low natural gas costs represent a plus for Calgary.
New Brunswick