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Kitchener, Ontario
While Waterloo
has benefited from the presence of two universities and a number of
high tech companies,
Kitchener has been a more blue-collar town. The
auto-parts manufacturer Budd Canada,
now known as Kitchener Frame, continued to employ over 1500 workers
until its close in December 2008, due to the ongoing economic crisis.
The city is home to four municipal business parks: the Bridgeport
Business Park, Grand River West Business Park, Huron Business Park and
Lancaster Corporate Centre. The largest, the Huron Business Park, is
home to a number of industries, from seat manufacturers to furniture
components.
A number of the old industrial companies of Kitchener have
fallen on harder times: the Kaufman shoe manufacturer closed its
factory and companies like Electrohome
have ceased local production in favour of licensing or supply
agreements with overseas makers. Schneider's Foods (a meat producer)
has been bought out by Maple Leaf Consumer Foods, but continues
operations in Kitchener. According to the 2006 Census, 24.2% of the
labour force is employed in the manufacturing sector. |
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