A Winnipeg based company for decades, Imperial Seed was outgrowing its Arlington Street home by 2013.
Owner Kurt Schmon began looking for a new location inside Winnipeg, and said it wasn't an easy task.
"For the size and surface area we required we weren't finding anything that was suitable for us," said Schmon.
So Schmon then searched outside the city, even in Western Canada, before landing in Centreport in the RM of Rosser on Winnipeg's doorstep.
"We purchased 20 acres here to expand to the size we needed, it's also got the growth opportunity that my company is looking for," said Schmon.
A new report at city hall concludes Winnipeg is not developing enough shovel ready industrial land with services like water and roads and faces a shortfall based on projected growth over the next 20 years. It says the city's competitiveness with neighbouring municipalities is being compromised. As of March 2018, the report says Winnipeg had 19 hectares of serviced industrial property available compared to 116 hectares in surrounding municipalities.
The report recommends the city develop a clear strategy to ensure enough industrial land is available.
"It does make sense for the city to try and keep an industrial presence," said property and development chair Brian Mayes.
Mayes says he supports the report and would like to see how industrial and residential could complement each other.
"It might be better to have people living in a complete community out closer to these sites it kind of goes with our view of where we want to go as a city," said Mayes.
The report does point out the potential for conflicts between residential and industrial operations and even suggests restricting housing in those spaces.
Whatever the solution, Schmon says if something doesn't change more businesses and their employees will exit the city limits.
"The City of Winnipeg has to step up, they're going to be losing business taxes, taxes are obviously the main source of revenue for any RM or city."
