AABCs of Ajax, Ontario
04 Oct, 2017
From aerospace and an automotive supply chain to business services and clusters within the healthcare industry, Ajax, Ontario, is home to a diverse collection of world leading businesses and talent.
Aerospace – Safran Landing Systems (ex-Messier-Bugatti-Dowty) has been in Ajax for over 60 years and is considered a world leader in aircraft landing and braking systems. With over 100 engineers in house in Ajax, this leading aerospace company supplies landing gear and MRO services from concept to in-service support including design, development, testing, manufacturing and assembly. Safran Landing Systems is a partner to 30 leading commercial, military, business and regional airframers, and supports more than 27,000 aircraft making over 54,000 landings every day. The company employs more than 7,000 staff working in locations across Europe, North America and Asia, nearly 600 of them are in Ajax.
Automotive – Located strategically along Ontario’s “Commerce Corridor” (Highway 401), Ajax automotive suppliers are near major automotive manufacturing facilities including GM, Ford, Chrysler and Toyota. Axalta Coating Systems develops, manufactures and sells a wide selection of performance and transportation coatings around the world from its Ajax, Ontario, location. Axalta continues to grow and expand with now over 400 employees in the Ajax facility. Volkswagen has called Ajax home for its Canadian Headquarters since 1952, and has expanded its facility five times. The 400,000-square-foot Parts Distribution Centre houses $10 million in parts for the brands Volkswagen and Audi. Every day, more than $1 million in these goods are loaded into wheeled cages and rolled through 20 sheltered loading bays on their way to dealers from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. Autodyne Machinery Inc. designs and builds automated welding and assembly systems. For more than 40 years, Autodyne has built systems for both automotive and non-automotive applications, serving customers in Canada as well as in the United States, Mexico and the U.K.
Business Services – Ajax is home to business service companies including Intact Insurance. Intact is the largest provider of home, auto and business insurance in Canada and was recently named as the Greater Toronto Area’s Top Employers in 2017 by Globe & Mail. The Intact facility in Ajax employs 400 of its 10,000 nation-wide employee team. Along with insurance and finance, Ajax is home to several business service providers from accounting to IT infrastructure. Computer Room Services Corporation (CRSC) was established in 1983 with a focus on Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems for computer server rooms, but the founders soon realized how the individual pieces all played closely connected roles. Today, customers turn to the business for everything from HVAC systems to UPS Systems, batteries, back-up generators, monitoring systems, fire suppression and detection systems, high security, raised flooring and structured cabling.
Clusters in Healthcare – For more than 60 years, the Ajax Pickering Hospital has continued to grow, expand and lead the region in services. With over a $300-million annual budget and 800 employees, the hospital is a leading employer and a large part of the local economy. The hospital is a catalyst to the growing clusters of health and wellness businesses in Ajax including the attraction of surgeons, specialists, family physicians, holistic and natural wellness leaders. In 2016, the hospital joined the Lakeridge Health System, completing a true region-wide network of healthcare professionals.
Volkswagen Group Canada, Since 1952, Ajax, Ontario, Courtesy of the Town of Ajax
About Ajax, Ontario
The Town of Ajax is part of Durham Region, one of the fastest growing areas of Ontario. Situated on Lake Ontario and 10 miles from the City of Toronto, the population of Ajax is approximately 120,000. The town has a vibrant business community, with nearly 2,000 businesses and a labor force of close to 60,000. Ajax boasts more than four miles of pristine recreational waterfront property as part of the Ajax park system that encompasses nearly 1,500 acres and 45 miles of pathways. The town has expanded its naturalization program to help create park and open spaces that are self-sustaining and ecologically diverse.
The Town of Ajax Business Development office strives to fulfill its vision of growing Ajax economically, socially and environmentally through investment in business, infrastructure and innovation. The business development team has been internationally recognized for its focus on fostering strong relationships, within Ajax and the regional business community, through a progressive, solutions-orientated approach to economic development, including the unique PriorityPATH™ program.
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Written by Lisa Hausz
