Weyerhaeuser site in Okanagan Falls – Report to RDOS Directors
In the past two years, there has been increasing investor interest shown in Okanagan Falls and in the former Weyerhaeuser site by several business start-ups, newcomers to the community and established local businesses. This interest has resulted in several existing downtown businesses such as the Falls Restaurant and Heritage Market being purchased, new businesses such as Dog Town Coffee Shop and the Naturopath opening and existing businesses such as Flex Industries opening Falls Furniture & Cabinet Company – a retail outlet, on 9th Avenue. Considerable investment has also taken place in our local wineries. In particular, Liquidity is close to completing extensive renovations to create Okanagan Falls’ first winery/restaurant together with a new tasting room.
There are potentially significant opportunities on the horizon that Okanagan Falls could capitalize on, should the Weyerhaeuser site create opportunities that would accommodate new investors in the foreseeable future. To stand a chance of capturing some of these opportunities, it is believed that the Weyerhaeuser site will either have to be ready, or at least demonstrating a realistic timeframe to be ready for its first business by early 2015.
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Structurlam is presently the only existing business on the Weyerhaeuser site. They have expanded their operations in the last 2 – 3 years from around 45,000 sq. ft. to 65,000sq.ft plus outside yard space. Their longer term intention is to relocate and consolidate their entire operation from Penticton to Okanagan Falls.
Carolina Homes from Calgary is a company that the economic development office pursued in 2012. They are poised to sign a short term lease for the Eagle Homes Building in Okanagan Falls imminently with a longer-term view of relocating into the Weyerhaeuser site in two years time.
Freshtec, a Summerland based business that has developed a revolutionary range of fruit packing boxes has awarded a contract to a Penticton-based business to manufacture the machines that make the boxes. According to Freshtec, this business will likely be requiring additional space in 2015 to meet demand. Freshtec have estimated that they will be requiring up to 100,000 sq. ft.
In 2012, Okanagan Falls narrowly missed the opportunity to host Progeny Bio Agricultural Services, a start-up business that supplies agricultural lab services to the fruit and wine producers. Despite an extensive search, Jeff White (the businessman) and the economic development office could only locate one suitable location in Area ‘D’ for this business which ultimately did not work out. Mr. White had to eventually take his business to Penticton. As an Okanagan Falls resident, he would like to explore opportunities to move to the Weyerhaeuser site in the next five years. It is believed that this intention is genuine although it’s impossible to predict if he’ll feel the same way in 5 years time.
There have been several enquiries in 2012- 2013 about locating welding training facilities in Okanagan Falls and perhaps eventually onto the Weyerhaeuser site. One of these enquiries has estimated that they would need 5000 sq. ft. There is a recognized need for qualified welders throughout the Okanagan.
The Okanagan Falls Winery Association has recently expressed an interest in developing a bottling and distribution centre for local wineries in Okanagan Falls.
Colliers (realtors) in Kelowna have recently been approached by a steel fabricator in Edmonton who has made enquiries about the Weyerhaeuser site. According to Colliers, they will require approximately 50,000 sq. ft. This is a very recent development so it will be followed-up on imminently.
Numerous local business people and entrepreneurs have a personal connection with the community and interest in investing their money in Okanagan Falls. They have expressed speculative interest in future opportunities on the Weyerhaeuser site with a view to possibly starting businesses there. These include:
A businessman who wants to build a business that turns ‘waste’ products from the wine industry (such as residual skin and seeds from grapes) to produce grape alcohol, fortified spirits and other grape-based products. An entrepreneur with a strong engineering background is working on a solid waste management business plan that converts waste into usable fertilizers and other products.
The Weyerhaeuser site is important to economic development, not only in Okanagan Falls and Area ‘D’ but also in the South Okanagan as a whole. Interest has been expressed and there is potential demand from a range of significant industries. The Weyerhaeuser site offers significantly larger industrial properties than most other locations in the South Okanagan-Similkameen. Proposed industrial rezoning of the land needs careful review.
John Powell, Area ‘D’ Economic Development Coordinator