Where else can a provincial government hold a press conference and ask people to wait an extra 5 or 10 minutes so we can wait for someone’s parents to show up…

This was the case just before the announcement (pasted below) was to begin. Jason Aspin, a native Islander, and his business partner Neil Kemp, were anxiously awaiting Jason’s parents, Linda and John when Doug Deacon asked if we could wait a few more minutes until the Aspins showed up. When they arrived the crowd gave them a round of applause.

It was a very appropriate way to start the event seeing as that Jason’s return back to PEI has as much to do with coming home as it does with business opportunities. And although this announcement in and of itself  is a great thing for PEI, and Stratford in particular, what’s better is that Jason is coming back to live and work on the Island.

Unless we start paying people to have more babies, this single event is part of the foundation to building a more resilient and self-sufficient PEI. How many other Jasons are there? How can we make PEI more attractive to those who want to come home but may be reluctant for a variety of reasons?

It’s stories like Jason’s that need to be told. Jason coming home makes PEI better.

Neil Kemp, Sandy MacMillan, Town of Stratford, Jason Aspin, CynthiaDunsford, MLA Stratford-Kinlock, Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.

Friday, January 30, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(aussi disponible en français)

Innovation and Advanced Learning

NEW MARINE ENGINEERING COMPANY TO OPEN IN STRATFORD

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI — Aspin Kemp & Associates, a marine electrical engineering company based in Owen Sound, Ontario, announced plans today to expand its company and open a new manufacturing facility in Stratford, PEI.

The Government of PEI is providing financial support for the new operation which will open in the Stratford Business Park.

“The provincial government is proud to partner with industry leaders like Aspin Kemp to create jobs for Islanders and generate continued economic growth,” said Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning. “Aspin Kemp is a very successful global company that will create 10 new highly-skilled engineering jobs here on PEI. This investment is in line with our economic development strategy of supporting growth in innovative sectors of the economy.”

Aspin Kemp specializes in designing and applying engineering solutions for the marine and offshore oil and gas industries. The company develops electrical engineering systems for some of the largest marine transportation companies in the world and it has several patents on its electrical designs.

“We are very pleased that Aspin Kemp wants to develop a research, design and manufacturing presence in Prince Edward Island,” said Minister Campbell. “The expansion of this company into PEI is a good fit with the existing shipbuilding sector here.”

The expansion is good news for the fast-growing community of Stratford.

“We are pleased to welcome this new business to Stratford,” said Sandy McMillan, Deputy Mayor of Stratford. “Aspin Kemp is a great example of how engineering research and innovation can lead our local economy to integrate knowledge of alternative energy technologies and concerns for the environment into industrial expansion. Aspin Kemp & Associates will serve as a beacon to attract other sustainability industry leaders to our town.”

Minister Campbell said the investment also supports the province’s plan to attract talented young Islanders and their families back to Prince Edward Island.

Jason Aspin, a principal in the company, grew up in eastern PEI.

“It’s always been my goal to come home to the Island, so I’m pleased that the

time is right to establish Aspin Kemp’s design and fabrication centre here,” said Jason Aspin. “Both the Province of Prince Edward Island and the Town of Stratford have identified innovation and sustainability as key priorities in their economic strategies.

With our focus on alternative and innovative technologies for safer and greener power generation, we look forward to the synergies that will develop in this progressive environment and to the contributions we can make to the Island’s sustainable future.”

The province is providing funding support of $232,000 through the Innovation and Development Tax Credit program which will provide the company with a labour rebate for the jobs it creates.

Aspin Kemp was established in 1996. It employs 30 people in its headquarters in Owen Sound, Ontario and an office in Dartmouth, N.S.

The company plans to start construction of its new facility in the spring.