True Grit Consulting moves into Innova Park, more businesses expected to follow

Innova Park might not be the best option for a new multiplex arena if more industry starts moving in, said Mayor Keith Hobbs.

True Grit Consulting, a Thunder Bay-based company, turned the first patch of sod for their future corporate headquarters and materials testing laboratory at the industrial business park Friday morning.

Hobbs called the ceremony a piece of great news for the city. He added that while Innova Park is still one of the sites in consideration for a proposed multiplex, the park was originally designed for light industry. 

 “I don’t know where the multiplex is going to go,” said the mayor. “I know it’s going to go somewhere and quite frankly, I don’t care where it goes. I think we should just build it.”

The park has been mostly idle since 1997 and the city has talked about filling it with businesses ever since. Hobbs said True Grit is only the start.

“We have a few businesses in here now and we are talking to other people right now as we speak for other developments in this park,” he said. “Thunder Bay’s booming. We’re on the edge of good things.”

“I think if you fill this park, others will come,” he added.

True Grit was formed in 2006 with three employees. Today they have 40 employees and are actively recruiting for another 10 fulltime positions.

The company employs scientists, engineers, technologists and chemists and their customers include mining companies, First Nations, municipalities and forest products sector businesses, said president and CEO Eric Zakrewski.

They chose Innova Park for their new headquarters because it was a ready-made green field with everything they needed to construct a brand new facility, Zakrewski said.

But what sold them on the area were the upgrades to the road systems – the new access roads from Golf Links Road and the Harbour Expressway and also the future plans to four-lane Golf Links Road.

“We see that as a very optimal location for us to locate our business,” Zakrewski said. “Our staff travels extensively throughout the region. They can be anywhere in the city in 10 minutes from Innova Park. We thought it was a prime location.”

The city is serious about developing the area, Zakrewski added.

“We think there will be a lot of announcements soon about other businesses that will recognize those same things and develop their businesses here,” he said.