SURREY RELOCATION GUIDE: Doing Business in Surrey
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SURREY BOARD OF TRADE FURTHERING THE INTERESTS OF BUSINESSES SINCE 1918 Surrey Board of Trade SURREY RELOCATION GUIDE: Doing Business in Surrey Surrey Board of Trade supports and attracts companies by: ■ Providing data on all aspects of local ■ Connecting universities and colleges that infrastructure including highway and air offer customized training programs for new connections, human capital and commercial workers to match industry needs to curriculum real estate. development. ■ Identifying real estate options including ■ Providing information and facilitating contacts office space for new building construction in with federal, provincial & local authorities. collaboration with local real estate firms. Exploring financial incentive programs and ■ Business match-making. venture capital programs. ■ Developing contacts with foreign-owned ■ Conducting city tours. companies. businessinsurrey.com SURREY BOARD OF TRADE Overview Surrey’s business landscape, growth opportunities and why it’s a prime location for businesses urrey is known for being one thing: WHERE SURREY STANDS WITHIN METRO VANCOUVER a powerful, Population by each municipality in Metro Vancouver (2011 v. 2015) progressive economic engine of Metro Vancouver in which to do business and invest. SIt could be the largest city in British Columbia in the next 20 years. Surrey’s population, which currently sits at almost 520,000, is projected to increase by an additional 250,000 people in the next 30 years. By 2041, one in five Metro Vancouver residents will live in Surrey. It has the highest median family income, it is centrally located between the commercial hub of Vancouver and the U.S. border (in fact, Surrey is a U.S. border city) and it is close to two international airports. STATS BC SOURCE: Surrey fosters a positive business environment and helps that fund community services and infrastructure. McQuarrie Hunter, Citizenship & Immigration companies succeed—and as a result, over Surrey’s target ratio for property tax revenues is Canada and Fraser Health. 16,000 businesses thrive here, from one-person 60 per cent from residential and 40 per cent from But the best aspect of Surrey as a place to independent firms to multi-national conglomerates. business; currently, the ratio is 70 per cent from do business is that its growth continues at a All the elements necessary for success have residential and 30 per cent from business. remarkable rate. For example, in each of the past been carefully nurtured over the years, from five years, development has exceeded $1 billion, pro-business government initiatives that have Growth – Construction & and nine million square feet of commercial and helped earn Surrey the mantle of being the best Development – Office Space industrial floor space was added during that time place in British Columbia to invest (according (in the same period there were almost 20,000 to the Real Estate Investment Network), to the There’s more. Surrey’s large geographical size housing starts). infrastructure, amenities and lifestyle benefits that (316.4 square kilometres) has led to the Moreover, Surrey’s town centres and have resulted in the influx of 800 to 1,000 new development of one of the largest industrial surrounding areas will see a population increase residents monthly. centres within B.C.: altogether there are eight of over 300,000 people in the next three decades— industrial parks within the city boundaries. Surrey and with new residents and new investment Balanced Tax Base has approximately one third of Metro Vancouver’s comes almost unlimited new opportunities for undeveloped industrial land inventory. more businesses to thrive. Many other factors explain Surrey’s status as Not surprisingly, an increasing number of a business mecca: it has the lowest property head and regional offices are moving to Surrey’s taxes and the second-lowest business taxes in business parks and its new 600-hectare City START OR GROW YOUR BUSINESS IN SURREY Metro Vancouver. Businesses make a significant Centre (the sparkling downtown core that has Surrey Board of Trade Business & International contribution to the City of Surrey by paying taxes earned national media attention), including PwC, Centre Trade Documentation | businessinsurrey.com 3 SURREY BOARD OF TRADE COMPANY NAME office and a health technology commercialization Why Choose Surrey centre. PORT KELLS: Located at the northeastern end adjacent to the Fraser River, this town centre has for Your Business? many industrial properties. SOUTH SURREY: Development has created new Surrey is a city of vibrant communities shopping opportunities in close proximity to new residential neighbourhoods. South Surrey also offers convenient connections to the United States through the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway border crossings. Utilities – Energy –Environment SOURCE: CITY OF SURREY CITYSOURCE: OF All areas of Surrey are constantly being improved and refined, under strict environmental guidelines biomass and other green sources to supply based utilities such as FortisBC, which recently set forth by Surrey planners. For example, high-density buildings in City Centre with heat partnered with Surrey’s biofuel facility that will Surrey City Energy is a city-owned district energy and hot water. Green values govern all of the turn the city’s organic waste into renewable utility that uses organic waste, geoexchange, city’s initiatives and are supported by locally natural gas. Partners in the development of a vibrant, sustainable (clockwise from left) Campbell Heights and complete Business Park; community. The Bell Centre for Performing Arts; If we can help you become part of Newton Athletic Park the next great city centre, please give us a call. urrey is a business hub as CLOVERDALE: Home to the Surrey Museum and as the most ethnically diverse population. It is well as a great place to unique heritage buildings, Cloverdale is a sought home to a variety of educational, recreational live. Whether it’s the urban after location for filming. and cultural facilities, including The Bell Centre environment, new City Centre for Performing Arts, Newton Cultural Centre and or cultural ambiance, the city FLEETWOOD: Fleetwood offers a bracing Kwantlen Polytechnic University. is attracting businesses and mix of farming heritage and retail, commercial and families alike. The vibrant multi-family residential developments. NORTH SURREY/CITY CENTRE: Simply put, communities located within Surrey’s 316.4 square this is the new downtown of Surrey, an outstanding Skilometres are: GUILDFORD: This neighbourhood is renowned for achievement of planning and development, its retail corridors along 104 Avenue and 152 Street, building Surrey’s financial district that headquarters CAMPBELL HEIGHTS: Campbell Heights Business and local businesses have good access to the both Coast Capital Savings and Westminster Park covers a total of 1,900 acres. Surrey expects freeway and are also well positioned in relation to Savings. Significant residential and commercial Surrey City Development Corporation significant job growth in this high-end business Surrey City Centre. development in the immediate area has flourished. 1870 -13450 102 Avenue park; projections estimate employment will Surrey’s downtown is home to a growing hospital Surrey, BC V3T 5X3 increase by almost 300 per cent to approximately NEWTON: Newton has the largest population of campus with one of the busiest emergency rooms 604 581 8787 20,500 over the next 30 years. all of Surrey’s town centres (over 120,000), as well in Canada, the regional health authority corporate www.scdc.ca 4 Special Feature 5 MCQUARRIE HUNTER LLP The Business Case for Relocating to Surrey Tako J. van Popta, managing partner of McQuarrie Hunter LLP, on why relocating to Surrey is a smart business move a dozen construction What about businesses with a cross- McQuarrie Hunter cranes putting up high-rise border presence, or those that cater to LLP managing buildings. The growth students and working professionals? Why partner Tako J. we’re seeing is amazing. is Surrey an ideal location for these types van Popta knows Surrey is growing at of companies? Surrey is a place an astonishing rate, Surrey is close to the U.S. border, which where businesses and that opens up is a distinct advantage for enterprises can thrive opportunities for with U.S. and Canadian business dealings, businesses with the or for those that wish to expand into right vision. Six years the American market. Simon Fraser ago, McQuarrie Hunter University also has a campus in the Central amalgamated its City Tower, and Kwantlen Polytechnic operations into one large University is coming to downtown law practice right here in Surrey—this is great news for businesses the Central City Tower. that cater to younger customers. There’s KENT KALLBERG South of the Fraser is definitely a need for more restaurants and where we dominate, entertainment options for those who live, BEAUTIFUL hat’s the secret to building but we still compete with some of the work and study in the area. a business with happy larger legal practices based in employees and healthy downtown Vancouver. Let’s talk about personnel. What makes BRITISH COLUMBIA profits? A well-thought-out Surrey an attractive place for business strategy is vital and strong Surrey is known as a growing city professionals to live and work? CN IS PROUD TO SUPPORT YOUR CAUSES. IN 2016, WE DONATED CLOSE TO leadership is important, with a lower cost of doing business. Housing is more affordable in Surrey $1 MILLION TO OVER 75 ORGANIZATIONS