~ Opportunity abounds for investors, entrepreneurs, and growth-oriented businesses ~
You’ll find Maple Ridge, British Columbia on Canada’s Pacific Coast, just north of the Canada-USA border, an entryway to the 2010 Winter Olympics host city of Vancouver from the east, standing tall between the mountains and the rivers.
The city of Maple Ridge boasts a diversified local economy anchored by advanced manufacturing, professional services, technology, construction, and the creative industries. Businesses are attracted by our lower business costs, affordable real estate, skilled local workforce, and the high quality of life the city offers its residents.
Home to 90,990 residents and more than 5,000 businesses of all types, sizes, and sectors, Maple Ridge is at the junction of city and country, the forests and sea, and today and tomorrow. The larger Metro Vancouver and Fraser Vally region is home to more than three million people, with another eight million just across the border in the Cascadia region, including Seattle and Portland.
Maple Ridge has one of the fastest growing and youngest populations in the region (10.6% population increase from 2016 to 2021), and just over two-thirds of residents are in their prime working years (age 15-64). Median after-tax household income of C$92,000 is higher than that in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montréal. With top-quality K-12 schools and access to more than a dozen public universities and colleges, Maple Ridge’s residents are highly skilled and willing to learn.
CITY ON THE MOVE
Maple Ridge and area are connected to the world through easy access to a regional airport for easy business jet access, two international airports, three transcontinental railways, Canada’s largest and most diversified port, modern highways with more than 15 million people within one day’s drive, and gigabit broadband internet service reaching almost every commercial, industrial, and residential property.
Transit times for cargo from Maple Ridge to the rest of the world are shorter than other West Coast regions thanks to geography and extensive sea and air connections. From the Port of Vancouver, markets across the Indopacific region can be reached more quickly and cost effectively compared to US ports. Through Vancouver International Airport, flights depart each day to more than 100 destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
From Maple Ridge, your business can connect to anywhere, including 49 countries which have trade agreements with Canada, from one of the most picturesque corners of the globe. And you can do it from a place where you can golf and downhill ski in the same afternoon!
Folks come to Maple Ridge not only to enjoy the abundant natural environment and recreational opportunities, but also to find the quality of life and strong sense of community that is second to none. With more-affordable and diverse options for residential, commercial, and industrial real estate – and additional employment lands to become available – Maple Ridge offers opportunities for everyone in an inspiring and inclusive community.
MAKE IT HERE
By far the strongest sector, advanced manufacturing in Maple Ridge is driven by 159 businesses, many of which specialize in wood product, fabricated metal, and machinery manufacturing. The percentage of businesses focused on advanced manufacturing in Maple Ridge exceeds the provincial average, making it a suitable location for competitive businesses with skilled workforces.
RST Instruments, a world-leader in the design, manufacturing, and sale of innovative geotechnical, environmental, and structural monitoring systems since 1977, calls Maple Ridge home. In the company’s bustling lab, they’re developing innovative solutions to evolving engineering challenges. Their sensors enable the latest generations of infrastructure projects, including iconic dams, tunnels, and bridges, and the measurements and intelligence generated keep the people in and around these places safe.
Delta Kayaks helps folks of all skill levels take to the water in stylish, sturdy, and sustainable kayaks made right here in Maple Ridge. With over 35 years of experience in thermoforming and the paddle sports industry, Delta Kayaks knows exactly how to make the best equipment for the market, and they continue to innovate each day. In their state-of-the-art manufacturing process, the company uses materials that are safe to make and are completely recyclable, and 100 percent of the scrap material is collected and repurposed.
E-One Moli Energy Corp. is a world-class manufacturer of high-performance rechargeable lithium-ion cells, sold under the brand name Molicel, made in North America’s only high-volume lithium-ion manufacturing facility, located in Maple Ridge. From the company’s roots in 1977, Molicel has become a leader in the development and manufacture of innovative, high-energy cells in the cylindrical format. Found in cars, computers, smartphones, and even aircraft, Molicel products are helping the world power up for the electrically charged future.
FEED THE CREATIVITY
You know the saying that an army marches on its stomach? Well, the same can be said for a community and its residents and visitors! At the junction of country and city, Maple Ridge is home to a variety of food and beverage companies that are sure to whet any appetite.
Golden Ears Cheesecrafters, run by the Davison sisters on their family’s 122-year-old farm, uses the milk from the family’s own cows to produce artisan cheeses and butters found in shops and restaurants across the region – including their own farm shop and bistro. The approximately 500 jersey cows on the farm give Golden Ears plenty of raw ingredients to transform into local cheeses – soft, hard, spreadable, and specialty – and cultured butter. And if you don’t see the cows on the farm when you visit the cheese shop, don’t fret… they’re just on holiday to the Gulf Islands for a chance to recharge before another cheese season kicks off!
Maple Ridge companies are also riding the craft brewing wave washing over the region, with a small and committed contingent highlighted here helping to ensure you can wet your whistle when you visit.
Maple Ridge’s craft brewers have you covered. Whether it’s the nano-brewery of Maple Meadows Brewing, the year-round releases from Ridge Brewing, the hobbyist-brewer turned English Ale specialists at Silver Valley Brewing, or the brothers-turned-brewers at The Patch Brewery (@thepatchbrewery), you’ll probably never see the bottom of your glass!
MAKE YOUR MOVE
Starting, growing, or moving a business? Speak with us to learn why Maple Ridge should be your top choice. Visit mapleridge.ca, email invest@mapleridge.ca, or call +1 604 467 7320.