Dilkens in Germany to attract auto-parts manufacturer

MayorDrew Dilkenshas made an overseas trek to Germany in a bid to convince an auto-parts manufacturer to expand its operations in Windsor.

Dilkenswas joined by officials from the Windsor Essex Economic Development Corporation to help make another pitch to the company that has serious interest in setting up shop in North America.

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The mayor does not want to reveal the name of the company, but he said a deal could bring 300 jobs to the region. Windsor is in a race with another community in the U.S. State of Alabama,Dilkensexplained.

"They would fit quite nicely into our location both in terms of distribution and future manufacturing," he told CBC News over the phone.

Dilkens says he can't be certain yet whether company officials will pick Windsor. Alabama has been putting up a lot of incentives like free land, which is not a feature the City of Windsor will offer.

Dilkens is hoping the city's community improvement plan will be attractive enough. The plan waves property tax for up to 10 years.

The mayor also talked about a few other reasons Windsor is still on the company's radar.

"The fact that we are also close to the border makes it very easy to ship down to customers they have in the United States," Dilkens said. "We have a large tool and die mold sector in our area, so [we have] availability of qualified staff."

Dilkens says company officials havealready visited Windsor and they will be returning again in the beginning of August for a more detailed trip. He is unsure as to when the final decision will be made.

"I know we have what they need," he said. "I think they knowWindsor-Essex has what they need as well ... It's just a matter of making sure the dollar and cents makes sense for them."