The brochure91裸聊视频檚 cover has the Texas flag as a backdrop and shows an arrow pointing from Alberta to the Lone Star State.
91裸聊视频淎rrowstar Realty invites you to relocate to Texas,91裸聊视频� reads the mailer sent to businesses across Western Canada recently. 91裸聊视频淛oin the 100s of companies that have already made the move!91裸聊视频�
Inside is a letter 91裸聊视频� beginning 91裸聊视频淒ear Canadian Neighbour91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� boasting of Montgomery County91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淏OOMING91裸聊视频� economy, tax incentives and ranch-style properties. It offers to link prospective clients with banks, accountants and lawyers to ease their move.
Realtor Robert Graham says 15,000 brochures have been delivered in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan so far. Another 50,000 are coming.
He says Arrowstar has helped about 100 western Canadian companies move north of Houston in the last decade, and 40 of them were in the last year and a half.
The majority of newcomers have been Canadian oil and gas drillers, a sector that has hit a rough patch in recent years.
91裸聊视频淚 definitely want Canada to pick back up. I would love for that more than anything,91裸聊视频� says Graham.
But for now, he says, a lot of Canadian businesses need help to keep going.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e got doors open and we91裸聊视频檙e ready for them.91裸聊视频�
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Krisjan Jones, operations manager at livestock feed supplement maker Canadian Bio-Systems, says Lubbock91裸聊视频檚 economic development agency recently made an enticing pitch to move his business to the west Texas city.
It was offering land at no cost with utilities and rail access.
91裸聊视频淪o essentially you get a blank canvas for free,91裸聊视频� says Jones, who adds he91裸聊视频檚 waiting on the outcome of the Oct. 21 federal election before pulling the trigger. He cites the federal carbon tax as a major issue for him.
Clogged railways that make it difficult to get international shipments out on time are another big knock against Canada, he says.
John Osborne with the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance says pitches are centred more on the long-term business case than politics or potential perks. When benefits are discussed, it91裸聊视频檚 more of a problem-solving exercise.
91裸聊视频淲e look at it as 91裸聊视频榃hat91裸聊视频檚 stopping you from saying yes to coming to Lubbock right now?91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�
That could mean free land, sewer and water hookups or road paving.
Osborne says his group has been doing Canadian outreach for about a decade, but it91裸聊视频檚 gone from sporadic to regular in recent years. Most trips are to Calgary and Toronto and have been with companies in oil and gas, manufacturing and agriculture.
Precision Drilling CEO Kevin Neveu moved to Houston from Calgary three years ago with the rest of the company91裸聊视频檚 management team. It has about 250 employees in each city now.
Neveu says 2017 was the first year Canada made up less than half of Precision91裸聊视频檚 activity and this year it91裸聊视频檚 at 30 per cent.
Alberta91裸聊视频檚 oil curtailments, trouble building new pipelines and cooling investor sentiment have depressed the Canadian industry, he says.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 those three factors that are really starving our customers for capital, which means they91裸聊视频檙e not reinvesting in drilling, which means that our business here is just really slow 91裸聊视频� brutally slow.91裸聊视频�
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Mark Scholz, head of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, says every member he91裸聊视频檚 spoken to has at least seriously considered moving people or equipment out of Canada. The association represents more than 100 companies that drill or service oil and gas wells.
He says moves from Alberta91裸聊视频檚 new United Conservative government to lessen the regulatory and tax burden are helping with competitiveness, but the southbound exodus is a wake-up call.
91裸聊视频淭he Americans are playing a very strategic game and quite frankly I think they91裸聊视频檙e winning at that.91裸聊视频�
Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press
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