For many companies, reasons to make the move to the U.S. side are obvious: they’re looking for the desirable “Made in the USA” stamp of approval, lower utility costs, or looking to fill a contract requirement. But there’s another, more specific issue that often gets overlooked: the costs of border crossing.
In our last post, we covered some of the initial questions and considerations Canadian businesses should keep in mind when considering a move to the U.S.
.In my time with Invest Buffalo Niagara, I’ve had a chance to help 32+ Canadian companies make their way to this side of the border. Along with being part of helping the Buffalo Niagara region boom—to the tune of $706 million in investments and more than 1,600 jobs—I’ve also seen the pitfalls that Canadian business owners need to look out for. For the first in this two-part series, we’ll focus on the beginnings of due diligence: the questions you need to ask yourself when you’re looking to enter the U.S. market.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way: yes, there are legal and tax obligations when Canadians do business in US markets. At Invest Buffalo Niagara, we help companies navigate these requirements—and often, they’re pleasantly surprised at their being less daunting than expected. Here’s a high-level idea of what companies should be aware of when choosing to do business in the market.
Maybe you’re taking a meeting with a prospect. Or making your way to an initial face-to-face with an investor. Or doing a site visit with a new supplier. No matter what you’re traveling for, cross-border business moves faster than ever—and waiting in bumper-to-bumper lines at the Canada-US border isn’t the best use of your limited time. Enter the NEXUS program, designed to move low-risk, pre-approved travelers across the border quickly. Here’s a quick primer on all your NEXUS need-to-knows.
Niagara Food Specialties (NFS), incorporated in 2001, is a food processor, distributor and wholesaler, specializing in the production of prosciutto ham for the foodservice (restaurants & hotels) industry and gourmet retail markets. NFS adds value to raw pork, producing artisanal quality charcuterie, including prosciutto, capicola, pancetta, salami, guanciale, and sausage. This family operated business is currently headquartered in Niagara Falls, ON. NFS began to investigate US expansion when they faced with growth limitations due to border crossing restrictions and rules on imported meats to the US.
Canadian-headquartered Pride Pak processes fresh vegetables, making ready-made salads in a bag and chopped vegetables. The company also sources raw vegetables from both the US and Canada. Pride Pak was started in 1984 and has their main office in Mississauga with another facility in New Foundland. They currently employ over 200 people and sell to grocery retailers and into the restaurant industry.
In my role as a business development manager for Invest Buffalo Niagara, I tour manufacturing facilities for a variety of different industries. During these tours, I always learn how regardless of the type of product produced, they are evaluating how can they make their product better, faster and more affordable. Many of these companies are small and medium sized businesses that may not have the expertise, equipment or time in-house to evaluate their process and investigate new manufacturing techniques, or have access to high-level engineers. Buffalo Niagara is fortunate to have a great resource available to assist and collaborate with these types of companies and explore the future of manufacturing.
Real estate is a hot topic for international companies considering a Buffalo Niagara business expansion. Businesses owners aren’t familiar with our region’s availability of commercial properties, averages sales rate or current real estate trends.
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About Us
Founded in 1999, Invest Buffalo Niagara represents the eight counties of Western New York. We are the region’s nonprofit, privately funded economic development organization focused on job creation.
