The Windsor-Essex Economic Development Corporation is hiring a consultant, to help with the impending closure of the Heinz plant.
Brian Payne is working on the supply chain companies that keep the plant operating.
Payne says "The people who supply packaging, supply bottles and cans, they're the tradesmen, the sheet metal workers the engineers, customs brokers, trucking companies, warehousing companies."
So far, Payne has identified 68 companies that are going to need some help transitioning away from Heinz as a client.
"A lot of these had 75 to 80 per cent of their business with Heinz," says Payne.
For 31 companies, which Payne will not identify, 18 have a full scale assessment of their business, including looking at their financial documents, re-designing business plans and Payne is even helping with new sales calls.
Payne has worked in this industry for 20 years and he says what is surprising about this work is the level of commitment to Leamington and Windsor-Essex displayed by the companies he's talking to.
"Are there going to be casualties? Yes, but the majority are going to make the transition. That’s what we're doing here."
