City links up with U.S. research firm.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Timmins: Special Report - Timmins, Ontario hires Smithers Scientific Inc. to aid marketing efforts - Brief Article

Timmins intends to stake its claim as a "global destination" for cold-weather testing by becoming allied with a leading U.S. research firm. The city plans to investigate whether or not to build a world-class facility and winter-proving ground to see how cars, heavy trucks, industrial equipment, tires and snowmobiles perform in sub-zero temperatures.

For years the city has had a foothold in this mostly secretive industry, with automakers Toyota and Jaguar operating seasonal facilities, and MTD, one of the world's largest manufacturers of snowblowers, also setting up temporary shop.

But rather than work from an empty toolbox on what is considered a top-priority project, the Timmins Economic Development Corp. (TEDC) is partnering with Smithers Scientific Inc., an Akron, Ohio-based private researcher, seeking to expand its global clientele by targeting select companies from European and Asian countries.

"They have a very established global client base at their U.S. winter facility," says Kathy Keast, a Timmins economic development officer. "But it's not enough to grow their business" and they are seeking more capacity in a cold climate region with a longer test season.

Keast suggests the establishment of a full-service "anchor" development will encourage multinational and existing clients to seek out and expand their operations in Timmins.

"There are a lot of potential global clients that don't cold test, and they have to if they want to break into the North American market and sell to the northeastern U.S., Canada and even northern China."

Keast, as part of a Timmins delegation, met with Smithers representatives two years ago at a Michigan trade show of the Society for Automotive Engineers.

She visited their corporate headquarters in Akron, Ohio last summer and toured their winter test centre in Raco, Mich. on the site of an old airforce base southwest of Sault Ste. Marie. The proposed facility for Timmins would be somewhat styled after that site.

The city has pre-selected a sandy piece of municipally owned property, some 900 to 1,000 acres, just off Highway 655 across from the Toyota test track.

What is planned is an estimated $10-million to $12-million complex with varying kinds of testing surfaces, including an asphalt track capable of supporting heavy trucks, a sandy-soil test area, a closed-loop...