Expanding to the northwest.

• Author: GOULIQUER, DIANNE
• Position: M. Block and Associates Ltd. - Brief Article

Winnipeg-based company opens branch in Dryden

For Winnipeg-based engineering firm M. Block and Associates Ltd., expanding into northwestern Ontario may have been a logical decision, but it wasn't one made hastily.

In fact, the company spent a couple of years planning for the day it would open a branch office in Dryden.

That day came in May of 2000, and owner Jeff Block says it was worth the wait. Now, nearly one year after bringing its geotechnical engineering, environmental site assessment, and materials testing services to Dryden, Block says the company has a solid footing in its new home.

"We had quite a few of our clients pushing for us (to move into Dryden)," Block says of the ultimate decision to expand. "We did quite a bit of work in the area (in northwestern Ontario) and they said they wanted to continue working with us. To facilitate this, and to make it more economically feasible, we decided to set up an office in Dryden.

"Dryden has a lot to offer," Block says "The chamber of commerce area is very strong and we feel that the community has really welcomed us since the outset of our initial plans."

Since opening a northwestern Ontario office, Block says business has remained steady, with most clients coming from the Dryden area.

The greatest benefit, he notes, is for the clients who now have an alternative to dealing with out-of-town firms.

"(Clients) could go to Thunder Bay, or a lot of the time they had to go to Winnipeg," Block says. "Really, there wasn't a lot in the area, so they are...