Jamie Kramble – Investment Attraction Specialist
Spring has finally arrived, and it has now been almost three months since I started work with the county as an investment attraction officer.
A little about myself: I worked for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry as an investment attraction officer. Before that, I spent time in various other government ministries, the oil and gas industry, and even farther back spent time in China (working for the Canadian government and then consulting).
To be honest, I didn’t have a lot of background or prior knowledge of Wheatland before beginning work. I had made an obligatory trip out from Calgary and visited Origin Business Park and other hotspots to prepare for my interview but didn’t know half of the county’s story. And what a story it is!
In my short time here, I have been warmly welcomed by the competent and helpful folks in economic development and other departments and learned what a truly hidden gem Wheatland is. For example, I realized that our western border is only a 20-minute drive to Calgary. Both railways operate in the county, and that we have the lowest cost industrial land in the Calgary region.
Now that investors have noticed and are calling on the county, I am excited to share these advantages and refer them to the fine folks in planning, utilities, and assessment once they are ready to take the next step.
Although COVID measures have once again reared their ugly head, I am confident the economy will soon be up and running at full speed again. COVID may seem like the day the music died, but it will play again. I look forward to having conversations with and visiting many businesses in our area in the near future.
