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Business Services

Canada’s business services sector is a centre of excellence— Canada’s business services sector is a critical node in today's multinational, multi-value chain business model. Business services contribute significantly to Canada’s national economy, accounting for $60.8 billion of national GDP in 2010. More than 1.3 million Canadians worked in the services sector in 2010.

Source: Industry Canada.

Statistics Canada.

 

Engineering services is an area of exceptional strength for Canada—In recent years, Canada was the third-largest exporter of engineering services in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom. There are over 234,000 professional engineers in Canada, and Canadian engineering firms have garnered special recognition for excellence in resource extraction, energy, telecommunications, transportation, infrastructure engineering and public-private partnerships.

Source: International Data Corporation.

Engineers Canada. Annual Report, 2010.

 

Canada is the ideal location for nearshoring and offshoring— Canada is a leading provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and information technology outsourcing to U.S. firms. Thanks to its skilled workforce and its proximity to—and cultural similarities with—the United States, Canada is the world’s second largest provider of BPO services. In the field of offshoring, A.T. Kearney, the global management consulting firm, rated Canada No. 3 in the quality of its business environment in 2011.

Source: A.T. Kearney. Global Services Location IndexTM, 2011.

Recent Foreign Investments – Business Services

Map of part of Canada showing four locations: Edmonton, Alberta; Southwestern Ontario; Toronto area; and Saint John, New Brunswick

In June, 2010, U.S.-based VR Business Sales opened its first Canadian franchise market in Edmonton. The office will focus on financing, valuations and small- to mid-sized business transactions. The company plans to expand across the country.
In January 2011, Mortenson Construction, an affiliate of U.S.-based M.A. Mortenson Company, opened its first office in Canada to provide a complete range of construction services, including planning, project management, pre-construction, engineering, general contracting and design-build.
In late 2010 and early 2011, Intelligent Office added three new Canadian offices to provide virtual, professionally staffed space for mobile executives and small businesses. The new facilities in Scarborough, London and Toronto bring the total number of Intelligent Office Canada locations to 10.
California-based Mitratech, a leader in Collaborative Accountability applications, announced the opening of offices in Toronto and Saint John, New Brunswick. The Toronto office will focus on business acquisition and growth, while the Saint John office will house local Canadian services and technical staff to support Mitratech’s growing client community.