Canada & USA Business Differences (Cincinnati, Ontario: unemployment rate, calculated, live)

[kjbrill]

For a couple of decades I did a lot of business travel to Canada. I always enjoyed my time traveling there. My two primary locations were Bolton Ontario and just outside Montreal.

The companyI visited in Bolton was a world class facility, but they wanted to be the dominant force in their area. They did dominate Bolton by their very size. They also had facilities across the border in Vermont, once again calculated where they would be dominant. The factories were out in the boondocks but definitely dominated their local area.

The Montreal experience was a little different. It was Bombardier, manufacturer of the Canadian Regional Jet (CRJ). Their largest single customer early on was Comair out of Cincinnati. Together they built the regional jet airline business. We all remember the golden days of the CRJ when both Delta and their affiliate Comair were bursting at the seams at CVG. Personally I hated the CRJ, I am a big man and I called them the flying sewer pipe. But business is business so I endured flying their POS aircraft on about a weekly basis between CVG and Montreal.

The one thing I did enjoy was my interfacing with the people in Canada. I always had a pleasant experience there.

I have been retired 10 years. So I am asking of those who are currently actively engaged in business transactions across the Canadian border, how is it? Are we still friendly with our neighbors to the north or have things turned sour?

[maplelady]

I don't know a lot about business but I can say that customer service in the US is generally much better in the US than here in Canada. LL bean is wonderful and they ship right to my door, with no duties hassles. Their phone service is the best. Real people with real skills, right here in North America.

When I travel in US I am amazed at the customer service. Especially in tourist areas.

I think most Americans would be surprised to know that there are some very big Canadian companies, such as Bombardier, of which they may have never heard.

[Montrell]

I've always been impressed with Canada and how they run things in the business sector. My family has and continues to give serious thought to relocating to Calgary in the near future. I think their efficiency and customer service has caught up dramatically with the United States in recent years. Most of my experience with Canada has been in the Western part of the country though.... Cities like Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg (more cenrtral than west but still viewed as 'west') by your Canadian easterners.

I imagine there is a rather large difference in the east and the west. When I was in cities like Calgary they had an extremely low unemployment rate and really had a shortage of both skilled and unskilled workers. I found that a common theme in most of Western Canada. I was mainly in the engineering sector when I was out there and things really seemed to run like a well oiled machine. You just had a very high end well-educated workforce in most of the business sectors.

I also absolutely loved the downtowns of all these cities. They really blew away the majority of major downtown's in U.S. cities. The cleanliness, the safety, the flora and fauna and so on. Really great cities overall.

[maplelady]

Thanks Montrell !

I have lived in Calgary and Edmonton. Family in Calgary. I can see how it would be impressive to visitors.

Many family members in the oil industry there and they know the ebb and flow of the resource industry.

I think most people are surprised by our cities in the great white north. Most would not realize we are mostly city dwellers.