THOROLD MULTIMODAL HUB WELCOMES CANADIAN MARITIME ENGINEERING

THOROLD, ON – HOPA Ports is pleased to welcome a new business to the Thorold Multimodal Hub, as Niagara’s maritime sector continues to grow.

Canadian Maritime Engineering (CME), a division of Russell Industries Corp., is a leading marine-industrial company that offers machining, mechanical, welding, fabrication and specialty coatings to customers in a wide variety of sectors, including maritime, oil & gas, defence and power generation.

Headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, CME has facilities throughout eastern Canada and in British Columbia. The company has had a presence in the Niagara Region for over 12 years, but this move into the Thorold Hub represents a major growth step for the company and is a sign of the increasing momentum within the maritime sector in Ontario.

CME will occupy more than 18,000 sq. ft of space within the Thorold Multimodal Hub, with options to expand as the business develops.

CME plans on completing dock side repairs from this location, as well as expanding their capabilities and resources to serve marine, power generation, mining, and industrial community in Central Canada.

CME is one of Canada’s largest mobile and marine/field service companies. The company sells and services lines of engines and equipment, and offers solutions to customers 24/7. It offers expertise all in-house, with 22 locations coast to coast and over 600 tradesmen under the various divisions of Russell Industries Corp, which also is based in the area.

“CME sees an underserved market for mechanical, power generation, mining and marine repairs and servicing, keeping Ontario’s equipment turning with local labour and solutions. CME will offer Ontario the local supply chain security and reduced down time costs our customers have been demanding since the onset of COVID. I am very proud to manage and lead CME into the bright future this expansion will provide us,” said Mark Hall, CME’s General Manager for Central Canada.

The Hubis a 200-acre multimodal industrial complex in Thorold, Ontario, managed by HOPA Ports. “We’re pleased to welcome CME to the HOPA Ports network,” said Jeremy Dunn, Commercial Vice President with HOPA Ports. “CME is a great fit because it contributes the thriving ecosystem of marine industry players at the Thorold Hub. We are delighted to be helping to raise the profile of Ontario’s marine sector, and to be attracting national-scale companies of this caliber to Niagara.”

Adjacent to the Welland Canal, the Thorold Multimodal Hub site is unique to Niagara. It features marine, rail and highway access, as well as indoor warehouse and outdoor storage space, which can be configured to a wide variety of industrial, cargo handling and ancillary operations. Leases available to Hub tenants include indoor, outdoor, turnkey and develop-to-suit. Companies locating here benefit from the proximity to the U.S. border, the availability of marine and rail, and strategic location in the Niagara-Hamilton-Toronto trade corridor. A major portion of the facility is owned by Bioveld Canada, including the area where CME’s operations will be located.

“On behalf of Thorold City Council, we welcome this investment by Canadian Maritime Engineering (CME) in the City of Thorold, as it further reinforces the importance of the Thorold Multimodal Hub, which will be a leader of sustainable industrial expansion in Ontario,” said Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini. “The City of Thorold and the Niagara Region have a strong history in marine, and we are well positioned to be a trade and logistics hub for the world.  CME will contribute no doubt to that capacity and our ability to be globally competitive.  We thank them for their investment and welcome them to the City of Thorold.”

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About Canadian Maritime Engineering
Canadian Maritime Engineering Ltd. is a Canadian leader specializing in custom engineering and advanced manufacturing. From its humble beginnings in the marine repair business, we now offer national manufacturing and repair services to include industries such Oil and Gas, Mining, Power Generation, Manufacturing and National Defense Industries.

About HOPA Ports
HOPA Ports (Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority) is an integrated port network on the Great Lakes, with facilities in Hamilton, Oshawa and Niagara. HOPA’s facilities comprise 1,000 acres of land and handle 10 million MT of cargo per year, which is connected to 40,000 jobs and $6 billion in economic activity in Ontario. HOPA is developing multimodal spaces to support Ontario’s industries and facilitate trade. By investing in high-quality infrastructure and prioritizing sustainability, we are building prosperous working waterfronts in Ontario communities. HOPA Ports manages the Thorold Multimodal Hub on behalf of owners, operators and tenants.

**Photos available

Media Contact:

Larissa Fenn
HOPA Ports
Tel: 905-667-3292
[email protected]

Renee Bulger, CPA, CGA

Vice President, Finance

Renee assumed the role of Vice President, Finance after having served as Director of Finance since 2023.

Renee joined the Hamilton Port Authority in 2006 as a General Accountant and was promoted to Controller in 2018. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Conservation Foundation from 2017 to 2020.

Renee received her Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Larissa Fenn

Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Larissa Fenn is Vice President, Corporate Affairs at HOPA Ports, leading a team responsible for communications and government relations, sustainability reporting, corporate governance and corporate culture.

Previous positions included communications and public policy roles at the Canadian Bankers Association, Credit Valley Conservation Authority, and the Regional Municipality of Halton.

Larissa holds a B.A.(Hons) in Political Science from Queen’s University. She holds the APR designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society, and completed the Senior Public Sector Leaders program at the University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business. Larissa has served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Royal Botanical Gardens, and as a member of the Policy Council of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Bill Fitzgerald

Vice President, Strategic Development

Bill assumed the role of Vice President, Strategic Development in 2024, after having served as HOPA’s Vice President, Operations since 2008.

Bill joined the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority in July 1995 as Project Engineer. He previously worked with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa’s Transportation Department, as well as for the Toronto Transit Commission and the City of Waterloo.

Bill received a Bachelor of Applied Science, civil engineering / water resources, in 1995 from the University of Waterloo and registered with the Professional Engineers of Ontario in 1997.

Jeremy Dunn

Vice President, Operations

Jeremy assumed the role of Vice President, Operations in 2024 after having served as HOPA’s Commercial Vice President since 2019. Prior to joining HOPA, Jeremy served in successive leadership roles at The Miller Group, one of Canada’s leading transportation construction and infrastructure maintenance companies. Jeremy has managed multiple business groups in the heavy construction, asphalt paving and aggregates sectors driving results through business restructuring, service improvement and strategic growth. In his most recent role, Jeremy served as General Manager of Miller Maintenance, responsible for managing and growing Miller’s highway maintenance business in Ontario.

Previous to The Miller Group, Jeremy held the position of Director of Operations for the Dunn Group of Companies.

Jeremy earned his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) through Queen’s University. He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management.

Janet Knight

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority since 2008, Janet joined the HPA in 1998 as Accounting Supervisor and subsequently served as Controller.

Prior to joining the HPA, Janet held the position of Financial Analyst with St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as various positions, including Marketing Communications/Research Lead with Zeneca Agro. Janet graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Commerce. She attained the professional designation of Certified Management Accountant in 1992.

Ian Hamilton

President & CEO

Ian Hamilton is President & CEO of HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority). He assumed this role in 2017, after serving as the Port Authority’s Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate since 2008. Ian has been instrumental in developing working waterfronts in Hamilton, Oshawa, and Niagara by attracting new business and private investment, and creating an integrated marine network across Southern Ontario.

Ian possesses more than 25 years of experience in international transportation and logistics in Europe and North America, and has held progressively senior positions in the liner shipping industry, including Transatlantic Trade Director (Europe) for CP Ships and Business Development Manager for Hapag-Lloyd. Ian is Chairperson of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, and holds positions on various other boards, including: the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Hamilton Club, and Brigs Youth Sail Training.

Ian holds an MBA from Aston University (UK) and a BSc in business administration and economics from the College of Charleston, South Carolina.