London Inc. Weekly

Written by Kieran Delamont, Associate Editor, London Inc.

Nestlé ice cream sale puts London plant’s future in question

Workers at Nestlé’s London ice cream plant on Wilton Grove Road are expressing some nervousness amid news that the plant, which employs around 750 people, is being sold. Nestlé is offloading its global ice cream business — responsible for brands like Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick and Parlour — to Froneri, a joint venture it formed with private equity firm PAI Partners back in 2016. The transaction, described to be in “advanced negotiations” by The London Free Press, is expected to close within 12 to 18 months. As of now, the company says that there are no immediate changes coming down the pipe. “It’s a factory that is producing amazing products. It’s a factory of very dedicated, talented people,” said Nestlé Canada’s senior VP Catherine O’Brien, in an interview with CTV News London. “They will continue to do what they have been doing, understanding, having a little uncertainty at the moment. Hopefully that will be clarified quickly in the future.”

The upshot: The official line is reassuring, but likely by design. And the union isn’t resting easy. “The biggest concern is what’s going to happen to the plant. We have no information yet,” Gary Bast, business representative for Teamsters Local 647, told CBC News London. And the broader context makes the concern harder to dismiss: Nestlé’s new CEO, Philipp Navratil, announced plans to cut 16,000 jobs globally in October, amid tariff pressures and softening consumer demand. Nestle/Froneri, meanwhile, has excess capacity at its U.S. plants, which is leading to worries it may look to consolidate operations south of the border when the workers’ collective agreements expire in two years. There has been a decent amount of investment in the plant over the last decade: in 2018, the company invested more than $50 million in an expansion opened in 2021. “That plant is a good mid-class job. Those guys make good wages,” said Bast. “Most of them are from the community of London. We’re in the same boat as everybody else. We just don’t know what’s going to happen.” 

Read more: CBC News London | CTV News London

Council seeks more transparency from music office

City councillors are signalling they want more transparency and accountability from the London Music Office. Councillors received a city staff report on the progress of the office, ahead of a planned renewal of the city’s status as a UNESCO City of Music, which comes up next year. According to the staff report, many things are going right for the music office: 366 of 372 planned initiatives have been completed, and targets have been met or exceeded in a whole range of metrics (including the number of artists supported, audience reached, investments attracted and jobs supported). Still, oversight questions swirl over the office. “I’ve heard time and time again from stakeholders in the music community [that] it’s difficult for people to get information, it’s difficult for people to get a budget for the music office,” said Councillor Sam Trosow, talking to The London Free Press. “There seem to be some serious gaps in the kind of information that I’m looking for and that I’m able to find on the public record.”

The upshot: The overall view of both the report and the councillors discussing it seems to be that there is some desire to see the London Music Office be less siloed and more integrated into the larger conversation about the city’s long-term economic strategy. City staff explicitly recommend the office do more to leverage the City of Music designation “as a catalyst for downtown vibrancy, creative sector growth, cultural tourism, talent attraction and diversification of the regional economy.” It also wants to see the office do a better job of reaching the public — an area that the office’s director Cory Crossman agrees with. “Something that we heard is that not everyone is aware of the wins that are taking place, even those that are following us on social media channels. So, more engagement is needed,” he told the committee. One area that we may see more on in the coming months might be establishing a brick-and-mortar presence for the office. “While the London Music Office continues to create incubation programs, a consistent brick-and-mortar hub would build a legacy that could trigger future investment, industry attention and future event attraction,” the staff report said.

Read more: London.ca | London Free Press

Central Elgin shopping for homebuilding partners

Central Elgin is hunting for a “successful development partner” to help construct the largest planned community expansion in its history, the municipality’s mayor says. Central Elgin is looking for developers to build upwards of 3,500 homes, aimed directly at housing future workers at the Volkswagen-backed PowerCo electric vehicle battery plant. The municipality has launched what it’s calling an “extraordinary community development initiative,” offering up 150 hectares at the former St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital site — a property that has been sitting as surplus government land for years. “This is the only time in the history of Central Elgin we’ve been able to start a community,” said Mayor Andrew Sloan. “I think the big gain not only is financial stability, but it’s also the ability to have a new community that will provide affordable, accessible, mixed-use housing opportunities that aren’t available elsewhere in the region.”

The upshot: Should the project come to full fruition, PowerCo is projected to employ around 3,000 people and support 20,000-plus in spinoff jobs, and those workers will need somewhere to live. What’s less certain is whether developers can move fast enough. VW’s plant is anticipated to open around 2027, and the municipality says it wants to begin work on the land as soon as possible. It will be interesting to see who comes to the table here. The opportunity to work with a willing partner on a large patch of greenfield land is an enticing opportunity for builders struggling with depressed demand, but the idea is not without some risks, either. The cohort of future employees at the VW plant is still technically a hypothetical, and homebuilders certainly haven’t had an easy time of late when it comes to moving inventory built on spec. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a major project announced out of all this, and for it to be expedited through the regulatory process. “Recent investments in St. Thomas, through businesses like Vianode and Volkswagen, have emphasized the need to get shovels in the ground for more homes in a growing community,” said MPP Rob Flack. 

Read more: London Free Press | CTV News London

Warframe lands on Android

London-based video game developer Digital Extremes has brought its popular Warframe game to Android devices, the company announced this week. The expanded support adds Android to an existing list of supported platforms, and new Android players can jump straight into the existing community of 85 million registered players. “To bring the Warframe experience to Android devices has been a goal for quite some time in our efforts for total accessibility,” said company president Sheldon Carter. The studio is also currently developing Soulframe, a much-anticipated sister title to their 12-year-old Warframe.

The upshot: Android accounts for roughly 71 per cent of mobile gamers globally, with over 54 billion game downloads annually, much of them in what would be newer markets for Digital Extreme — places like India and Brazil, where Android holds much larger market share. For Digital Extremes, the Android push signals the studio is committed to squeezing more runway out of Warframe while the next game works its way to market. The 450-employee company also took home the London Chamber of Commerce’s Corporate Icon Award last year. “This year is set to be a huge milestone for not only Warframe players, but our developers as well,” said Carter. “Warframe has become a gravitational force for gathering some of the kindest and most welcoming communities in gaming. Thanks to them, we’ve built an amusement park full of rides suited for any kind of taste; there’s something for everyone to discover and enjoy here. It’s gonna be a big year, so come join us for the ride!”

Read more: Businesswire

Emco Corporation recipient of 2026 Corporate Icon Award

The London Chamber of Commerce announced this morning that Emco Corporation is the recipient of the 2026 Corporate Icon Award. Founded in London in 1906 as the Empire Manufacturing Company Limited, the business began as a small foundry and machine shop, adapting and evolving over the years into one of Canada’s largest wholesale distributors. Today, the company operates a nationwide network of more than 300 distribution centres across four divisions, selling and distributing plumbing, HVAC and industrial products.

The upshot: A part of the London Chamber’s annual Business Achievement Awards program, the Corporate Icon Award is characterized as a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for corporations and is given annually to a business that has demonstrated excellence in a certain aspect of business, making either an immediate impact or substantial long-term contribution to the economic progress of the London community. Unlike other BAA awards, the Corporate Icon Award is announced in advance of the annual awards gala, which will be held on March 31 at RBC Place London. 

Read more: London Chamber of Commerce

Western launches mentorship program for Black nursing students

Western University’s Faculty of Nursing is launching a new mentorship initiative pairing Black nursing students with professionals in the field, the school announced this week. The program connects students with mentors and community professionals, with clinical placements and personal development plans built around individual needs. “Mentorship creates relationships where students have space to feel understood, validated, valued, encouraged and that support helps them reach their full potential,” said Safeyyah Raji (left in photo), a nursing lecturer at the university. “Our mentors are the embodiment of this mentorship program. They’re working in a wide range of clinical and professional roles. They’re leaders in this profession and are shaping the next generation of Black nurses in Canada.”

The upshot: With February being Black History Month, it’s apt timing for the school, which has also announced other mentorship programs focused on Black students this month, including a Black Leadership University Experience program. Within the nursing profession, the mentorship program aims to address a common concern, where Black nurses say they feel that career advancement opportunities are few and far between. “There is no issue with hiring Black nurses at my workplace. The issue is the lack of opportunity of career advancement,” one nurse told the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario back in 2024, in a report that looked at the experience of over 200 Black nurses. “Mentorship is an act of love,” said one nursing student, Charles Ozzoude (centre in photo), in Western’s announcement. “It’s one person extending themselves for the growth of another person.”

Read more: Western News

Dispatch: February 27, 2026

A summary of recent business appointments and announcements, plus event listings for the upcoming week.

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