Renfrew County has always been known as a place where you can live well, work with purpose, and play in some of Ontario’s most spectacular landscapes. But increasingly, it’s becoming known for something else: opportunity.
With more than 600 hectares of fully serviced industrial land available at rates well below the provincial average, the cost advantages alone turn heads. Add a skilled workforce with a reputation for reliability and strong work ethic, and Renfrew County checks a lot of boxes for entrepreneurs looking to grow or expand.
A powerful resource for finding the right industrial or commercial location
To simplify the site-search process, Renfrew County recently launched a powerful new tool: An interactive, GIS-based industrial and commercial lands portal.
Unlike standard real estate listings or MLS feeds, the platform is built specifically for manufacturers, processors, and logistics operators. It maps large industrial and commercial parcels across the county and provides the details decision-makers need – zoning, servicing status, transportation access, parcel boundaries, and more.
It’s a practical, fast, research-ready platform for anyone planning their next move.
“The MLS is a good starting point for companies looking to expand,” says David Wybou, Renfrew County’s business development officer. “But our portal provides far more – all the available properties, detailed demographics for each of our 17 municipalities, the City of Pembroke and Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, and access to properties that aren’t publicly advertised. Opportunities you won’t find anywhere else.
“The portal also provides direct access to the county’s economic development offices, where we offer one-on-one consultation and can supply additional key information such as proximity to rail yards, airports, and U.S. border crossings, and help companies navigate government programs,” Wybou adds. “Our goal is to do everything we can to support and attract new businesses.”
The federal government has added another compelling reason for manufacturers to act quickly. The 2025 federal budget introduced an immediate expensing measure – essentially a 100 per cent first-year deduction – for eligible manufacturing and processing buildings. For companies looking to build new facilities or expand existing ones, this is one of the most attractive tax-deferral incentives introduced in years.
Industrial opportunities 75 minutes from Kanata available now
If you’re looking for concrete examples of what’s on the market in Renfrew County, two properties stand out as especially strong candidates:
107 Baskin Dr. E., Arnprior: This former aerospace facility sits on about 25 acres adjacent to the Arnprior Airport and includes three buildings plus a storage outbuilding, totalling roughly 166,800 sq. ft. of warehouse/manufacturing-ready space and more than 30,000 sq.ft. of office space. The site is directly adjacent to Highway 417, and is listed at about $8.5 million.
127 International Dr., Pembroke (TransCan Corporate Park): With more than 50 acres of fully serviced industrial land, TransCan Corporate Park offers a prime location at the intersection of highways 17 and 41. The site provides excellent visibility and regional connectivity, modern infrastructure, and flexible parcel sizes suited for a wide range of commercial, industrial, warehousing, or manufacturing uses permitted under the M2 Economic Enterprise Zone, and includes a 28-acre Ontario Certified Site.
Together, these two sites showcase the kind of sizeable, ready-to-go industrial real estate available today: large built-out facilities or heavy-industrial warehouses, ample land for expansion or storage yards, and highway-linked logistics – making them prime candidates for manufacturers seeking to relocate or expand operations in Eastern Ontario.
Ready to get started?
Renfrew County has been home to successful manufacturers for decades. Companies like Bar None, the Arnprior-based design, manufacture, and supply firm renowned for high-end work with the hospitality industry across North America, have grown far beyond their local origins while keeping production rooted in the Ottawa Valley.
ETM Industries, a high-precision manufacturer serving multiple sectors, and St. Francis Herb Farm, a herbal medicine manufacturer in the Madawaska Valley, are additional examples of the depth of expertise already established here.
These long-standing success stories show what’s possible in Renfrew County – and now, with new properties on the market and one of the most advantageous tax environments in years, there has never been a better moment to join them.
Visit the county’s GIS portal at www.investrenfrewcounty.ca/IndustrialLands to begin your site search, or connect with the Economic Development Office directly. Real estate professionals are also encouraged to reach out for listings, inquiries, or collaboration opportunities.
This article first appeared in the 2026 STUFF Magazine produced by the Ottawa Business Journal. That publication is available in it’s digital format below: