Recently announced head of city agency, Invest Medicine Hat, Jason Melhoff (centre), cuts the ceremonial grand opening ribbon at the Compass Business Centre on Second Street in early 2016 with building partners Ryan Jackson (left) and Jon Sookocheff (right). The two men previously led the Invest organization when it was a contracted out city service up to the late summer in 2019.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
There will be a familiar face in front of the City of Medicine Hat’s new look investment attraction program.
Jason Melhoff, a well-known local business man and former head of the local Chamber of Commerce, was named the managing director of Invest Medicine Hat on Tuesday afternoon.
He takes the lead in an economic development effort that began in 2017 focused on taking a private-sector approach to lure new investment and industry to the city.
That was a contracted-out effort that claimed victory when Aurora Cannabis and hemp-oil processor Folium Biosciences announced major projects here, but was wound up and brought inside city hall last summer.
Administrators at the time vowed to create “Invest 2.0” by creating better access points between the city’s land and business support offices, officials in the utility department and top administrators to create a more seamless process for potential investors.
A release on Tuesday reiterates the office will focus not only on drawing new investment, as previous, but will “further the City’s strategy to promote, enable and facilitate economic vitality and community vibrancy,” by engaging existing business owners.
Melhoff, who begins the job on March 2, was not available for an interview on Tuesday, but commented in the city release.
“I look forward to working with the IMH Group … to evolving our competitive advantage offerings nationally, while creating a sustainable growth model to prosper the community and surrounding area for years to come,” said Melhoff.
“Every member of the community has the opportunity to work with IMH to become a part of our local success stories while enhancing well-being for all.”
City of Medicine Hat chief administrator Bob Nicolay, whose office is directly responsible for the Invest department, said Melhoff brings a “tremendous amount of experience and success in the private sector and we are looking forward to capitalizing on those skill.”
“Our focus for the past few years has been to cultivate an environment that supports and facilitates economic development and business growth, and we are confident he will be very effective in progressing us even further,” stated Nicolay.
Melhoff is perhaps best known as a principle at Melhoff Security and ProCom Technology, two local firms which merged in the early 2000s.
He served as president at the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce in 2009 and again in 2013. He lists several consulting and investment, development and property acquisition companies on his resume. That includes holding an ownership stake in the Compass Business Centre in downtown Medicine Hat, where the previous Invest operation was based and is partly owned by former Invest contract holders Ryan Jackson and Jon Sookocheff.
