People

A Proud Moment:
Jagmohan Singh Chawla

ALANAH DUFFY

 

 

 

Jagmohan "Jag" Singh Chawla calls this the proudest moment of his career.

Jagmohan Singh, the president of Apex Logistics, was just named the 2013 Business Person of the Year by the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce, in Brockville, Ontario, Canada.

“To be recognized by the citizens and my peers in the business community is a wonderful feeling,” Jagmohan said.

“It's hard to explain. It's very satisfying and humbling.”

Jagmohan, 70, has lived in Brockville for 45 years. He came to the city to work as an industrial engineer with Automatic Electric after earning his Master's degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Over the years, he worked in senior management with the same company, which evolved into Microtel, Nortel and SCI. After SCI closed the Strowger Boulevard facility in 2002, he bought the building four years later and started Apex Logistics.

In the seven years since the purchase, the 450,000 square foot building has morphed from being nearly empty to having more than 20 tenants, including doctors, Steve Clark's office and Transcom.

“I think with the initiatives of APEX, we've managed to retain a lot of jobs in Brockville that could have gone out,” Jagmohan Singh said.

Dave Paul, Brockville's economic development director, said he was “elated” to hear of Jagmohan's Business Person of the Year designation. Paul and Jag have known each other for more than 20 years and continue to work closely on economic development initiatives.

“He does so much for business that people don't even know about,” Paul said.

“He's one of those behind the scenes, humble people that just go out of their way to make deals happen.”

Paul said Jag will go out of his way to have his tenants remain in Brockville, using Transcom as an example. When Transcom closed 13 other facilities in North America, the Brockville facility remained open.

“Transcom has stayed here and retained here because of some of the things that Jag's done on the leasehold improvement to keep the cost down so the company can stay competitive,” Paul said.

“He's such a warm and caring person with very impeccable character.”

Jagmohan Singh is also a member of the city's Economic Development Advisory Team (EDAT) for the industrial sector. His EDAT commitment is something he finds really enjoyable, he said.

“It's something to contribute to the city and the community,” he added.

“We always said we would go with the retention and expansion of jobs in the area. So, we are practicing what we are preaching, I guess.”

Jagmohan is married to Dr. Harvinder Kaur Chawla. They have a son and daughter, Jasmeet Singh and Harmeet Kaur, who are both medical doctors in the city.

Jagmohan said he stayed in Brockville because it is the “perfect place” to raise his family. Both of his children are graduates of Thousand Islands Secondary School.

The Business Person of the Year Award will be formally presented at the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce's Awards of Excellence Gala on November 14, 2013.

Chamber president David Keenleyside said Jagmohan's award is well-deserved.

“He has transformed the former SCI facility into a dynamic, diverse and important business centre that fosters employment and innovation in our region,” Keenleyside said.

Jagmohan said he is especially thankful to the city of Brockville.

He has had support from the mayor's office, the economic development office and the city's planning department, he said.

“Without all that, this wouldn't have been easy. They make it so easy for us,” he said.

“It's a good city to be in. The mayor cares and the city cares.”

 

[Courtesy: Recorder. Edited for sikhchic.com]

October 11, 2013

 

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