May 02, 2012

Picton, Ontario [April 30, 2012] - Daryl Kramp, Member of Parliament for Prince Edward–Hastings, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), today announced a Government of Canada Community Futures Program investment to support Little Think Tank Studios (LTTS), a gaming & animation company relocating from California to Prince Edward County, Ontario.

“Our Government is proud to partner with CFDCs like PELA who work hard to bring innovative new businesses and quality jobs to our area.” said Kramp.  “Exciting initiatives such as this not only help strengthen our local economy but also make Prince Edward County a destination for leading edge technology-related employment opportunities.”

Little Think Tank Studios is a stealth mode, mobile and social game development studio, led by some of the most successful senior and executive talent from Blizzard, Sony, Naughty Dog, Bungie, Industrial Light & Magic, and Facebook.  LTTS games distill all the fun and goodness of hardcore games into accessible, easy to learn, casual game slices you can play anytime, anywhere, on your mobile, tablet, or PC.  They are currently developing their first title for iOS, Facebook, and Android platforms.

“PELA CFDC is extremely pleased with the creation of jobs that has resulted from the private sector and the Federal Government’s investments in the 8 IT businesses locating in the PEC Innovation Centre over the past 9 months.  The arrival of Little Think Tank Studios is representative of the creative talent that has chosen our community as a centre for their operations”, said Debra Marshall, Chair of PELA CFDC.  “The investment of private sector and government funding into these businesses is benefiting our communities through yet another avenue of economic growth.  With the attraction of Little Think Tank Studios, our community has gained more employment opportunities for both the more experienced and younger generation in a creative and exciting industry.”

LTTS will be re-locating to the recently opened PEC Innovation Centre, a $1.25 million, 15,000 sq. ft., 24 suite, tech-sector focused business acceleration facility that brings together private and public sector financing, mentorship, post-secondary educational institutions, and business advisory services on scenic Picton harbour.

Steve Chan, CEO of Little Think Tank commented, “I was immediately attracted to all that Prince Edward County has to offer.  It has many similarities to where I’m coming from- north of San Francisco, California and wine country.  But what made this move a great investment for my company was the partnership with the PEC Innovation Centre and serial entrepreneur Conrad Guziewicz, seed capital financing from PELA CFDC that is hard to find even in Silicon Valley and access to a highly skilled labour market through Loyalist College’s Animation Department and Queen’s University Com Sci Department which is a huge competitive advantage in our industry.  We have all the ingredients to make a truly great company.”

“On behalf of Council and the community, I offer a warm welcome to Steve Chan and Little Think Tank Studios, congratulations to The PEC Innovation Centre, and my appreciation and thanks to PELA CFDC and the Government of Canada who made this success story possible,” said Mayor Peter A. Mertens.

PELA CFDC is one of 37 CFDCs in Southern Ontario funded by the Community Futures Program through FedDev Ontario.  CFDCs deliver a wide variety of programs and services to support community economic development and small business growth.  They employ local staff and are each governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, made up of local residents representative of the community.

To find out more about PELA CFDC, visit us at www.pelacfdc.ca