LocoMobi to park its production in Niagara

Written by Luke Edwards NiagaraThisWeek.com

As he simultaneously tells a story and explains a feature on one of his inventions, while also bringing up a video on a different piece of technology it becomes painfully evident just how much disdain Grant Furlane has for anything that slows him down.

And with that, it comes as no surprise the company he owns has a focus of solving transportation problems.

Furlane is the CEO and co-founder of LocoMobi World, which uses technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to offer a range of transportation-related solutions to cities in the 21st century. His goal is to get people moving more efficiently and effectively, solving congestion problems and helping the climate crisis at the same time.

During the next year the company plans to consolidate its manufacturing arm with an eye to moving everything to Canada, and more specifically, Niagara. That includes production of its Mobi 2.0 robot.

With the help of a government grant, Furlane said they plan to close all overseas operations and eventually have manufacturing done in Niagara while maintaining a head office in Mississauga.

Though he said many of his dealings with officials in China and elsewhere have been good, the chance to consolidate in Canada and promote the region as the next high-tech hub, similar to Silicon Valley in California, is an opportunity he can’t pass up.

“We have smart people here (in Canada),” he said. “It’s a trusted brand everywhere.”

Furlane said LocoMobi has several partners, both on the private and public sides. Condo developments in the Greater Toronto Area use LocoMobi technology to deliver frictionless, smart and convenient parking solutions. The company also recently announced a deal with the City of Kitchener to provide its smart parking management system to five municipal parking garages and 15 surface properties.

The Mobi 2.0 robot can monitor spaces, and alert officials to parking and traffic violators. But Furlane said the opportunities are endless. Mobi can alert staff to overflowing garbage cans, snow plow operators to residential roads that are too packed with cars to send a plow through or security staff to late-night parking lot fights.

Locally, LocoMobi recently partnered with the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority to provide entry and exit controls, as well as payment options to marina visitors and users.

Furlane isn’t shy about expressing his love for technology and the hope it provides in solving many of society’s problems. “It might be here to save the world,” he said of AI.

He said his technology can help towns and cities, as well as private companies. He’s also working on technology that could help Niagara’s agriculture sector be more efficient and effective.

For many, his vision could seem like a short trip to a dystopian future they’ve made books and movies about, but Furlane stresses that’s not the case. “I don’t want to be Big Brother, I just want to make things safer and more efficient,” he said.

Furlane said the company is looking for a building in the 15,000 to 20,000-square-foot range, and other than that, he doesn’t have a ton of requirements. If things are as successful as he hopes, expansion could come soon.

“If I’ve got a problem (with lack of space) that’s a good problem to have,” he said. He expects the move to bring 30 to 40 jobs to the region.

Finding a place in Niagara has the added bonus of its proximity to the United States. “The ability to jump into the U.S. is great,” he said, adding a warehouse just across the border might be a next step.

For more information on the company, visit locomobiworld.com.