Sault native's company, based in southern Ontario, creating jobs locally

When Sault Ste. Marie native Greg Dinsdale left this city to study and work elsewhere, he had no idea he would one day be head of a company creating jobs in his hometown.

But that’s exactly what is happening.

Dinsdale is president and CEO of LBMX Inc., a London, Ont.-based company which develops software solutions for small businesses.

LBMX was named large business of the year at the London Chamber of Commerce business achievement awards Wednesday.

LBMX, established in 2001 by Dinsdale and two business partners, has its main office in London, with offices in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S., and, since 2019, a satellite Canadian office in the Sault.

“We’ve got a great team in the Sault,” Dinsdale said.

The LBMX Sault office opened in a bricks and mortar space in 2019.

That office space became vacant after the pandemic struck, but the company itself has 10 employees in the Sault, working remotely.

Dinsdale plans to increase the number of LBMX employees locally.

“I can see that growing.”

“There are good technology people in the Sault, and programs, particularly at the college, that are really, really good. They produce good technology people. There are enough tech jobs in the Sault, like at OLG and other companies, that there’s a thriving community of technology people, so it just made sense that (Sault Ste. Marie) was a place where we should locate to, in terms of adding additional resources,” Dinsdale said.

“We had good feelings about it. I know some people in the tech industry and they always spoke highly of the quality of the people (in the Sault) and that’s certainly been borne out.”

Dinsdale said the company plans to hire another eight to 10 people soon, some of those to work in the Sault.

Dinsdale is a Lakeway Collegiate graduate who attended the University of Waterloo and York University.

He worked for IBM in Canada and the U.K., later returning to Canada and starting up LBMX in London.

LBMX has approximately 75 employees - 55 in London, 10 in the Sault and a few others at other offices worldwide.

One Sault employee is Michael Wood, LBMX senior developer and team lead.

“It’s fantastic. I love the Sault and I love LBMX and the fact that I get to work for them from here. It’s the best of both worlds,” Wood said.

“Beyond the fact that they are an award winning company, which they completely deserved, I feel extra lucky to work for such a good company remotely,” Wood said.

Of the award received from the London Chamber of Commerce, Dinsdale said “it’s really about the people you have. Our assets are our people, so it’s nice for them to get recognition for their achievements.”