Guelph-Eramosa councillors seemed enthusiastic last week about the county’s business retention and expansion project.
Project coordinator Carolyn O’Donnell explained to council on Aug. 12 that the county will coordinate the project, with each of the seven lower tier municipalities compiling local information.
The project is a spin-off of the county’s economic development strategy, which identified four predominant industries in Wellington County: manufacturing, agriculture, health care and the creative professional sector.
The initial goals of the project are to first develop a comprehensive list of businesses within Wellington County and then conduct interviews with representatives in the four main sectors to identify concerns and challenges for small- to medium-sized businesses and to build upon the strengths.
O’Donnel explained each municipality will choose its own businesses and coordinate its own interviews – starting next month.
Councillor Doug Breen asked about the industries that do not fall into the four main categories, such as highway commercial businesses.
O’Donnell said the business retention and expansion project could be opened up to include other industries in the future, but the county, on the advice of provincial officials, wants to first concentrate on those four sectors.
Breen said he liked the idea of a business retention and expansion project and the rest of council seemed in agreement.
