Working with the city to manage growth will be a priority of the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce in 2024.
Chamber CEO Suzanne Andrews says population growth is wonderful but they have to have the proper business community to support it.
“How do we manage that growth? How do we make sure we’ve got the right mix? Continuing to make sure businesses can afford to be in business here in Quinte West.”
Andrews says they want to ensure Quinte West remains a welcoming place for businesses and a good place to do business and they’ll do that by implementing their new strategic plan developed in 2023.
Andrews says the plan, which is updated every few years, will see them working on brand identity to better reflect the current business community in Quinte West.
“The face of the business community is changing. There’s definitely more diversity. People coming from different cultures that are opening up businesses. Young people are starting businesses. You know, we’ve got a lot of women entrepreneurs in Quinte West. So definitely want to look at some of our branding materials and make sure that, you know, we are presenting ourselves in the right way.”
She says they also remain focused on providing more support for small- and medium-sized businesses as they adapt to the post-COVID landscape.
Hospitality- and tourism-based businesses, especially restaurants continue to struggle while the construction and manufacturing industries are thriving but are experiencing labour shortage and supply chain issues.
