The Huron Expositor, 1999-04-21, Page 5Retention committee reveals
results of its business survey
Business
community
needs to build
on its strengths,
say results
BY SCOTT HILGENftORF'F
Expositor Editor
With key, areas and -issues
identified. the Buslrtess
Retention and Expansion
Committee is preparing to
take action..'
"We're at a crossroads
. now. ' said Gwen Devereaux
of the committee at an April
12 open house.
The committee spent the
fall and winter assessing and -
sorting out information
gathered from more than 100
arca businesses in attempts to
t'ind ways to improve the
comntunit\ fur new and.
existing businesses.
The ripen house was held
to make .available to tits
puhlic some of • the
information gathered front
the surey. .
It was broken down into
live main areas where aitiun
should' he focussed: human •
resources, husiness
opportunities. networking.
building tin our strengths and
technology. • •
• Paul `ichor of the Hurint •
Business i )cv�elopnicnt
Corporation . Lays an
• overview of those arra,.
pointing* to a lack -of attention
paid to planning and trainin,_
needs of the community
human resource..
He said ' half .the
manufacturing businesses
Surveyed expressed concerns
about their distance trim
host'secondary Institutions.
In other areas of busine*1:
he said theta: is no training
• provided to emph 'c -
"Eighty -two per cent of
businesses havens er done.
any formal training needs
analysis.'. Nichols
adding . • one-third of
• manufacturers find it difficult
to keep emjiloyccs. •
Under husiness
opportunities. the .grosso
developed a list of businesses
. that respondents thought
would he viable.
Adding those cxpre'sed•
was a need tor agriculturally.
based businesses.
-We're certainly -11i the
centre of.onc of the. most
agriculturally prodilctive•
areas in Canada." stud
Nichols.
Also included in the Inst
was the need for .t food
Paul Nichol of the Huron Business Development Corporation leads a discussion in
issues surrounding the area's human resources at a Business Retention and Expansion
Committee open house held April 13 at the Legion.
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processing husiness.. farmer's
market. fine dining
estahlishinent and indoor
recreation facility.
Also included under
husiness opportunities was a
section on the quality of life
in the area.
"Light -six per cent
considered it a strong
:advantage;' said Nichols. .
Respondents- think
S.caiorth is a Safe. ,quiet
•ronununity with excellent
Health facilities and sec it as
a great place to raise
children.
"That's something else \ ou
can market. the quality of life
in 'Nom community:' Nichols
said:
A&'cording to results
headed under ''networking."
businesses • tend to he
independent and don't often
"compare notes" with one
another., -
.-kccording
nother.-
:orcurding to thesurvey.
tit- per cent of
respondents; do not know
whether -or not the town has a
• strategic economic
development plan.
It was also pointed out that
sonic biiSinesses buy raw
materials outside the area
hat might be produced
locally or could be developed
by local manufacturers..
said the surrey
rc c eased a potential for the
community to build on its
strengths from its strongly
supported high-sehool-to the
-recreation programs
ayarlablc.
He also said upcoming
arnalgamatiur.s will probably
leave •the -town with a
prominent role
"That's something to- look
forward to, he said.
According to results in
technological:areas. there is
limited adoption --of
technology tiny local
businesses.
Nichols said people arc,
slow to adopt the. internet as
a -business tool.
Jane Mueggc of Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture.
Fuad and Rural Affairs said
the community needs to
develop an action plan' to
tackle the issues raised in
those areas.
"A lot of things have been
accomplished but there'sa
lot to do." she . said.
OMAFRA is the parent
organization • that is
Monitoring the BR and E.
program, Seaforth is one of
seven pilot project, for this
program and iS seen as the
most successful so far.
:Members of the committee
and public who attended the
open house were asked to
work together in groups that•
explored'each of the survey
finding topics to'brainstorm
on issues relating to them
and ways to address them.
Concern that
.unemployment is Itiw here
because people leave this
area tri find work was one of
the issues raised.
Others were concerned
there isn't enough land for
further' industrial
dc�clopmcnt_ and that a small
.husiness cannot afford -the
time it takes;;to effectively
train someone before they
become• a productive part of
the husiness.
There --were suggestions for
a
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Goderich's Harbouraires and Seatorth's Harmony Hi-Lites joined forces Sunday evening
at Northside United Church. The two groups performed a concert to raise funds for
Camp Menesetung that provides summer camps for children across the area.
STEPHANIE PALE PHOTOS
•
HILGENDORFF PHOTO
apprenticeship training
programs and the need for
jots that suit young retirees
who •come hack to Seaforth
or look -to -settle here for the
first time.
Others strongly supported
the need to promote the town
to people )'n other areas. •
The information generated
..by the brainstorniers /has
been compiled,and •will he
looked at by the committee at
its next meeting in May..
.Devereaux said the group
would like to meet with
/service clubs and other
organizations to further
develop plans for the future.
"We've got all kinds of
plans- ,she said. such as a
promotional brochure being
made for the town. She.
hopes the committee will
now form subcommittees to
begin working on future
plans.
Shc said this -is a good time
for new volunteers to join the
committee as t6ey begin to
plan.their next -projects. •
"This stage is just the first
istage...we have /to keep
going. If we do nothing. it
was stupid for us to even
start out.- said Joe Steffler.
Chair. of the BR and E
committee.
'If you think positiyc.
things will happen," he said.•
THE HURON EXPOSITOR, April 21, 1999-5
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