Provincial funding is helping Belleville’s Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) Program survey the city’s manufacturing sector to learn how to better support and grow business in the region.
The city received $51,025 in Rural Economic Development Funding (RED) from the province and used it to launch its Prosper Belleville program.
Victoria Watts, Business Growth & Retention Specialist for the City of Belleville says the program includes in-person interviews with local manufacturing businesses to understand their challenges, identifying opportunities of growth, and learning how to attract new business to the region in a post-COVID environment.
BR+E Task Force Chair Rick Jeffrey says the last time they surveyed the manufacturing sector was 2012.
He says, “So it was time to reach back out, particularly given the new challenges that COVID brought to the table. These businesses are the drivers of our local economy and our Economic Development Committee, Task Force and staff want to do all we can to support their success.”
Interviews are expected to continue through November.
A report and action plan will be presented to the manufacturing sector and the public next spring.
