,BNMPPQT Invest in Our City Kamloops’ economy is strong, diverse and continues to see consistent growth. Our city is Western Canada’s key transportation hub and we enjoy low business costs and a highly educated workforce. These factors help us attract and support an ever increasing number of businesses that recognize Kamloops as a sustainable community and a centre for innovation. Other advantages include our unparalleled natural environment, cosmopolitan urban areas and unique lifestyle which all factor into why so many look to start, move or grow their businesses here. Key Sectors Forestry, mining, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, health services, agriculture and retail have always anchored the economy of Kamloops as core industries. Now more than ever, emerging areas of high-tech, education and tourism are strengthening this business base, contributing to our growth. Forestry B.C. is the largest producer of forest products in Canada and our area accounts for the 2nd highest concentration of value-added plants in the province. Additionally, the number of value-added wood products manufactured in Kamloops continues to grow ranging from plywood and veneer products to prefabricated housing units and custom kitchen cabinets. Mining Kamloops’ mining history dates back over 100 years and as such, mineral exploration and mining have been a regional economic strength for decades. As a mining hub, there are four major active mines, four in environmental assessment and two in drilling programs located in our area. This significant concentration has resulted in a cluster of industries locating here to support mining operations and bringing skilled mining personnel, consultants, assay labs and mining suppliers to our city ready to work. Manufacturing Manufacturing is a major contributor to our local economy with 120+ companies operating here and employing over 7.1% of the population. Approximately 75% of local manufacturers are exporting to the international market and most companies service both a local market and broader regional markets including Western Canada, the U.S., Europe and Asia. Transportation and Logistics Kamloops is a vital transportation hub in Western Canada providing a diverse range of logistics solutions with direct links to the rest of the world by road, rail and air. The city is the meeting place of Western Canada’s four major highways, the North and South Thompson Rivers, and the CN and CP Railways. We also provide service throughout North America with connections to every part of the world through the Kamloops Airport (YKA). Health Services The city is the regional health centre for the Thompson Nicola Regional District with major facilities including the Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops’ Cancer Centre and two new state-of-the-art mental health
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facilities. Over 50 agencies and 150 physicians provide healthcare services here making our city a centre of healthcare excellence. Thompson Rivers University’s Respiratory Therapy, Nursing and other programs help fill the all important need for skilled workers. Agriculture Over 2,000 hours of annual sunshine lends to the ideal climate that supports our agriculture industry. Warm, dry summers are desirable for field, fruit, and vegetable crops as well as specialty crops such as herbs, berries and specialty trees. Approximately 50% of local production is shipped to the west coast of B.C. making our ability to move products to other locations cost-efficient. Retail Kamloops is the regional geographic centre for commercial trade and services in the Thompson Nicola Regional District with a primary and secondary trade area exceeding 220,000 people. As the largest economic sector in the city, the retail segment employs 12.9% of the labour force and our city offers a variety of shopping with three enclosed shopping centres and four big box-style retail centres. High-Tech With over 200 high-tech firms located in the region, our high-tech sector is robust and on par with major metropolitan areas in terms of communications infrastructure, which includes an extensive fibre optic network. Software providers, technology support services, and many research organizations call Kamloops home including TELUS who just opened their $75 million “state-of-the-art” Tier III Internet data centre citing our geography, climate, clean power and the presence of a highly skilled workforce as reasons for locating here. Education Kamloops boasts exceptional and diverse education facilities and programs including 33 elementary schools, 13 secondary schools and Thompson Rivers University (TRU), the 4th largest university in B.C. with over 13,000 students attending the campus school and another 11,000+ accessing online courses. Tourism Tourism continues to grow here with 9% of the population employed in the hospitality industry. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations injects over $15 million into our economy and we see benefits as a stopover point for bus tour companies travelling to the Rocky Mountains. As “Canada’s Tournament Capital” the city hosted over 120 tournaments last year, not including other countless events. If you’re considering starting, moving or expanding your business, put Kamloops at the top of your list where transportation, technology, business and lifestyle come together. Contact me for additional information. Jim Anderson, Executive Director Venture Kamloops jim@venturekamloops.com
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