July 2015 Inside this issue: GM’s Report Member Spotlight New Members Events Review Meet the New Board Recommended Reading
CHAMBER at a glance
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a publication of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Best Interests of Business
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s I write my first article for the Strategic Plan. I’m happy to see that Chamber at a Glance as council is focusing on simple, yet key Chamber President, I’ve had a priorities for our city. It seems that with few minutes to reflect on how lucky I am our new mayor and council has come a to be involved in such a great more business-friendly approach to organization. The Chamber network running and growing our city. allows individuals involved in the movement to grow and become better The plan seems agreeable and aligns and well rounded business people. I with key advocacy points coming out of believe our Brandon Chamber’s strength our chamber, which speaks to our lies in the fact that those who are board’s success in lobbying council in our involved care deeply about our one-on-one councillor pairings. We are community and work to advance the taking member concerns, business issues best interests of and our internal the Brandon policies directly to “a strong and business the decision community. I’ve makers and growing business been humbled influencing community delivers by the words of outcomes at the encouragement civic level. benefits to everyone and ideas for in Brandon” future initiatives We’ve advocated from all walks of for strategic the business community: new business investments in infrastructure where owners to past Chamber Presidents. The developers want to develop, which people who do business in this town care Mayor Rick Chrest has touched upon in about the greater good of our growing his State of the City address, and again in city. the Brandon Sun on June 17th. Part of the City’s Prosperity By Design Economic And speaking of our growing city, I’m Development Plan focuses on growing writing this on the eve of the city council our regional, destination retail market releasing their “Our Plan - Our City” and indications show that the business
Jordan Ludwig, Chamber President case for this makes most sense in the south end of our city. We encourage the City to appropriate the necessary lands from the RM of Cornwallis and invest in infrastructure where industry wants to develop right now. Our Chamber of Commerce building is in the heart of downtown Brandon, we’re encouraged to see a renewed focus on downtown Brandon revitalization. Redeveloping and increasing density in an area that is already serviced with infrastructure simply makes sense. The Province, the City, and the business community need to work together to find a catalyst to jumpstart downtown growth. We’ll be advocating for building code-equivalencies that make redevelopment of old buildings easier and financial incentives to entice (Continued on page 6)