Business Leader Winter 2019

wa BUSINESS WINTER EDITION 2019

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Herwynen Sawmill

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WELLINGTON COUNTY

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A North American leader in flooring

MINIMUM WAGE FREEZE Small businesses laud government

WELLINGTON CIP County creates its own Community Improvement Plan

USMCA PASSED Dairy farmers concerned about new trade deal

MSW PLASTICS INC. Company makes Growth 500 list

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contents 4

HERWYNEN SAWMILL

6

MINIMUM WAGE FREEZE

10

WELLINGTON COUNTY CIP

14

USMCA IMPACT ON DAIRY FARMERS

18

CHAMBER ROUND-UP

22

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

24

GRAND OPENINGS

26

NORTH WELLINGTON CO-OP OPENS NEW FACILITY

29

BIA ROUND-UP

30

CHEQUES & BALANCES

32

THE SOCIAL CORNER

34

BUSINESS LEADER

PUBLISHER DAVE ADSETT EDITOR CHRIS DAPONTE ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAIME MYSLIK WRITERS MIKE ROBINSON, PATRICK RAFTIS ARYN STRICKLAND, PHIL GRAVELLE SALES JIM ALEXANDER DREW MOCHRIE, SUE OTTO FAYE CRAIG, GLENN GEORGE DESIGN HELEN MICHEL, ALICIA ROZA JACQUELINE FURFARO, STEVE GILHOLM DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR KELLY WATERHOUSE

Contact us Business Leader Magazine 905 Gartshore Street, Box 252 Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W8 Email:

businessleader@wellingtonadvertiser.com

*COVER PHOTO by Aryn Strickland: Peter Herwynen of Herwynen Sawmill

A homegrown success story A few years ago I bumped into a neighbour Wellington, east of Oustic. with briefcase in hand, heading into the Royal They also employ over 100 staff, which Bank. After quick pleasantries, I offered adds greatly to the local economy. Neighbours congratulations on what is considered a true, who have resided in the area for generations homegrown success story in the wilds of old are quite proud of the boys and happy to see Eramosa Township. success in their midst.

Details of that story start with the cover page of this edition of Business Leader.

Are you a business leader?

Three plus decades later, Herwynen Saw The Herwynen Sawmill story has parallels Mill and its Superior Flooring brand are with many enterprises in Wellington that have synonymous with quality and attention to grown from a small business to become a detail, serving markets across North America. major employer.

Like most small businesses that grew, the Business owners can learn from one story of the Herwynen Sawmill wasn’t an another in terms of experiences and common overnight success. Instead it was a case of impediments to growth. true entrepreneurial spirit We are always looking matched with an incredible for stories to share. amount of hard work and a Contact Chris Daponte at willingness to adapt to meet businessleader@wellingIt was a market expectations. tonadvertiser.com. case of true The Herwynen boys credit their upbringing on A far different tale entrepreneurial the family farm with their A new government spirit matched strong work ethic, leading elected this past summer with ... hard to their ultimate success. has stayed and rejected Their parents came many proposals of the work and a to Canada from Holland previous regime, such as willingness to and, like many European increasing the minimum adapt ... farmers moving here, wage to $15 per hour, they were progressive and scheduling rules, sick days worked incredibly hard to and latterly there has been raise a family. movement on overtime Farm life leaves few options when work averaging and ministerial approval being needs to be done, so very often that stick-withrequired for work weeks that extend past 48 it-until-the-job-is-finished attitude serves hours. The perspective on these changes can entrepreneurs well in their future pursuits. be quite different, depending if one is an The successful transition from start-up to employee or employer. established enterprise is also worth exploring A casual chat with a local accountant further. The three brothers, Peter, John and suggests the caution warning issued last fall Dave, have managed to make their roles in Business Leader arising from these costly evolve within the company as it grew. Many changes was warranted. In fact, numerous companies, let alone family businesses, find businesses saw marked differences in net that task difficult, but obviously each have profit this past fiscal year, directly attributable confidence in the other’s ability. Perhaps in a to increased labour costs. word it amounts to trust between partners.

For 2019, Business Leader suggests caution Collaboration on investments is another again, as changes to CPP kick in and a long tricky manoeuvre the family firm seems to expected economic downturn becomes more have worked out. When consumers demanded inevitable. ready-to-lay, pre-finished flooring, the boys put up a plant to handle that task. It is safe to suggest this family company has invested tens of millions of dollars in Wellington County, DAVE ADSETT, with a plant in Guelph-Eramosa near Highway PUBLISHER 7 and the original home plant now in Centre

“

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Minto council has given support in principal to a proposal that would allow outdoor patios at potential new restaurants in Palmerston.

In the fall council put its support behind two potential tenants in Gurmit Singh’s building, former Mac’s building, who wished to put in patios. The potential tenants include a sports bar and coffee shop.

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The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) held its first ever Community Recognition Program on Nov. 13 to showcase and acknowledge the impact OLG revenues made in Centre Wellington.

The township received $2,280,000 that was used for a number of projects, such as reconstruction of West Mill and Tom Streets, improvements to rural roads, a pavement plan and urban forestry canopy and the replacement of the roof over Pad A at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus.

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necessary to repair vehicles according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

“We’ve worked hard to stay ahead of the curve in the collision repair industry,” said Hutten owner John Hutten. “This official certification demonstrates that commitment to our customers.

“We take pride in our highly trained technicians who use the latest tools and equipment to deliver a top quality repair and the best customer service.”

CANNABIS STORES Municipalities have until Jan. 22 to opt out of allowing private cannabis stores within their communities. This is a onetime-only offer and municipalities will be able to opt-in at any time.

Recently, the provincial government announced that funding options will vary depending on a municipality’s decision as of Jan. 22. More details will be announced at a future date.

As of Dec. 10 Erin had opted out of allowing cannabis stores; however no other municipalities within Wellington County had made a decision yet.

Private retail stores for cannabis will be permitted as of April 1, 2019.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario will grant store licences and the Ontario Cannabis Store will be the exclusive wholesaler for private outlets.

NEW LOCATION FOR MOUNT FOREST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce has a new president. Past president David Sharpe has passed the torch to new president Shawn McLeod.

The chamber has also moved to a new permanent location at 248B Main Street North, Mount Forest, N0G 2L2.

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Proprietor, Partnership or Corporation: How should I structure my business?

One of the most common questions we accountants get from our clients at Collins Barrow is whether to structure their business as a proprietorship, partnership or corporation. To determine which structure makes the most sense to you, there are a variety of factors you need to consider:

Simplicity and Administrative Costs Partnerships and proprietorships are a lot simpler to administer than corporations. For example, financial statements are not always required thereby reducing accounting and bookkeeping complications and costs.

For corporations, accounting and bookkeeping costs will be higher because of the added complexity of the corporation and the necessity to prepare financial statements along with separate corporate and personal tax returns. Additional legal costs will also be incurred to set-up the corporation and prepare annual shareholders’ resolutions.

Limited Liability With partnerships and proprietorships, all personal assets (not just the business assets) can be exposed to the creditors of the business.

Additionally, in the case of partnerships, each partner is jointly and severally liable for the actions of the other partners. This means that even if only one of several partners is negligent, all of the partners can be exposed to the accompanying loss.

The corporation, because it is a separate legal entity, provides protection of personal assets from creditors. It should be noted though that lenders often require personal guarantees for corporate debts anyway that would offset some of this protection.

Canada Pension Plan Like employees, proprietors and partners must make Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions on their business income.

However, unlike employees, self-employed individuals must pay both the employer and employee share of the CPP premiums. For example, the self-employed maximum CPP contribution in 2018 (assuming at least $55,900 of income per individual) would be $5,187.60, compared to $2,593.80 for an employee.

However, even though the self-employed individual pays double the CPP of what an employee would pay, the benefit they will receive from CPP will be the same. For this reason, the return on investment for self-employed individuals on the CPP is poor relative to the non-self employed. This is especially true if the business owner happens to die prematurely.

While there is a CPP benefit for survivors, it only brings the survivor’s income up to the maximum CPP an individual can receive. In other words, if the survivor is already receiving the maximum CPP benefit based on their own, they will receive nothing more on the death of their spouse.

For corporations, CPP also has to be paid if salaries are paid to the shareholders. However,

shareholders also have the option of being paid dividends instead of salaries. Since CPP contributions are not required on dividends, shareholders could instead invest the CPP premiums saved in an investment account (such as an RRSP or TFSA) that could potentially provide a much higher return than CPP for disciplined individuals. This option of being paid dividends to save CPP is not available to proprietorships and partnerships.

Deductibility of Losses For proprietorships and partnerships, any losses for tax purposes from the business can be deducted against other sources of personal income. For corporations, losses can only be used to offset business or property income within the corporation.

If losses are expected in your business and you have other income sources, it may be preferable to have a proprietorship or partnership over a corporation to be able to use these loses.

Tax Deferral Proprietorships and partnerships are exposed to progressively higher tax rates as taxable income increases. This means that profitable businesses could be paying income tax at rates over 50% therefore limiting the amount of aftertax cash available to invest in the business.

Corporations, on the other hand, have a flat tax rate of only 13.5% in Ontario (reducing further to 12.5% in 2019) up to $500,000 of taxable income. This low rate of tax means there is more money available in the business to pay off debt, invest in assets and meet working capital obligations compared to partnerships or proprietorships.

As an example, let’s assume the business has a $250,000 interest-free loan. Owner A is incorporated with a tax rate of 12.5%. Owner B is not incorporated and has a tax rate of 40%.

Owner A would require $285,715 in profits to retire this loan at 12.5% tax. Owner B would require $416,667 on profits to retire the same loan. In other words, Owner A would be well on his or her way with their next asset acquisition before Owner B can handle another loan. The addition of interest in this example would only make the Owner A scenario even more attractive.

If should be noted that this deferral advantage would be lost if all the corporate profits were paid out to the shareholder. However, this is not a concern if the goal is to re-invest and grow the business as is often the case with growing businesses.

It should also be noted that the deferral advantage for corporations increases as income increases. For businesses with lower incomes, there may be little to no tax deferral advantage at all.

Social Benefits Many government benefits, such as the personal HST credit, EI maternity benefits, the Canada Child Benefit and Old Age Security are affected by the amount of income reported on the personal tax return. In the case of proprietorships and partnerships, all of the income generated from the business has to be reported on the personal tax return regardless of whether it is actually needed for living expenses and this could limit or eliminate these benefits.

With a corporation, you can limit the amount of wages and dividends paid to the shareholders and therefore it is much easier to qualify for these benefits.

Non-Calendar Year-End Corporations can choose a non-calendar year-end for tax purposes. The main advantage of this is to provide a window of time to plan in advance for personal taxes which are always based on the December 31 year-end. Another advantage is that the year-end can be chosen at a time when the business is not as busy and you have more time to attend to the year-end administrative work.

Secondary Wills Under Ontario law, secondary wills can be setup to address the shares of private corporations.

The advantage of doing so is that the assets of the corporation would not subject to probate tax upon the death of the shareholder which can be up to 2% of the value of the business.

It is not possible to set-up a secondary will to deal with the business assets of proprietorships and partnerships. Therefore, the probate tax cannot be avoided.

Conclusion This article outlines only some of the major advantages and disadvantages of each type of business structure. There are many additional complexities that cannot be addressed in a single article. Therefore, it is important to get professional advice to determine which business structure is right for you. Collins Barrow can provide that professional advice to make sure you make the right decision.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 5

PETER HERWYNEN, HERWYNEN SAWMILL

“

Herwynen Sawmill a North American leader in flooring The Canadian hardwood flooring industry is awash with foreign products and businesses based in Quebec, yet Superior Flooring outside of Rockwood has risen to international recognition.

The company, owned and operated by family-run Herwynen Sawmill, has made a name for itself across North America as a producer of quality pre-finished solid hardwood flooring.

The company is a member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), an international not-for-profit trade association that oversees the quality of wood flooring.

It was the first company in North America to meet the NWFA’s updated quality standards assurance when it was last updated in 2011.

Since then, Herwynen Sawmill

continually receives a 99.8 per cent rating from the association during biannual on-site assessments, the latest of which was in September.

Both sales manager Peter and quality control manager John, two brothers out of the Herwynen trio that started the business, say their success comes down to hard work and quality products.

“I grew up on a farm, we all did, so we had a good work ethic, which was a big thing I think for a business owner,” Peter said.

The brothers started off working for other sawmills in the Guelph area during the 1980s. That’s where they first learned about processing lumber.

It quickly became a passion, inspiring them to start their own company in 1986.

“After work we would come home and

6 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

I grew up on a farm, we all did, so we had a good work ethic, which was a big thing I think for a business owner.

“

ARYN STRICKLAND GUELPH-ERAMOSA

PETER HERWYNEN, HERWYNEN SAWMILL

work on building our own business,” said John.

At the time their father had a three-acre farm 15 minutes from Rockwood.

John, Peter and Dave Herwynen decided to build the first rough cut lumber facility on a small piece of land severed from the farm.

When they started the Herwynen mill, the brothers were cutting and selling board and batten.

By 1989 hardwood became the bigger market and the brothers expanded their business into manufacturing flooring, producing 7,000 square feet per day.

As they excelled in hardwood, they had to make a choice between growing the sawmill or manufacturing hardwood floors. For Peter, it was a quick decision they would go with flooring.

In the following few months, the brothers liquidated saws and other equipment.

Thirty-two years later, the company and manufacturing facility employ just over 100 people.

The company focuses on manufacturing pre-finished hardwood for its brand Superior Flooring and produces, on average, 35,000 square feet per day on the same property just outside Rockwood.

Peter says the Guelph-Eramosa location is ideal.

“Highway 25 is not far from here so, you look at the other manufacturers out of Quebec, look where they haul; they do a lot in Ontario,” he said.

“We are right here. We are in their backyard; we’re your neighbours. You get the product quicker; you’ve got a problem, you can come to my door if you really want to. It makes a big difference.”

Since its inception, the company has emphasized the quality of its hardwood by focusing on drying and milling the wood properly.

“We try to push for the best average length, and our finish has a 35-year warranty,” said John.

Selling longer lengths takes better lumber. And instead of using only a kiln for the drying process, the company air dries the wood, saving energy and time.

After the wood is dried it is placed on a system called a rip line and is processed into fixed widths before it is then put into bins, bagged, strapped, tagged and shipped down to the company’s other plant, to be pre-finished.

Quality is also what attracts buyers to the Superior Flooring brand, especially in this country.

“Canadians, I feel ... are very proud of what we do,” said Peter.

He explained 85 per cent of Superior Flooring products are sold in Canada, with only about 15% sold in the U.S. The brand is purchased by 80 different stores across the two countries.

To get ahead of its competitors, Superior Flooring focuses on diversifying its products. “(We’re) always trying to achieve new textures, finishing and colours,” John explained.

Over the past year the market has decreased by roughly 15 to 20% and the average production has slowed slightly since the market downturn.

“It’s slowed, but there are always ups and downs. Mostly, it’s because housing has slowed down. All of our competition is facing the same thing,” said John.

However, the company and the mill are continuing to grow despite the change.

“We just grew our pre-finish line, that was quite an investment, and we added a 30,000 square foot building,” said John.

In the last six months alone, the company has come up with four new colours and three new textures.

“That’s how much we believe in where we are headed,” added Peter.

HERWYNEN SAWMILL

“We are right here.

We are in their backyard; we’re your neighbours.

You get the product quicker; you’ve got a problem, you can come to my door if you really want to.”

PHOTOS: ARYN STRICKLAND

PETER HERWYNEN

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 7

A major concern for the company is an increase in foreign products.

In September, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. would be putting tariffs on Chinese products. As a result, some Chinese flooring companies are diverting their business to Canada.

“We can’t compete with their labour,” said Peter.

“As the population goes from richer to poorer, the middle class starts to look for better price points, even if it’s an Asian product because the Asian [companies] have gotten better at it and some of them are getting really good at it,” he said.

But for that too, the Herwynen brothers have a plan.

The company is looking at bringing in Asian products and advertising them separately from the Superior Flooring brand as an international product.

The company is in the midst of conducting quality control before making any final decisions, but as Peter asks, “They are already here, so why not join them?”

The family-oriented mentality helps make these decisions easier, he said.

“When it comes to purchasing, buildings, equipment we sit down as a team and look at what is the best direction,” Peter explained.

“If it makes sense for our company we proceed with the plan.”

Like good hardwood, the brothers’ roles within the company “just seemed to fit,” said John.

His passion for working with wood led him to take on the role of quality control manager. He loves transforming

something raw into a finished product.

“I like that it’s turning a log into something that’s useable like for siding, we did a lot of (that) in the beginning, or into hardwood for someone’s home,” said John.

Peter’s people-person drive made working on the business side of things a perfect fit, helping to grow the marketing branch of the company.

As production manager, Dave handles scheduling to meet the mill’s daily targets, ensuring the two sides of the business run smoothly.

Keeping the business in the family for

8 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

so many decades still has its challenges, the three brothers agree.

“It has its moments, but we tend to work together pretty good, the three of us,” said John.

Ultimately, that it is what launched Superior Flooring and made the business a success.

“It takes teamwork from partners,” Peter said.

“By myself I could never have done it;

by John’s self he could have never done it;

by Davey’s self he couldn’t have done it,” said Peter.

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I like that it’s turning a log into something that’s useable like for siding, we did a lot of (that) in the beginning, or into hardwood for someone’s home.

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“

JOHN HERWYNEN, HERWYNEN SAWMILL

And with all those years of experience behind them, the brothers are able to dole out some advice to those looking to take the plunge and start their own business.

“You’ve got to be willing to take a small pay cheque. We did for years, so that was the key,” said Peter.

In an age that celebrates instant gratification and results, the Herwynens are a reminder that producing something of exceptional quality takes time.

“You just have to work at it,” said John.

“Nothing comes easy.”

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Small businesses applaud minimum wage freeze PHIL GRAVELLE WELLINGTON COUNTY

Many small businesses in the county breathed a sigh of relief when Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government cancelled a planned increase in the minimum wage.

Business advocates complained vigorously when the previous Liberal government passed Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, increasing the minimum wage to $14 per hour on Jan. 1, 2018, and scheduled an increase to $15 on Jan. 1, 2019.

“The challenge with Bill 148 was that it was too much, too fast – the bill did not reflect employer feedback,” said Roberta Scarrow, executive director of the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

She noted the changes added a financial and administrative burden.

“We are pleased to see that the government has restored balance to Ontario’s labour laws,” said Scarrow.

Most of the measures in Bill 148 have been reversed by the Making Ontario Open for Business Act, though the $14 per hour minimum wage will not be reduced.

In addition, the Ontario College of Trades has been dissolved, with improvements planned for the journeyperson-to-

and into solid skilled trade jobs.”

Jackie Fraser, of Frabert’s Fresh Food in Fergus, said things were “pretty tough” in 2018, as the company’s payroll costs increased by about 12 per cent.

They were already paying most employees more than the minimum, but raised wages to compensate for the upward pressure. She reduced the store’s hours and worked more hours herself to control expenses.

“We can’t just pass the increased costs on to the customer by increasing prices in our industry,” said Fraser, who was not looking forward to another minimum wage hike in 2019. News of its cancellation was most welcome.

“We were very relieved by that,” she said.

The current plan is to freeze the minimum wage at $14 until 2020, then link future increases to the rate of inflation.

Duimering said while minimum wage workers are not a large demographic in the local economy, Bill 148 did cause disruption, forcing some firms to increase prices and cut employee hours.

“Farmers have had trouble training and paying employees increased wages,” he

“The challenge with Bill 148 was that is was too much, too fast - the bill did not reflect employer feedback.”

- ROBERTA SCARROW, CENTRE WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

apprentice ratio.

“The changes of the apprenticeship program will provide some of the largest benefits to the local economy,” said Jeff Duimering, president of the Mapleton Chamber of Commerce.

“There is a constant struggle here to find skilled trade employees. Opening up the apprenticeship program will help young people move out of part-time jobs

said.

“Cancelling the wage increase and paid benefits will provide employers some relief of labour cost.”

Bill 148 had required businesses to provide a minimum of two paid sick days, along with eight unpaid.

The new law eliminates the two paid days, but allows eight days of unpaid leave.

Employers may once again ask employees

10 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

“We can’t just pass the increased costs on to the customer by increasing prices in our industry.”

- JACKIE FRASER, FRABERT’S FRESH FOOD

for a sick note.

“These changes will help small businesses manage schedules and reduce unexpected costs, helping them remain competitive,” states an Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) press release.

Fraser said sick days are not a big concern for her business, since the policy was not being abused by staff. She said provision of sick days has not been a factor in recruiting staff.

“We’ve never had a problem attracting employees – we create a great place to work and try to make it fun,” she said.

New legislation also removes the requirement to provide an equal rate of pay to part-timers who do the same work as full-time employees.

The OCC said this had been “particularly challenging and costly for small businesses, with fewer resources and broader job descriptions.”

Employers will also no longer have to follow a new method for calculating public holiday pay.

Bill 148 changed the formula, requiring employers to divide regular wages earned in the pay period before the public holiday by the number of days worked in that pay period.

“In practice, this made it more expensive for employers to hire casual, part-time workers and created a system that did not provide fair compensation to full-time staff,” states the OCC.

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Call or email to reserve your space: 519.843.5410 Elements of Bill 148 that have been preserved include the right to three weeks of paid vacation after five years with the same employer.

Employees will also continue to have the right to up to 15 weeks of leave if they or their child experiences domestic or sexual violence or the threat of such violence.

The first five days are paid.

Bill 148 had extended card-based union certification to the temporary help agency industry, the building services sector, and home care and community services industry, removing the need for a secret ballot vote.

This has been cancelled by the Progressive Conservatives.

“The decision to return to secret ballot voting is in the best interest of employees, as it safeguards them from external pressures and protects their democratic rights,” says the OCC. Businesses applauded the dissolution of the Ontario College of Trades, calling it ineffective. Its duties will be assumed by the Ministry of Labour.

The OCC says the current journeyperson-toapprenticeship ratios have made it difficult for employers to fulfill high levels of demand for skilled tradespeople, as they struggle to recruit sufficient journeypersons to hire additional apprentices.

This has resulted in young tradespeople struggling to work the hours necessary to complete their training.

“The government’s announcement to lower these ratios to 1:1 across all trades will make it easier for apprentices to become certified and for businesses to fill skills shortages and complete projects,” says the OCC. “This will be especially important for smaller urban and rural communities, where the pool of journeypersons is typically much smaller.”

BL

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Digital 12 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

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The Biggest Security Threats to Any Business But I Have A Great IT Guy I Trust…

Many business owners are shocked when they get compromised because they BELIEVED their IT company or guy had it “handled.” However, there is a virtual army of thousands of hackers and very sophisticated crime rings that work around the clock to overcome known protections – and you can’t stop a brand-new threat that was invented yesterday with a security system that was designed six months to a year ago. It requires special expertise to stay on top of all of this, which is why many don’t.

To that end, here’s a quick rundown of the number one Security Threat businesses face in today’s tech world. If YOUR company isn’t actually implementing ALL of these protocols – OR if you don’t know if you are – WHY NOT?

Why hasn’t your current IT company told you about all of this?

The #1 Security Threat To ANY Business Is…You! Like it or not, almost all security breaches in business are due to an employee clicking, downloading or opening a file that’s infected, either on a website or in an e-mail; once a hacker gains entry, they use that person’s e-mail and/or access to infect all the other PCs on the network. Phishing e-mails (an e-mail cleverly designed to look like a legitimate e-mail from a website or vendor you trust) are still a very common occurrence – and spam filtering and antivirus cannot protect your network if an employee is clicking on and downloading the virus. All it takes is one slipup, so constantly reminding and educating your employees is critical.

On that same theme, the next precaution is implementing an Acceptable Use Policy. An AUP outlines how employees are permitted to use company-owned PCs, devices, software, Internet access and e-mail. We strongly recommend putting a policy in place that limits the websites employees can access with work devices and Internet connectivity. Further, you have to enforce your policy with content-filtering software and firewalls. We can easily set up permissions and rules that will regulate what websites your employees access and what they do online during company hours and with company-owned devices, giving certain users more “freedom” than others.

Having this type of policy is particularly important if your employees are using their own personal devices and home computers to access company e-mail and data. With so many applications in the cloud, an employee can access a critical

app from any device with a browser, which exposes you considerably.

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“Supposing is good, but knowing is better” - MARK TWAIN

If you want to know for SURE that your current IT company (or IT person) is truly doing everything they can to secure your network and protect you from ransomware, bank fraud, stolen and lost data and all the other threats, problems and costs that come with a data breach, then you need to call us for a FREE Security And Backup Audit.

At no cost or obligation, we’ll send one of our senior, certified technician to your office to conduct a free Security And Backup Audit of your company’s overall network health to review and validate many different data-loss and security loopholes, including small-print weasel clauses used by all third-party cloud vendors, giving them zero responsibility or liability for backing up and securing your data. We’ll also look for common places where security and backup get overlooked, such as mobile devices, laptops, tablets and home PCs.

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Is your data backup TRULY backing up ALL the important files and data you would never want to lose – and (more importantly) how FAST could you get your IT systems back online if hit with ransomware?

Are your employees freely using the Internet to access gambling sites and porn, to look for other jobs and waste time shopping, or to check personal e-mail and social media sites? You know some of this is going on right now, but do you know to what extent?

Is your firewall and antivirus configured properly and up-todate? No security device is “set and forget.” It needs to be constantly monitored and updated – is yours?

Are your employees storing confidential and important information on unprotected cloud apps like Dropbox that are OUTSIDE of your backup? Could they walk off the job with a list of all your clients and go work for a competitor?

I know it’s natural to want to think, “We’ve got it covered.” Yet I can practically guarantee my team will find one or more ways your business is at serious risk for hacker attacks, data loss and extended downtime – I just see it all too often in the many local businesses we’ve audited over the years.

Even if you have a trusted IT person or company who put your current network in place, it never hurts to get a third party to validate nothing was overlooked. I have no one to protect and no reason to conceal or gloss over anything we find. If you want the straight truth, We’ll report it to you.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 13

Wellington implements county-wide Community Improvement Plan JAIME MYSLIK WELLINGTON COUNTY

OLD POST CENTRE FOR BUSINESS AND CREATIVITY

14 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Societal norms constantly reiterate “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but every time a new person visits a downtown, that’s exactly what they’re doing - judging a town by its appearance.

To help towns and villages make this first impression more appealing, Wellington County has implemented a county-wide Community Improvement Plan (CIP). “(A CIP) essentially is just a planning tool ... for any kind of physical property improvements,” said Jana Burns, director of economic development for Wellington County.

“We want to create an easier,

quicker way to bring value to under-utilized properties and to generate economic activity in Wellington County.”

In Ontario, counties are not permitted to provide funding directly to a business owner, Burns explained.

“So [if municipalities] do not have a CIP in place, the Planning Act restricts them from being able to provide money to business because then ... it’s bonusing,” she said.

To take advantage of the county plan, each member municipality must have its own CIP. Guelph-Eramosa is the only lower-tier Wellington municipality that has not yet

PHOTOS: P. 14 PATRICK RAFTIS; P. 15 SUBMITTED

implemented a CIP, but it is currently going through the development process.

In doing this, each municipality is able to set its own priorities and give out incentives and grants that are applicable to specific areas.

Centre Wellington has created a CIP that aims to encourage the revitalization and re-development of its urban areas.

The goal of Erin’s CIP is to stimulate economic development and show that the municipality is business friendly.

Mapleton’s CIP strives to stimulate physical improvements in the defined project area.

The CIP in Minto is a framework to stimulate private sector investment in Harriston, Palmerston and Clifford.

In Puslinch the CIP is in place to assist with downtown/main street revitalization and beautification efforts, support renewal within urban areas and the industrial corridor, support new and existing business opportunities, and promote economic development advantages of Puslinch.

The Wellington North CIP encourages rehabilitation of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings and their façades, improvement of commercial signage and redevelopment of vacant and underutilized properties and buildings.

Wellington County also identified its own priorities.

In talking to business leaders and municipalities, Burns said the county priorities include, but are not limited to: - affordable rental housing; - green infrastructure buildings; and construction value threshold assistance.

“Most [municipalities are] focused on their downtowns and they want to see physical beautification of their downtowns and bringing dignity back into the buildings that are commercial and residential spaces,” Burns said.

“We’re just taking that up another level and providing another level of funding if you meet certain criteria that meet the priorities across the county.”

Businesses will need to make an application only with their local lower-tier municipality to be eligible for both levels of CIP funding.

However, Burns stressed that if a municipality’s CIP coverage area does not include an area that’s included in Wellington County’s CIP, businesses that may have benefited from county funding will not be eligible.

For example, if a municipality’s CIP includes downtown businesses but not agricultural businesses, downtown business owners are eligible for the

Wellington CIP but agricultural business owners are not.

Because of that, some municipalities are opening up their CIPs to more accurately align with the Wellington County plan, providing businesses with a chance for all possible funding options.

One example of a successful CIP-funded project is the restoration of the Old Post Centre for Business and Creativity in Harriston.

“That was a phenomenal transformation and it was a nice demonstration of how the

“We want to create an easier, quicker way to bring value to underutilized properties and to generate economic activity in Wellington County.”

JANA BURNS, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WELLINGTON COUNTY

town participated basically in a critical infrastructure piece in their downtown,” Burns said. “It’s such a beautiful building.

“It warranted that kind of investment.”

The Wellington County plan is split into two sections: Invest Well and Invest Ready.

The Invest Ready grant is for a property that is not currently being used and has specific development constraints like soil and habitat surveys that can be quite expensive. The program would provide

up to an additional $20,000, on top the township grant, which the owner is not required to match.

“That would help you to cover any due diligence or planning or technical or design studies,” Burns said.

The Wellington CIP also provides an incremental equivalency tax grant. Burns said once the business is done construction, the value of the property will increase. The incremental equivalency tax grant will provide funding to help ease the business into its new property tax value over a fiveyear period. By the end of the five years, the business will be paying its full taxes.

“Then we have an Invest More grant which is where we’re supporting a broad range of improvements to existing buildings and properties and working with the member municipalities to contribute funding to beautification and revitalization of built-up areas,” Burns said.

The Invest Well program is like a topup program, she added. It’s an additional $10,000 into renovations.

“So if you wanted to put in a window, too, then that would help with that,” Burns said.

The county has also negotiated with Community Futures organizations that work within its boundaries to provide lowinterest grants.

Burns said business owners indicated they would like to update their buildings but often don’t have the cash flow because each lower tier grant requires the business to match funding. By receiving a loan from Community Futures, business owners have access to the capital needed to apply for a CIP grant and get the projects off the ground.

Because the Wellington County CIP was approved in June, there was no funding available for 2018, and Burns said the hope is to start accepting applications in the spring of 2019, as long as all lower-tier municipalities have completed their CIPs. The required funding for the program will be included in the 2019 budget.

“When businesses invest in our downtowns and create jobs and improve their buildings and the value of those buildings, they are presumably paying more property taxes and the goal of this is to create stronger, more beautiful communities that have economic opportunities,” Burns said.

“I would argue that the small piece that we’re giving to a slew of investors that are making significant property improvements is worth it.

“I mean it’s an investment in our downtowns and I think it’s an absolutely viable one and a critical one as well. We want to remain competitive and we want

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 15

... the goal of this is to create stronger, more beautiful communities that have economic opportunities ...

to facilitate change and this is a great deal to do so.”

The Wellington County CIP will be reviewed each year to ensure its priorities are correct.

“A big part of this is we’re collecting metrics and we’ve incorporated those into this program as well,” Burns said.

“So we’ll be looking at how we spent the

JANA BURNS

BRODERICK’S OF FERGUS RECEIVED A CIP GRANT FROM CENTRE WELLINGTON TOWNSHIP FOR OUTDOOR FACADE IMPROVEMENTS.

AFTER

16 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

money, what kind of return on investment we’ve had, where has it been going, are the priorities the right priorities, has the economy changed such that we need to revise the criteria?”

For more information about the Wellington County CIP, as well as each the CIPs of the lower-tier municipalities, visit www.wellington.ca.

BL

BEFORE

Tour of Walinga manufacturing plant in Fergus

Danby Appliances adopting Timereaction to increase productivity GUELPH

Business After Hours and the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce toured the Walinga manufacturing plant in Fergus recently to find out what products the company manufactured. Small groups were given an instructional tour earlier this year and found out their grain vacs and transfer systems are shipped all over the world. The metal for these machines is cut by a laser, painted and assembled in the Fergus facility. The Walinga corporation has over 400 employees and even plants in Australia and the U.S. In the painting room are, from left, Paul Walker from the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Nicole Wallischek from the Grand 101.1, Bryan Paul and Ted Eccelstone from Ecclestone Financial Group Inc. and Ken Swaving, pneumatics and development officer at Walinga.

CW Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase

PHOTOS: P. 17 LEFT: BILL LONGSHAW X2; RIGHT: SUBMITTED

The Business Showcase presented by the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently at the Fergus sportsplex is an event for businesses to learn about other businesses. The public was also welcome to attend and learn about different businesses. Toni Ellis of the Centre Wellington Community Foundation, left, and Diane Cook from TPI Travel attended the Business Showcase and learned about each other’s businesses.

Timereaction was selected as the collaborative business process application by Danby Appliances.

Timereactions’ technology will increase efficiency via automating business processes from product development through to production, and improve productivity through transparent social communication between their Guelph-based team and their global supply chain.

Timereaction is a Montrealbased software development company specializing in advanced manufacturing technologies.

Danby Appliances is a global company based in Guelph.

Danby sells over two million appliances like bar fridges, freezers, wine coolers etc. per year.

“We were impressed by Timereactions’ flexibility and speed,” said Jim Estill, CEO of Danby Appliances.

“We expect to see significant savings and process improvement.”

Allan Diamond, CEO of Timereaction, said, “We are privileged to have the opportunity to partner with Danby Appliances.

Thanks to Jim Estill, CEO, and his team for their vision and open corporate culture in adopting our innovative time saving technology.”

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 17

‘Thrown under the bus’: dairy farmers worried about impact of USMCA trade deal CHRIS DAPONTE WELLINGTON COUNTY

Local agricultural officials are worried the recently-signed USMCA trade deal could have a devastating impact on dairy farmers.

The deal, they say, is bad enough on its own, increasing American access to the Canadian market and restricting the export of Canadian milk products.

Combined with previous international trade deals, a difficult 2018 season and additional unrelated financial difficulties, the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) could sound a death knell for some farms.

“It’s going to make our market shrink ... The smaller farms that can’t justify expansion will be squeezed out eventually,” said George Van Ankum, a member of the Wellington Dairy Producer Committee.

Wellington Federation of Agriculture (WFA) president Janet Harrop agreed, noting margins are already very tight in the dairy sector.

“We are speculating the impact (of the

USMCA) would be that our market is not going to grow and ... the price that we get for our product is either going to stay the same or get a little lower,” she explained.

Harrop, also treasurer of the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, said dairy farmers may be impacted beyond their pocketbooks.

“I am worried about the general mental health of the dairy producers,” she said.

“There is so much uncertainty; income is down, interest rates are up and we don’t know what impact this trade deal is going to have.”

BACKGROUND Signed on Nov. 30, the USMCA will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which was severely criticized by Donald Trump.

The U.S. president repeatedly took aim at the Canadian dairy industry, calling Canada’s supply management system and its impacts on American dairy producers

18 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

“unfair” and even “a disgrace.”

He is not the first to criticize the system, which helps avoid shortages and surpluses of dairy, poultry and eggs via production control, pricing mechanisms and import tariffs.

Some have called the supply management system protectionist, though the U.S. regularly enjoys a significant dairy trade surplus with Canada.

In 2016, Canada imported $557 million from the U.S. and exported $113 million, according to statistics provided by Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

Under the new USMCA deal, American producers will have greater access - about 3.9 per cent - to Canada’s current dairy market.

“Our government is not only allowing the dismantling of our dairy model in Canada, it is giving up our sovereign right to also benefit from future trade agreements,” stated Dairy Farmers of Canada president Pierre Lampron in a

GEORGE VAN ANKUM, DAIRY FARMER

“

PIERRE LAMPRON, DAIRY FARMERS OF CANADA

“

PHOTOS: P.18 OLIVIA RUTT; P.19 ARYN STRICKLAND

Our government is not only allowing the dismantling of our dairy model in Canada, it is giving up our sovereign right to also benefit from future trade agreements.

recent statement.

“The total access given up by the federal government in the past decades is bad enough, but now, we (farmers and processors together) are not able to compete in our own market, nor to export high quality dairy.”

Lampron concluded that Canadian officials “caved in to the U.S. demands to ensure our dairy products would not compete with American made ones on the world markets.

“So much for Canadian sovereignty.”

LOCAL IMPACT Van Ankum runs a 60-cow dairy operation just north of Alma, which he said is about the average herd size in Wellington County (the Ontario average is 70 to 80, he says).

There are currently 12,000 dairy farms in Canada and, according to the WFA, about 350 in Wellington County.

Van Ankum said those able to survive will deal with the fallout of a diminished market.

Harrop, who with her family operates a 120-cow dairy farm just north of Fergus, said her farm should survive the USMCA, but not without some setbacks.

“[The deal] is shrinking our ability to produce more milk, reducing our income, potentially cutting our production quotas,” she told Business Leader, adding part-time staff on the farm will also be impacted.

“We have lots of work for them, but we’ll have to limit the amount of hours we have them work because the margins aren’t really there to be able to pay them.”

Some dairy farmers in the region, Van Ankum included, had planned barn improvements or expansions based on expected growth, but those projects are now up in the air.

“I’m disappointed we’re not going to see the growth we’ve seen in the past,” said Van Ankum, who added he is not personally worried about losing his own operation.

But, he said, “It’s like being set back five years.”

Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong estimates it may be closer to ten years for some operations.

“Local dairy farmers are upset, and understandably so,” he said.

Chong noted Wellington County has more dairy farms than any other county in the province and local farmers in particular will feel the effects of the USMCA because

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 19

“ In other words, the thousand cuts from cumulative trade deals over the past decades will have displaced one out of five of our homegrown, high-quality dairy products.

“

EXCERPT FROM RECENT PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DAIRY FARMERS OF CANADA

“we have smaller, family farms.”

CLASS 7 Of particular concern for dairy farmers, in addition to increasing U.S. access to the market, is the USMCA’s elimination of Class 7.

A domestic pricing category, Class 7 was established in March 2017 as a result of negotiations between Canadian farmers and processors. It applies to ingredients such as milk proteins (used in cheese production), skim milk powder and infant formula.

Under Class 7, goods were priced using the world price as a reference, a move American producers argued undercut them from the Canadian market because it removed the incentive for Canadian dairy processors to use American milk products.

But local producers like Van Ankum say eliminating Class 7 will flood the market with American goods and ultimately lower the price Canadian producers are paid for milk products.

“It will just hurt our bottom lines,” he said.

Chong called the elimination of Class 7 “a huge issue” that “will create a lot of problems” in the market.”

‘SOVEREIGNTY’ SECTION Another item in the USMCA that has Canadian dairy farmers upset is a lesser known appendix that dairy officials say facilitates American interference in the management of the Canadian dairy sector.

Appendix 3, Sections C10 and 11 grant the U.S. “oversight into the administration of our Canadian dairy system,” states a Nov. 28 letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from Dairy Farmers of Canada and its 10 provincial dairy associations.

The groups argue the text “undermines Canadian sovereignty and ability to manage Canadian dairy without U.S. intervention.” They say they were previously assured by government officials that American oversight was not part of the final trade deal.

“This is truly a dark day in the history of dairy farming in Canada,” Lampron declared in a Nov. 30 statement.

DEATH BY ‘A THOUSAND CUTS’ Dairy Farmers of Canada officials say the USMCA is the latest in a string of deals that have chipped away at the Canadian dairy market.

They estimate imports will make up close to 20% of the Canadian market, considering the cumulative impact of:

20 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

- the 2017 Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union; - 2018’s Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with ten other nations; World Trade Organization commitments; and - the USMCA. “In other words, the thousand cuts from cumulative trade deals over the past decades will have displaced one out of five of our homegrown, high-quality dairy products,” states a recent press release from the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

“At the farm gate alone, this represents an annual loss of $1.3 billion for farmers.”

For Harrop, the “thousand cuts” analogy is apt.

“I think it is a good term because it erodes the system a little bit here and a little bit there,” she said.

“I think it’s going to weaken the system so that smaller farmers may not survive the family farms.”

PAST PROMISES To make matters worse, Chong told Business Leader, the federal government has not honoured previous commitments by the Stephen Harper government to

compensate Canadian farmers for trade deal losses.

“They’re neglecting the individuals that they need to help the most,” Chong said of family farms.

At the conclusion of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) - the precursor to the CPTPP that had included the U.S. - the Conservative government at the time announced $4.3 billion in compensation for Canadian producers.

“The current government hasn’t honoured that agreement ... to this point it has refused to do it,” said Chong.

SUPPLY MANAGEMENT In addition to its immediate impacts on the dairy sector, some farmers are worried about the USMCA’s possible long-term impact on supply management in Canada.

Van Ankum said he has been told the system is safe.

“As long as there’s not any more trade deals in the works [the government] can throw us under the bus with,” he said with an ironic laugh.

But Harrop is skeptical about the system’s viability under the new rules.

“One of the pillars of supply management is border control,” she said.

“In the last four trade deals that have happened, the federal government has traded away 18% access of dairy products to other countries.”

She added, “if the federal government is supportive of supply management then they need to be supportive of border control. That’s where they’ve made it an unfair playing field.”

“ Bailouts are a onetime thing and if our income is being decreased and our market is being decreased, that’s going to be ongoing.

“

PHOTO: ARYN STRICKLAND

JANET HARROP, LOCAL DAIRY FARMER

MOVING FORWARD While the USMCA may be a done deal, from a political perspective, “What can be done is coming up with a package to help the Canadian dairy industry transition to the new rules,” said Chong.

He explained compensation could be used to help the sector invest in marketing, develop the overseas market and modernize production facilities at home.

Van Ankum and Harrop said local dairy farmers have been offered no clues as to what type of compensation they will receive as a result of the USMCA, though the government has repeatedly promised some sort of aid.

“We haven’t heard what this plan is going to be ... but we really don’t want compensation, we just want to actually make a profit and cover our costs with a return on what we produce,” said Harrop.

Shortly after details of the USMCA were first announced, Trudeau told CBC News the government will “be working with [dairy farmers] over the coming weeks and months to figure out exactly what is the

compensation they need.”

He added the government needs to consider, “How we can ensure not just that they’re okay, but that they continue to have confidence in the future of the dairy sector in Canada.”

Yet Dairy Farmers of Canada officials are not optimistic about the outcome.

“We recognize the symbolism of the gesture of Prime Minister Trudeau in offering to meet with our industry to hear our concerns firsthand,” the group noted in a statement.

“However, the absence of details on measures to mitigate the impact of the concessions made within the USMCA, as well as the absence of a vision for the future of our industry at this time, cannot appease the concerns of the dairy farmers.”

Harrop said dairy farmers never really wanted a bailout or subsidy.

“We want just to be able to have a fair return so we can run our businesses with a known income,” she said.

“Bailouts are a one-time thing and if our income is being decreased and our market is being decreased, that’s going to be ongoing.”

She is worried about a repeat of CETA. “From the numbers I have heard, over 90 per cent of the producers in Canada got zero dollars from that compensation package ... our farm got zero.”

She explained the federal government structured the compensation system so that there were “very few people that could qualify.”

BUY CANADIAN PRODUCTS For consumers and businesses selling and/or serving milk and other dairy products, buying Canadian goods will go a long way to help domestic farmers adapt to the new USMCA landscape, officials say.

“We’re really excited and impressed with the momentum,” Van Ankum said of the public reaction to the sector’s plea to buy Canadian products.

“As long as we can keep the momentum going we should be okay.”

He thanked Canadians for buying domestic products and looking for them in stores.

“Buying Canadian dairy products is the easiest way to help,” Harrop agreed.

She added those who have “the ear of government” can also “reinforce the importance of keeping local food businesses in business.”

She encouraged everyone buying milk products to “look for the little blue cow” that adorns Canadian dairy goods.

- With files from Aryn Strickland

BL

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 21

chamber round-up John Cox, President Minto Chamber of Commerce

CHAMBER

Business Leader connects with Wellington County chambers

HAD NOT RESPONDED BY PUBLICATION DATE

Email: info@mintochamber.on.ca Website: mintochamber.on.ca

Diane Cook, President Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce Email: chamber@cwchamber.ca Website: cwchamber.ca

Tish Green, President Arthur and District Chamber of Commerce Email: achamber@wightman.ca Website: arthurchamber.ca

HAD NOT RESPONDED BY PUBLICATION DATE Laurie Morris, Administrator Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce

Jeff Duimering, President Mapleton Chamber of Commerce

Email: chamber@mountforest.ca Website: mountforest.ca

Email: members@mapletonchamber.ca Website: mapletonchamber.ca

BL

How have your members fared since the introduction of the minimum wage hike about a year ago?

Minto John Cox We surveyed our members and surprisingly, the results were split. Some business feel that the wage hike has had a negative impact on their business while others feel it has been a positive thing. One thing that is true of all Minto businesses is that each business owner is still offering exceptional service while navigating rising expenses and new challenges in small business; they need growth and continued support from consumers. So as always, we encourage you to shop local and support small business.

Centre Wellington Diane Cook

Our members have made a variety of adjustments to their business models in order to accommodate the $2.60 per hour wage increase within a six month time frame. In general terms they all seem to be keeping their doors open, but we don’t see their bottom lines.

Businesses affected by municipal construction have suffered a double whammy.

Mapleton Jeff Duimering

Chamber members have felt the pinch since the wage increase. Some small businesses have had to increase their prices in response to the wage hikes. There are farming members who find it challenging to train employees and then pay them increased wages.

22 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

BL

What is the chamber’s reaction to the new USMCA trade deal?

Concerns? Benefits?

Minto John Cox

Talk and implementation of any new policies or trade agreement is always met with a certain amount of stress and concern. We feel that this agreement will offer some stability and clarifies some of the uncertainty especially in the auto industry. Canada did make a compromise in the USMCA agreement by opening up our diary industry more to U.S. producers but in terms of impact, it is estimated that Americans will have access to 3.6 per cent of the Canadian market. This had the potential of being much worse.

In the end, Canada made a few compromises but the general consensus is that we protected some key elements of the original NAFTA agreement and avoided being left on the sidelines if the U.S. and Mexico went ahead and made their own deal.

Centre Wellington Diane Cook

This is a BIG question that cannot easily be responded to in 75 words. Concerns and benefits will be different for every sector. On Oct. 2 Perrin Beatty of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce stated “With USMCA agreed upon, it is important that we remain a globally competitive trading nation. Canada must overhaul our regulatory framework to create an environment where Canadian business can compete on the global stage.

Visit http://www.regulatesmarter.com to learn more about what can be done.”

Mapleton Jeff Duimering

Having the USMCA trade deal settled has provided stability for our businesses. Businesses don’t have all the detailed information yet but just having a longterm trade deal offers security in the economy.

**If you have a question you would like to pose to local chambers of commerce and/or BIAs, email your suggestion to businessleader@wellingtonadvertiser.com.

BL

Do you encourage your members to use social media?

Why?

BL

Minto John Cox

Marketing through social media is one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools that small businesses have to reach their target audience and boost business profiles. Some businesses do not have the capacity to have a website so the use of social media is a perfect way to have an online presence and engage with new and existing customers. We feel every business should take the time to learn how to properly use social media for their business and grow their audience. LaunchIt Minto, in partnership with the Minto Chamber of Commerce, hosts training on how to set up social media and how best to brand your business.

Centre Wellington Diane Cook

Each business owner has their own social media strategy. It is currently a popular way to get your message to the potential masses. To do social media properly requires planning, scheduling and time, plus knowing that people are actually reading your posts and not just scrolling by.

How was the fall season for your members?

Minto John Cox

Many of our retail members spend the fall season preparing for the upcoming holiday shopping season.

It is an exciting time for businesses in Minto. Many businesses see a significant rise in traffic and sales this time of year.

Centre Wellington Diane Cook

Some Fergus businesses have been extremely impacted by the year of bridge construction. The bridge opening was delayed by a month more than anticipated and this is the most critical season for our small businesses. The road construction on Mill Street in Elora has been difficult for business owners, residents and visitors alike. It will take many years for some business owners to recover from this building season – if ever.

Mapleton Jeff Duimering

The fall season has been going well for members.

Consumer confidence seems good heading into the Christmas season.

Mapleton Jeff Duimering

Social media is a tool that the chamber tries to use efficiently and they encourage businesses to use it as well. It can be difficult to see the benefits of any kind of marketing. Social media is about getting your company name recognized and creating a more personal experience with consumers. The more often consumers see a company name, the more likely they are to think of that company when a need arises.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 23

AWARDS & ACCOLADES Wyndham House receives a $50,000 grant from the Home Depot Canada Foundation GUELPH Wyndham House received a $50,000 grant from the Home Depot Canada Foundation for their Prevention and Diversion Program project.

The grant is part of The Orange Door Project Grant Program, which supports repairs, renovations and/or modifications to housing accommodations or other support facilities for homeless youth.

The funding will be used to create an effective diversion program for homeless youth in Guelph and Wellington County.

At-risk and homeless youth need early interventions and supports aimed at preventing them from becoming homeless or entering into the shelter system.

The first stop Prevention and Diversion Program will provide a designated phone number to call that allows trained staff to assess opportunity for prevention and diversion through use of a screening tool to determine possible next steps, rather than automatic admittance to shelter services.

“This project wouldn’t have been possible without the funding generously provided by the Home Depot Canada

This program will provide crucial additional resources for youth ...

JEFF KINNAIRD, CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE HOME DEPOT CANADA FOUNDATION AND PRESIDENT, THE HOME DEPOT CANADA

Foundation,” said Debbie Bentley-Lauzon, executive director at Wyndham House.

“This program will provide crucial additional resources for youth and

will also help us advance our efforts in working to prevent, reduce and end youth homelessness.”

“Working together with our community partners, The Home Depot Canada is committed to ending youth homelessness and we are so proud to support Wyndham House with their Prevention and Diversion Program project,” said Jeff Kinnaird, chair, board of directors, the Home Depot Canada Foundation and president, the Home Depot Canada.

“By supporting the organizations that provide important life-skills programs, we are helping bring housing and hope to our most vulnerable youth.”

The Orange Door Project Grant Program is part of The Orange Door Project initiative, which supports renovation and repair projects and programs that provide vulnerable and homeless youth with access to safe, stable housing and support services.

MSW Plastics Inc. Ranks No. 207 on the 2018 Growth 500 PALMERSTON Canadian Business and Maclean’s ranked MSW Plastics Inc No. 207 on the 30th annual Growth 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies.

Produced by Canada’s premier business and current affairs media brands, the Growth 500 ranks Canadian businesses on five-year revenue growth.

Growth 500 winners are profiled in a special print issue of Canadian Business published with Maclean’s magazine and online at CanadianBusiness.com and Growth500.ca.

MSW Plastics made the 2018 Growth 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 342 per cent.

“The companies on the 2018 Growth

500 are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today,” said Deborah Aarts, Growth 500 program manager.

“As we celebrate 30 years of the Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies program, it’s encouraging to see that entrepreneurship is healthier than ever in this country.”

Company president Steve Bosman added, “MSW Plastics is very honoured to be on the Growth 500 ranking for the 6th year in a row. This is accomplished by having great teamwork in our company and with our customers and suppliers.”

“Our customers, our professional team,

24 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

and our commitment to manufacturing quality products allow us to continue to expand. We continue to be excited about the future,” said Joel Koops, vice president.

MSW Plastics Inc. manufacturers PVC plastic extrusions for the industrial, commercial, agricultural, and residential markets.

The company specializes in technical profiles, specifically wall and ceiling panels and custom extrusions. A service oriented team, technologically advanced manufacturing equipment, high quality products, and great customers, has led to MSW Plastics’ success.

Visit www.mswplastics.ca for more information.

Saugeen Connects hosts Investor Tour Last fall Saugeen Connects and the Newcomer Centre of Peel, hosted an Investor Tour to five local municipalities.

This tour brought 30 potential investors into the area where municipalities had an opportunity to showcase their communities and to present a variety of local investment opportunities.

The Newcomer Centre of Peel will be completing a survey with the investors in order to obtain their feedback.

Discussions are currently underway for the next tour to be an “employment” tour in an effort to attract new workers into local communities.

Saugeen Connect is a partnership with the Saugeen

We are hopeful this partnership with the Peel Newcomer Centre will translate into new investment.

ROSE AUSTIN, SAUGEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The tour went from Mount Forest, to Hanover, Durham, Walkerton and Palmerston, stopping at a number of businesses and investment opportunities along the way to see them first hand and to speak with local business owners.

“Attracting new investment into our community is a requirement for all small rural communities and it is important that we try innovative new ways to attract investment,” said Rose Austin general manager of the Saugeen Economic Development Corporation.

“We are hopeful this partnership with the Peel Newcomer Centre will translate into new investment and certainly everyone involved in the day considered it to be a huge success.”

Economic Development Corporation, Town of Minto, Town of Hanover, Municipality of West Grey, Municipality of Brockton and the Township of Wellington North.

The mission is to collaborate and positively impact area economic growth; support youth retention and development; support growth and retention of businesses; and to integrate efforts to leverage immigrant attraction to the area as residents, workers, entrepreneurs, business owners, operators and investors.

For more information about the Investor Tour or any other Saugeen Connects program contact the economic development office at one of the partnering municipalities or go to www.SaugeenConnects. com.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 25

GRAND OPENINGS

& more

Openings GLOW & CO. Glow & Co. has opened at 170 Tower Street in Fergus.

The business offers salon services like eyelash extensions, lash lifts, microblading, sunless tan, teeth whitening, eyelash and eyebrow tinting and waxing.

For more information contact Allie DeVries at info@gettheglow.ca or 519-8203936 or visit https://gettheglow.ca.

GOKETO A new business called GoKeto is now open at 198 St Andrew Street East.

GoKeto provides celiac safe Ketogenic and diabetic friendly baked goods and take away meals.

The facility is gluten free.

For more information contact Franco Kotze at paschafk2@gmail.com or 519-2177686.

In anticipation of the Royal Bank branch in Clifford closing its doors an RBC ATM was installed at Clifford Village Variety. RBC assistant branch manager Simran Rajput and Town of Minto economic development manager Belinda Wick-Graham checked out the new machine.

Photo by Bonnie Whitehead

Redbeard Rides offers service to county residents HARRISTON Wellington County residents now have a new option for getting around.

Harriston residents Ann and Ken Hepburn have launched Redbeard Rides, a pre-booked transportation service available to “anyone in Wellington County going anywhere in Ontario.”

“Anyone can use our service. We do not have any eligibility requirements. Our vehicles are spotlessly clean and are driven by professional drivers under our public vehicle licence. This means that when you book a ride with Redbeard Rides, we are dedicated to your service,” states a press release announcing the new businesses.

Redbeard Rides currently has one van on the road but plans to add a wheelchair

accessible vehicle as soon as possible.

“We want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to attend activities and go where they want, when they want.

Whether you have a doctor’s appointment, a medical test, a family function, a social event or just need a trip to shop, we can help with that. Our service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to pre-booked charters,” the release states.

The business was officially launched at the Minto Chamber of Commerce summer barbecue held at Palmerston Lions Heritage Park in July.

For more information go to www. redbeardrides.ca or call 519-510-RIDE (7433).

26 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Anniversaries FERGUS CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY AND DESIGN Fergus Custom Upholstery and Design, located at 160 St. Andrew St. West in Fergus is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

To talk to Carl Jensen or his mother Zelena call 519-843-6540.

PHOENIX PERFORMANCE CENTRE The Phoenix Performance Centre is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the grand opening of a new facility at 198 Main St. N. in Mount Forest.

The Phoenix Performance Centre owner is David Reeves and he can be reached at 519-509-5425.

Celebrating 30 years of business in Guelph-Wellington

PHOTOS: P. 26 BONNIE WHITEHEAD; P. 27 LEFT: SUBMITTED; RIGHT: JAIME MYSLIK X2

GUELPH

When she arrived in Canada in 1988 and started Stone House Pottery, Jessica Steinhäuser dreamed of one day making Kachelöfen, an efficient masonry radiant heating source.

Today she is doing just that, and she is celebrating her 30th anniversary with a rebrand to Stone House Kachelöfen.

As a production potter, Jessica established herself in Guelph after completing her apprenticeship in Germany.

There, she learned how to make one Kachelöfen brick and to design an oven through drafting.

Originally, these unique Kachelöfens were built centuries ago when it was learned clay could house and radiate heat.

“Castles were heated by them and trades people collaborated to sculpt, paint and craft very elaborate pieces without any electric kilns,” Steinhäuser explained.

“I’m in awe of their work.”

Steinhäuser followed her dreams gradually switching from production pottery to the Kachelöfen. Clients from all over the world have found her, usually through researching efficient woodburning heating sources.

Although the industry has never left countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Steinhäuser said the speciality is disappearing in Europe as well. In fact, it is no longer taught at the school where she apprenticed.

Requiring intricate drawings and calculations, she is honouring the same specifications documented when Frederick the Great put out a call in the 1700s for ovens that used the least amount of wood.

Steinhäuser’s drawings detail every element. She hand-paints each brick with no stencils.

When it comes to installation, she works with a master oven builder from Europe to install the ovens ensuring compliance with all building codes.

Not one to back down or give up, Steinhäuser has learned from the challenges she’s faced along the way.

“If you believe in your product and if you are determined, you’ll find a way no matter how challenging it gets,” she said.

“I was stubborn, and I kept going. If you are lucky, those around you will lift you up and carry you to the finish line.”

Guelph always feels like home, she added.

“When I installed my first stove, I felt

Jessica Steinhäuser, Stone House Kachelöfen

... my name is on it, so ultimately when people search my work, the quality must be apparent

Innovation Expo celebrates over 100 businesses Innovation Guelph and Bioenterprise Corporation held the 2018 Innovation Expo in Guelph on Nov. 15. Over 100 companies were showcased at the event, which is a celebration of the success and growth of the seed funding program recipients that both organizations supported with funding from the Federal Economic Development Agency of Southern Ontario.

BELOW: Will Rootham-Roberts owner of Rootham Gourmet Preserves worked with Bioenterprise to connect with farms and fund innovation needed to develop product and create labels and branding. Rootham sells preserves that are as local sourced as possible. BELOW: Josh Whitehead of Guelph was at the expo showing his plantbased probiotic food comapny called Green Table Foods. All of his food is based on health and delicious ingredients. He won the Innovation Guelph Award in 2015.

Photos by Jaime Myslik

JESSICA STEINHÄUSER like all of Guelph was cheering for me.”

She said she often wonders why no one else successfully brought the Kachelöfen to North America. Others tried but it didn’t work. She credits her belief in her ability to succeed as the key to her success and acknowledges it’s been a long road.

Steinhäuser has produced 38 stoves in seven years with 25 in the last two. She’s proud of herself for always producing her best quality and never cutting corners, even when in the beginning, she didn’t charge the full value as she worked to create a market for the Kachelöfen.

“My pride in each stove is clear; my name is on it, so ultimately when people search my work, the quality must be apparent,” she said.

Steinhäuser worked with a mentor at Innovation Guelph in its Gear Up program creating work breakdowns and mapping processes. She especially appreciated time management advice that helped her strengthen the business.

Committed to giving back, each year for two weeks Steinhäuser teaches advanced throwing on the pottery wheel at the Haliburton School of Arts.

For more information about Stone House Kachelöfen, visit http://shko.ca/.

Submitted by Janet Wakutz, Innovation Guelph

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 27

The power is on at Motion Electrical Contracting Ltd. since the move to a new location and official ribbon cutting ceremony in the fall. The business does all types of electrical installations, and repairs to residential, industrial situations with qualified personnel as well as energy efficient lighting upgrades.

Sorbara Law, which specializes in real estate law, officially opened and held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 22. With offices in Waterloo, Guelph and now in Fergus at 181 St. Andrew St. Fergus, the law office provides service during and after hours for clients. The law office also guides clients through real estate transactions while providing a personal touch.

Wealth management, physiotherapy businesses celebrate new facade FERGUS

Northstar Wealth Management and Jenn Cole Physiotherapy have completed their facade project and are now open in Fergus.

The owners of the building - Matt and Jenn Cole - utilized the County Community Improvement Program (CIP) to install a new concrete ramp, railing, lighting, siding and barrier-free door making the main entrance of the building accessible for tenants and clients. As a registered physiotherapist

28 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

since 2006, Jenn knows the importance of having an accessible and inviting building for her clients, as does Matt who is a certified financial planner (CFP) and has been a licensed financial advisor since 2007.

Together as Cole Health and Cole Wealth, this building project is the culmination of a dream and an intentional step towards investing in the community of Centre Wellington where they live.

PHOTOS: P. 28 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BILL LONGSHAW X2; SUBMITTED; P. 29 SUBMITTED PHOTO X3

North Wellington Co-operative Services, ribbon cutting.

North Wellington Co-operative Services, Propane service shop.

North Wellington Co-operative Services, fertilizer facility.

North Wellington Co-op officially opens new state-of-the-art fertilizer facility HARRISTON North Wellington Co-operative Services held an open house on Nov. 1 to celebrate the grand opening of its new fertilizer facility and propane service shop in Harriston.

The co-operative’s new facility features the high-tech Layco declining-weight blend system that provides great efficiencies in everything from storage capacity, loading speed and receiving times along with superior customized blending abilities.

“With this upgrade to a declining balance system, we know that our co-op will be able to address the needs of area producers during high volume requirements,” said North Wellington Co-operative Services

president Jon Eckhardt.

The facility can handle 12 products into one blend.

“Speed is a huge requirement for our members,” said Kelly Boyle, North Wellington Co-operative general manager.

“But also the ability to satisfy the demand for intricate and a variety of bulk blends is a win-win for our members.”

Alongside the plant is a new 3,200 sq. ft. chemical warehouse which includes dyked storage for three 10,000-gallon tanks of liquid fertilizer.

At this compact but efficient FS site, customers can also purchase all their energy needs with FS products such

as Dieselex Gold, DEF, ethanol gas and propane.

This year marks 75 years of business for North Wellington Co-operative Services, Inc. The long-standing co-operative provides agronomy, feed, consumer and energy products and services to more than 6,000 member customers and rural residents in north Wellington and south Grey and Bruce counties from locations in Harriston, Mount Forest, Durham and Hanover. North Wellington Co-op is a member-owner of GROWMARK, Inc., and markets products and services under the FS brand.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 29

BIA ROUND-UP HOW DO/WOULD CIPS BENEFIT YOUR MEMBERS? DO YOU HAVE EXAMPLES OF A RECENT CIP PROJECT WITH ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS?

CHRIS BAILEY ERIN BIA CHAIR ERIN Email: villageoferin@gmail.com Website: villageoferin.com

CB: The CIP program has only recently launched in the Town of Erin, so we hope to have some success stories to share very soon. The best way that a CIP can assist our downtown businesses is to aid business and property owners who want to enhance their façade or make their business more accessible and customer-friendly. This can help enhance the success of the downtown as a whole, by making it an even better place to shop, eat and experience the charm.

WHAT DOES YOUR BIA DO TO ENHANCE ITS COVERAGE AREA DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND HOW DOES IT BENEFIT MEMBERS? CB: Our BIA holds a major unveiling event – ‘Window Wonderland’ – to kick off the holiday season, which occurred on Nov. 16.

This involves decorating of the downtown, shops and Christmas tree lighting. The enhancements really help bring out the Christmas spirit for everyone who visits. We also engage social media promotions, some print advertising, and other promotions.

DOES THE BIA OFFER ANY SPECIAL HOLIDAY/WINTER PROMOTIONS? EXAMPLE?

FRED GORDON FERGUS AND ELORA BIA ADMINISTRATOR FERGUS Email: fergusbia@gmail.com Website: downtownfergus.com

CB: Our holiday promotion is the acclaimed ‘Christmas in the Country,’ which involves cross-promotion between shops in our BIA area. Customers are encouraged to shop at a variety of stores in order to enter a prize draw. The BIA handles all marketing, administration and promotion for this promotion and it has been extremely wellreceived by businesses and customers alike.

ELORA Email: elorabia@wightman.ca Website: elora.info FRED GORDON HAD NOT RESPONDED BY PUBLICATION DATE

30 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Skyline Living Has Gone Smoke-Free in Ontario GUELPH All 169 Skyline Living residential properties across Ontario are going smoke free. This initiative is a continued effort on the property management company’s commitment to creating a healthier environment for tenants and creating a greener future in the communities that they serve.

Prior to this new initiative, Skyline Living properties in BC, Alberta, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were already smoke-free, as well as any new construction in Ontario that was completed after June 2014.

By extending a smoke-free policy to existing buildings in Ontario, Skyline Living is aiming to continue their efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of tenants.

“Since our inception, Skyline Living has placed a focus on creating a safe and secure environment for our tenants to call home. Our smoke-free initiative is simply an extension of that,” said vice president of Skyline Living BJ Santavy.

“As people become more aware of the health impacts of smoking, and second-hand smoke, they start to look for ways to protect themselves from it, no more so than in their homes.

“By being one of the first property management companies to establish smoke-free buildings in Ontario, we are supporting our tenants in their desire for healthier living.”

Existing tenants will still be allowed to smoke in their suites, but smoking will be prohibited in all common areas, and suites for new tenants.

Skyline Living’s resident managers will establish designated outdoor smoking areas for tenants that still wish to smoke but understand the need to protect their neighbours from the effects of second-hand smoke.

For existing tenants that want to quit smoking, Skyline Living will be partnering with public health offices in communities across Ontario.

Information sessions will be held to educate tenants on the benefits of going smoke-free, and to provide them access to the proven tools needed to aid them in their journey.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 31

CHEQUES

+ Balances Cheque presentations, draw winners and donations around the county.

Rebecca from Shoetopia’s Mount Forest store presented a cheque to H. Bye Golf for Cancer Care.

Helping the kids - Taylor McDaniel, Jennifer Mochrie and Clark McDaniel from Jennark Homes and Williams & McDaniel presented a $17,000 cheque on Oct. 5 to the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington, the Victoria Terrace Food & Friends Program and volunteers. Pictured left to right: Rebecca, Meadow, Abigail, Glenna Banda (Executive Director of CFGW), Taylor McDaniel, Jennifer Mochrie, Clark McDaniel, Bobbi Turner (Student Nutrition Program Manager, CFGW), Simon, Tara Armstrong (Program Coordinator, Victoria Terrace), Michelle and Kelly (Victoria Terrace Program Volunteers).

Seated: Brody. Not pictured: student volunteer Lily.

AO Smith’s Women’s Resource Network donated to the Food and Friends Program through the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington and presented the cheque to Bobbi Turner the Student Nutrition Program Manager. A donation of $941 has been raised by A.O. Smith Enterprises to help support the Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington, Food and Friends Program. The program brings healthy food to hungry minds. The program currently feeds over 17,000 students a healthy breakfast, morning meal, snack or lunch through 106 student nutrition programs. Every school in Centre Wellington now has a Food & Friends program. These programs are essential in supporting a child’s ability to start their day with some healthy food to help them better focus and learn throughout their school day. A.O. Smith’s, Women’s Resources Network hosted two events where employees contributed a minimum of $5 to enjoy a morning coffee, fruit and breakfast sandwich along with a silent auction where all proceeds were donated to the Food and Friends Program.

32 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Palmerston Krown held its annual Wash for a Wish event last June. A total of 54 vehicles were washed, raising $921 for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.

Do you support a local charity?

Send your cheque presentation photos to businessleader@wellingtonadvertiser.com to include in the next edition of Business Leader.

New wheels - It’s a new truck and new look for Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington. On hand for the unveiling of the vehicle include, from left, CSGW vice chair Deryck West, Wellington County OPP Detachment Commander Scott Lawson, CSGW treasurer Bonnie Facklam, Wellington Motors Ram specialist Dave Schneider, Wellington Motors dealer principal Sam Fairhall and CSGW program coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter. The vehicle is maintained by Wellington County OPP and was partially funded by a private benefactor.

PHOTOS: P. 32 SUBMITTED X5; P. 33 SUBMITTED

Crime Stoppers unveils new vehicle GUELPH - Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington (CSGW) has unveiled a new vehicle and look for its program, thanks to some community-minded supporters.

The 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab will meet the needs of the program, due to it’s larger size, said CSGW board of directors vice chair Deryck West.

“We cover all of the City of Guelph and County of Wellington,” said West.

“That requires a vehicle that can move people and the pylons, tents and signs we use for fundraising events, as well as advertise for the program.”

It didn’t take long for Sam Fairhall, dealer principal at Wellington Motors, to decide to help CSGW get into a safe, reliable vehicle, with the assistance of Ram specialist Dave Schneider.“As Guelph’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dealership over 77 years, we’re proud to be involved with, and provide support to such an important part of the Guelph and surrounding community as Crime Stoppers,” said Fairhall.

The truck, which boasts a dramatic black and white puzzle motif, was wrapped

by Raynbow Signs of Teviotdale.

It has the toll-free number and website emblazoned on it, to remind the public they can report crime anonymously. It also includes recognition for the three major vehicle supporters, Wellington Motors, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and a private donor who is noted by his initials.

“We couldn’t have acquired this vehicle without partner support,” West said.

“It’s appropriate to recognize these significant contributions; we are grateful.”

Maintenance and fuel for the vehicle are covered by the OPP. “CSGW has been an integral part of our community for 30 years. The unveiling of this new truck and modern graphics represents a tremendously positive and professional evolution of their award-winning program,” said Wellington County OPP Inspector Scott Lawson.

“The OPP in Wellington County is pleased to support and partner with Crime Stoppers Guelph Wellington in all that they do for our community.”

“This truck is a moving billboard for CSGW,” said program coordinator Sarah Bowers-Peter. “We look forward to bringing the new truck to various communities and remind people that they could have the piece of the puzzle that could stop a crime.”

University of Guelph receives $40,000 in new scholarships GUELPH - The College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph is giving out $40,000 in new scholarships for female finance students, thanks to a generous donation from Fidelity Investments Canada.

The scholarships for women in finance make up part of an overall $215,000 donation, which will fund initiatives in the areas of gender equity and active learning.

The scholarships for women in finance will be awarded to outstanding female students in the college’s bachelor of commerce program over the next five years, and will include both entrance and in-course scholarships.

Selection for the entrance scholarships will be based on the highest entering average of incoming female students enrolled in the management economics and finance major, with each award worth $4,000.

For current students enrolled in the theory of finance course, recipients will be selected based on the highest mark in the course, which explores capital budgeting, long-term finance, investment decisions and corporate finance with a heavy focus on sustainable business. Each scholarship is worth $1,000.

In addition to supporting women in finance, the Fidelity Investments Canada donation is funding an experiential learning opportunity, giving $100,000 to the Guelph Student Investment Council, a finance-focused student club, to invest real-money on the TSX and other major North American exchanges.

Students will present a portfolio of stocks to finance professors and receive mentorship from executives from Fidelity Canada, including president Rob Strickland and chief investment officer and portfolio manager Andrew Marchese, gaining valuable experience in trading real-money on the stock market.

“Fidelity’s funding brings the College of Business and Economics closer to achieving our mission of developing leaders for a sustainable world, by investing in gender equity, active learning and other areas of sustainability and impact,” said Julia Christensen Hughes, dean of the College of Business and Economics.

“We’re proud to do things differently at U of G, redefining leadership and challenging students and faculty alike to be more sustainably and responsibly minded when it comes to business.

“Fidelity’s generous donation gives our innovative students access to unique opportunities that will help shape them as business leaders of the future.”

Rob Strickland, CEO of Fidelity Investments believes the donation will be well utilized in shaping the next generation of business leaders.

“We’re very proud to be partnering with the University of Guelph and their Investment Club. U of G is a world-class, innovative school and are tremendous advocates for the advancement of women,” Strickland said.

“For a number of years, Fidelity has been actively working to increase the number of women in the investment and finance industries and we are pleased to work with U of G to help further that goal.”

Further information on the College of Business and Economics can be at www.uoguelph.ca/business.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 33

THE SOCIAL CORNER

7 Facebook engagement tactics for your business page Start the year off with confidence in your social media marketing DREW MOCHRIE

The new year is upon us and with it comes new engagement strategies for your Facebook business page.

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Last year Facebook rolled out big changes to its news feed algorithm. Posts from friends and family are now the priority over business and media posts in the news feed. Facebook also started cracking down on ‘engagement bait’ where businesses would entice a user to like or share their page in return for a gift or chance to win one.

Now it’s all about ‘meaningful interactions’; posts that generate reactions, shares and long comments. But how do you create these meaningful connections?

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Comment contest: This is a fast and easy way to improve interactions on your page. Ask your followers to comment within a post for a chance to win something. You could also ask them to comment with a photo.

Receiving user-generated content can also help you fill your social schedule if you don’t have enough content to post yourself.

‘Caption this’: Why not let your followers do the thinking for you.

Upload a funny or thought-provoking photo and let your fans’ creativity run wild. All you need to add to the post is ‘Caption this’.

Behind-the-scenes: Fans follow you for a reason, be it a good product or service. People love businesses that go above and beyond in their community.

Share updates about community groups and/or fundraising efforts that you’re a part of.

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Stay trendy/topical: There are certain topics that your audience cares more about or ones that affect them more than others. For example, you may have heard of a game called Fortnite.

It’s a video game that has taken the world by storm. Within the game you’re able to destroy an oversized llama pinata with a pickaxe. Toy stores and party supply stores can ride this wave by putting a llama next to a toy pickaxe in their window. I’ve already seen a few who have done this, and people are quick to make the connection and snap a photo.

Facebook live: It’s no secret Facebook prefers video. It’s also no secret Facebook wants you to start recording live on their platform. If you’ve ever clicked on a video to watch it, you’ll likely find a series of live feeds after scrolling down. Set up a phone at a tradeshow event, update your audience on new happenings, or tell them you’ll be going live at a certain time and you’ll field their questions (Ask Me Anything).

Anticipate community needs: Providing useful and timely information on topics that affect your community is one of the top reasons a consumer decides to buy from you. It’s why every business should be regularly communicating with people through a blog, or in this case, a Facebook post. A great example came from a local business in Centre Wellington that capitalized on the romaine lettuce issue. They let their followers know their lettuce wasn’t from the same growing region

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affected by the e.coli advisory. That’s very important and with a hashtag like #allhailthereturnofthecaesarsalad added for a fun touch, the post received over 136 reactions.

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Polls: Polls are one of the easiest ways to get answers out of your customers. Everyone loves to share their opinion (especially on Facebook).

Every company is always looking for feedback on how they can improve, and a poll is a quick and easy way to get it. A great example was from a local restaurant that asked its followers what specific items it should put on an upcoming menu. A list of different foods was mentioned and within a week a clear winner was chosen.

While this list is meant to help you decide what to post, ultimately its your followers who decide what they like or not. You will need to test various strategies and refer to your page insights to see what’s working and what isn’t. The Facebook algorithm decides when and where your post will show up so it’s important to find what types of posts receive the most interactions. If you don’t you’ll fall into a trap where whatever you post, Facebook will deem it unworthy and show it to only a few people.

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