Business Leader - Autumn 2018

wa BUSINESS W E L L I N GT

A DV E R T I S N O

WAIT IS OVER Elora Mill opens after eight years

AUTUMN EDITION 2018

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HOPS PARTNERSHIP Farmer, brewery receive provincial recognition

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Helping female entrepreneurs with business ownership

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RHYZE AWARD

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS Advanced Small Engines expands

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WELLINGTON COUNTY

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BUSINESS LEADER

PUBLISHER DAVE ADSETT EDITOR CHRIS DAPONTE ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAIME MYSLIK WRITERS OLIVIA RUTT 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

Policy Business Leader is delivered free of charge to business addresses throughout Wellington County.

Mission Statement Business Leader is a magazine published by The Wellington Advertiser to promote local commerce and private enterprise and to celebrate investment and success in the communities we serve.

Contact us Business Leader Magazine 905 Gartshore Street, Box 252 Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W8 Email: businessleader@wellingtonadvertiser.com *COVER PHOTO by Olivia Rutt: Julia Kitras of No Guff Automotive

CONTENT PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE RHYZE AWARD WINNERS HOPS AND BREWS AWARD

BIA ROUND-UP MAPLETON REJECTS CANNABIS PRODUCTION FACILITY ROGER BROOKS: 20 INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS ADVANCED MARINE

ERIN TOPS IN TIRE FUNDRAISING

THE WATER COOLER ELORA MILL AND SPA OPENS AFTER EIGHT-YEAR WAIT CHAMBER ROUND-UP AWARDS AND ACCOLADES 4-H ONTARIO AND KUBOTA CANADA LTD. PARTNERSHIP

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OPENINGS CENTRE WELLINGTON BUMPS UP RESERVES FOR CIP GRANT LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

CHEQUES AND BALANCES

THE SOCIAL CORNER

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 3

Change is constant

There is so much coming at business owners lately it is hard to keep up.

In recent days, months of negotiations for creating a new NAFTA agreement came to an end. Wellington County, despite its remoteness from the halls of power in Ottawa and Washington DC, had much to lose if an agreement was not reached.

First off, this region has far more to do with automotive manufacturing than many of us realize. Tariffs and duties used as a bargaining chip would have been catastrophic had negotiations gone that way.

Second, the supply managed aspects of the dairy and poultry industry, an integral part of the local economy here, will be affected by losing some market share to further access of American interests.

Obviously current tariffs on steel and softwood have had a significant impact on production costs and time will only tell when those penalties are reduced or eliminated.

The point is, Wellington County is not immune to global forces, but with these latest efforts and an agreement in principle, businesses now have a higher degree of certainty going forward.

Labour laws that were the subject of numerous articles in recent Business Leaders appear set for changes again.

The still-new government of Doug Ford Conservatives has eliminated the next step of the minimum wage increase.

The rate will stall at $14 until a new plan is put together. This does save businesses the incremental increase to $15.

While writing this column announcements were made that the whole of Bill 148 – also referred to as the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act - may be eliminated. This Act called for increases to vacation time, shift notices and an across-the-board offering of sick days and time off. The business community at the time was quite concerned about the financial impact of these changes, but most businesses modified schedules and adapted to meet legislated requirements.

Unfortunately, these new standards, now under scrutiny, did set a new bar for expectations in the workplace. Emergency days

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or sick days when taken in their intended context allow those too sick to work to recover and avoid spreading illness, but very quickly in some circles they became viewed as an entitlement.

Numerous business people we know shared similar stories of employees being absent for “sick” days because they were now available. That perhaps is human nature, but for smaller companies not used to that culture, it was quite an eye-opener.

Stepping along with another political choice, is the legalization of marijuana. Trudeau’s Liberals made that promise in the last election and businesses will now have to contend with it. Many human resources firms and Chambers of Commerce seminars have talked about pot in the workplace. There will need to be a whole new regimen of best practices to ensure safety on the job for all employees.

Currently there are numerous facilities in Wellington producing marijuana. Some councils view it as a form of economic development and Mapleton, for example, made it clear such a facility was not welcome close to town.

Recognizing that different communities have different needs and ideas makes the election this fall very interesting. The business community should be active and supporting candidates that understand what it takes to grow industrial and commercial opportunities. Should municipalities develop parcels for resale? Should community improvement for downtown businesses form part of the township budget? These are all questions the business community should ask candidates.

Thankfully the flurry of risks to business that have swirled in the last year are slowing down. Change is something we can all deal with one step at a time.

This region has far more to do with automotive manufacturing than many of us realize.

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4 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

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2016-02-01 4:33 PM

Rhyze award helps female entrepreneurs with business ownership

OLIVIA RUTT WELLINGTON COUNTY In an opportunity to level the business playing field, Innovation Guelph developed the Rhyze Award, giving female entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their businesses and receive monetary awards.

This year, four winners, three from Wellington County and one from Guelph, took home $22,000 in cash prizes as well as other items to aid their businesses.

The Rhyze award developed from a conversation between two female entrepreneurs about the challenges they faced.

Kristel Manes, who was with Innovation Guelph at the time and is now executive director of the Business Centre Guelph-

Wellington, was part of the Rhyze beginnings.

Her conversation with a colleague led to a proposal with the federal government’s Status of Women, and then to a 20-month project researching issues faced by women trying to start a business. The largest hurdle was funding and financing.

“We interviewed over 1,000 women and regardless of where they came from, who they came from ... they always talked about funding and financing being the hardest thing to achieve,” said Manes.

She had her personal story to add, too. As a single mom with a mortgage, car and AAA credit rating, she was still turned down for a small loan from a bank.

The Rhyze award, which is a microfunding grant, was born out of the research project.

“The results of that research found that women, either women who did start

6 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

businesses or women who thought about starting businesses, faced a few key obstacles,” said Innovation Guelph executive director Anne Toner Fung.

“One ... was access to capital. Even getting a loan from a bank, they were often asked to get a co-signer, when a male in a similar position would not be asked to do that.”

The first year, Innovation Guelph crowdfunded for the prize, raising $30,000 in 45 days. Meridian Credit Union was the first donor, pitching in $5,000. It has been the primary sponsor ever since. A total of $22,000 was given out this year, with a matching line of credit from Meridian.

“The amounts have never been large, but they are pivotal at the early stages of a business,” said Toner Fung.

Applicants must fill out a form about their business. From there, 10 finalists are chosen. Those finalists are sent to a pitch

PHOTOS: P. 6 OLIVIA RUTT; P.7 SUBMITTED

PAM FANJOY, FAN/JOY

ANNE TONER FUNG, INNOVATION GUELPH

The results of that research found that women, either women who did start businesses or women who thought about starting businesses, faced a few key obstacles ...

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ANNE TONER FUNG INNOVATION GUELPH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

camp, where they learn how to present their pitch for the grant money. Each of the finalists was given a one-year membership to the Company of Women.

At an event in June, four winners were chosen from the finalists, who pitched their ideas to a panel of industry judges.

Julia Kitras received $10,000, Pam Fanjoy received $5,000, Caitlin Hall received $4,000 and Annie Guimond received $3,000. They were also awarded a matching line of credit from Meridian and a video business profile by Katie Green of Local Ladies.

FILLING A VOID IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY Julia Kitras knew she wanted to fill a void with her new business, No Guff Automotive in Guelph. In fact, it was the entire reason she became a mechanic.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 7

Obviously being self-employed, you don’t have maternity leave, you don’t have benefits like that, and in some ways, it’s a conducive environment to have a baby with you, but also in other ways it’s not ... we’re figuring it out.

CAITLIN HALL REROOT FARMS IN MINTO

“The new business is six years in the making and is why I got into becoming a mechanic, to open my own business exclusively geared towards women or people who feel like they haven’t gotten the service that they’ve been looking for as someone who doesn’t know about cars or vehicles,” she said.

Hers will be Guelph’s first night garage.

Having switched career paths from industrial design a number of years ago, Kitras has been apprenticing at Vinnie’s Mr. Fix-it in Guelph.

In October, she was expecting her dream of opening her own shop to become a reality.

“It’s a full service, bumper-to-bumper automotive service and it should be by then a ministry vehicle inspection station,” she said.

Kitras’ Rhyze award of $10,000 will help with start-up costs, purchasing a tire machine and balancer, equipment upgrades, tools to become a certified ministry vehicle inspection station and software to help with accounting and invoicing.

But she almost didn’t apply.

“It was hectic … I had a lot of ideas for the vision of the company, but ... all the ducks weren’t in a row yet. And then I was like, ‘you know, heck with it,’” she said.

Kitras said being a female in the automotive mechanic industry has its “peaks and valleys,” and some people have confused her for a receptionist.

But she said she has also received a lot of positive reaction to her business.

“I would say overall, a very positive experience and ... you really learn about just how much strength, how much perseverance and how much you’re willing to take to go for what you want,” she said.

She also found inspiration in the “badass”

women who are part of the Rhyze award.

“It was really a positive experience to be around women who have made the choice that they are going to run their own businesses, and they’re always trying to grow it and they’re always trying to progress,” she said.

FROM RESTAURANT TO COMMUNITY HUB Chef Pam Fanjoy has been running a restaurant in the Town of Erin for five years.

She was located in the village of Erin under the name The Friendly Chef, and two years ago she moved to Hillsburgh and rebranded to Fan/Joy. The rebranding was part of a “fuel injection grant” project from Innovation Guelph, and the money she received from the Rhyze award will help execute some of those goals.

“For me, being in this new building, it’s been a real labour of love to just get the inside of the building renovated and up to speed,” said Fanjoy.

The building, an old Chevrolet dealership, has a historical plaque commemorating one of the first indoor dealerships in Canada.

“I specifically went after the Rhyze award to be able to use those funds to reface the front of the building, make it more welcoming and to engage local youth in helping to make this a big part of the community,” she said.

“This restaurant is more than just a restaurant; it’s really my passion to make it into a community hub.”

She will be using her grant money to paint, install lighting and signage, construct a patio and build a living wall.

“It was exciting; it certainly felt like an achievement as well as a recognition,” Fanjoy said of the Rhyze award.

“It was really a powerful experience, to be able to be in a room with other female entrepreneurs that were at the startup stage in their business.”

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ANNIE GUIMOND, GREEN BICYCLE FARMS

8 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Caitlin Hall has been running Reroot Farms in Minto for eight and a half years. She has 70 acres, five of which are in various stages of vegetable production. There is also a herd of black Angus cattle, Dorper sheep, Berkshire pigs and chickens.

She is also restarting her beehive after losing 10 hives last winter.

“Most of our business is growing certified organic vegetables, and we sell it through our CSA (community supported agriculture) program,” said Hall, adding anything extra is sold at a few different markets.

“Over the years, we’ve also been working on the educational component of agriculture,” she said.

PHOTOS: OLIVIA RUTT

NEW CHALLENGES FOR NEW MOM

This year was the first Hall had heard of the Rhyze award.

“I was pleasantly surprised that we were one of the 10 finalists and one of the four award winners,” she said.

“There’s not very much money for agricultural grants or awards or loans, especially with this type of agriculture.”

She said she has used her $4,000 grant and line of credit for a couple of projects around the farm, including a bed and breakfast.

“We have this building; the upstairs is unfinished right now, but my plan is to finish it into a little apartment so we can do some type of farm experience bed and breakfast,” she said.

Hall said the Rhyze award was a great experience, especially meeting other moms who own businesses. Hall’s daughter Ivy was born in November and Hall is getting used to working and caring for a child.

“Obviously being self-employed, you don’t have maternity leave, you don’t have benefits like that, and in some ways, it’s a conducive environment to have a baby with you, but ... in other ways it’s not,” she said.

“We’re figuring it out.”

She found others doing just that with the Rhyze award.

“It was neat too, because a lot of the other Rhyze finalists talked about how their kids factored into their business lives and it’s a lot more of a consideration for women than it is for men, even still,” she said.

“It’s nice that women are still finding ways to start businesses, even with kids in tow.”

Hall said Minto and Wellington County are great places for her business.

“Wellington County is a pretty supportive place for women entrepreneurs,” she said.

MOM FINDS STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY Annie Guimond will be using her award money to expand her flower and vegetable business. She started Green Bicycle Farms, located in Guelph-Eramosa, in 2017.

The money she received will be used to populate a new flower bed on her 10-acre property exclusively for weddings. She will also be tearing down an old shed to create a walk-in cooler for flowers and vegetables.

“I’m using some techniques that is all about regenerative agriculture, so there’s no sprays, no herbicides, no fungicides,” she said.

Guimond said she was nervous applying for the Rhyze award, but so excited to find out

she was one of the finalists.

“Once I got there, the energy of all the finalists ... everybody was so friendly, and everybody was really backing each other, and I didn’t feel nervous at all after that. It was great to be all together,” she said.

Manes story about being a single mother struck home for Guimond, who was once a single mother too.

“We have to prove ourselves more, and I thought this was amazing that it was an opportunity for women to shine and show that we’re able to do that kind of stuff too,” she said.

Guimond added there is a lot of work to be done for females to be seen as owners of companies in industries that require physical labour, but the Rhyze award was a good start.

“It was really encouraging, and it was really inspiring, too, to see other women trying to do their thing,” she said.

Having three boys, she also felt encouraged by the other mothers in the Rhyze community.

“For women entrepreneurs, there’s this thing that if you want a family, you have to try to have a balance between your business and your family,” she said.

“It was great to see that we had some of the same concerns and the same path in a way.”

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CAITLIN HALL, REROOT FARMS

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 9

FROM LEFT: MIKE BROOKS, JON LAURENCIC AND ALEX NICHOLS OF ELORA BREWING COMPANY AND DEAN WORKMAN OF CANAUSSIE FARMS

Hops, brews give Centre Wellington businesses provincial recognition JAIME MYSLIK - ELORA

10 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

PHOTOS: JAIME MYSLIK

The competition isn’t the first time the Elora Brewing Company and CanAussie have worked together.

It’s a little like judging a diving competition, it seems a little subjective but really we’re very critical and we give our judge’s review back to the growers and the brewers so that they can learn what professional judges think of the quality of their submission.

JASON DEVEAU, OMAFRA COMPETITION ORGANIZER

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From hops to brews, Centre Wellington is on the map for producing great beer.

The Elora Brewing Company and CanAussie Farms Inc. recently won second place in the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s (OMAFRA) Great OntarioHopped Craft Beer Competition.

The plaque presentation was made in June.

“It was tight, they were actually really close to first but we try to remain as technical and transparent as possible,” said Jason Deveau, one of three OMAFRA competition organizers.

“It’s a little like judging a diving competition; it seems a little subjective, but really we’re very critical and we give our judge’s review back to the growers and the brewers so that they can learn what professional judges think of the quality of their submission.”

The competition began seven years go.

“We wanted to encourage Ontario’s brewers to experiment with Ontario hops in the hopes that maybe the two of them grow together,” Deveau said.

“And we couldn’t think of a good way to do that until we came up with the idea of a competition.

“Why don’t we create a venue where the brewer has to work with only Ontario hops?”

And so the Great Ontario-Hopped Craft Beer Competition was born. The competition involves Ontario brewers and hop growers teaming up to brew a specific beer selected by the public.

Last year the 16 participating breweries created a black IPA. The competition can handle up to 18 brewers, but due to unforeseen circumstances, all entrants don’t always produce a beer for the competition.

For the Elora Brewing Company, working with Dean Workman and CanAussie Farms Inc. was the right fit. After all, the hop farm, on Beatty Line just outside Fergus, isn’t far from the brewery.

Brewer Mike Brooks made a small one-off batch of black IPA for the competition and Workman supplied cascade hops.

“Cascade hops are really good for black IPAs in my opinion; it kind of complements the little bit of roasty, smokiness that you get from the beers and gives it ... the floral punch that you ... get,” said Elora Brewing Company co-owner Jon Laurencic.

Workman said the black IPA is difficult to brew.

“It’s really difficult to not go overboard with the dark roast,” he said. “You’ve got to be really careful about how you blend those two, otherwise the darkness of the grain can overpower it and can diminish the flavour of the hops.

“So it’s a real balancing act to get it to taste nice.”

Laurencic said the professional relationship began before the brewing company was even a thought. Workman knew a few of the brewery partners when he started his hop

farm in 2012. The brewery didn’t open until September 2015. “[He] would have started coming into being able to harvest about the same time we opened,” Laurencic said.

Now the brewery and CanAussie have a fluid and functional relationship, with brewers calling Workman and asking for specific hops.

“In the harvest time, we do a fresh wet hop farmer’s beer,” Workman said. “So we’ll talk about it a couple days before, I’ll let the guys know that it’s coming up to harvest time, they’ll start the mash and I’ll get the boys working.

“We’ll harvest them and bring them in fresh right from the field, through the picker and that is a great beer.”

This is exactly the type of relationship OMAFRA officials hoped to form as a result of the competition.

“Now in our seventh year, we’re really proud to be able to say some of the beer that won our competition is now commercially available and the relationship between the brewers and the hop growers has continued, which is our real reason for being,” Deveau said.

“The hops industry has evolved by leaps and bounds.

“The growers are able to sell them almost on consignment - ‘these are the hops we’re looking for, this is the quality of hops we want and this is when we need them’ - and the growers can support them in that.”

Next year’s competition will ask brewers and hop growers to develop a New England IPA (NEIPA).

“It’s a new style; it’s only recently been defined even though the beer’s been around for a while and it’s considered a juicy, fruity, fragrant hop-forward IPA with very little bitterness in the background,” Deveau said.

Laurencic and Workman both said the Elora Brewing Company and CanAussie would like to participate together again if the competition allows for it.

“It’s really nice to have an organization that’s really pushing for breweries and local growers to pair up and it’s definitely nice to have the spotlight shone on that relationship,” Laurencic said.

“Kudos to them for getting this going and reaching out to us in the first place and asking us to participate.

“It’s a lot of fun and it’s nice to have a little bit of competition every once in a while. But at the end of the day, it’s just about working with people that are your neighbours and within your community to make beer.”

For more information about the Great Ontario-Hopped Craft Beer Competition, visit www.onhops.ca.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 11

CB

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

CB

Fergus Email: fergusbia@gmail.com Website: downtownfergus.com Elora Email: elorabia@wightman.ca Website: elora.info FRED GORDON HAD NOT RESPONDED BY PUBLICATION DATE

Our special events are a great reason for members of the community to come out and connect with other residents. With an event or promotion happening almost every month, there’s always one coming up! We also partnered to bring the Erin Farmer’s Market into downtown Erin and it is a wonderful gathering spot for the community. The BIA also works with the town to take care of our downtown assets and beautification, to ensure Erinites can be proud of the destination created for visitors!

HOW DID THE SUMMER SEASON GO?

CB

FRED GORDON FERGUS AND ELORA BIA ADMINISTRATOR

WHAT IS YOUR BIA DOING TO BUILD COMMUNITY SPIRIT?

CB

Summer brought many perennial visitors to our village, and was also a time that those newly moved into Erin could get out and explore their downtown and surrounding areas. The merchants in the BIA are always pleased to welcome locals and visitors into our downtown, both new faces and those familiar.

HAS THE HEAT THIS SUMMER HAD ANY IMPACT ON BUSINESS? HOW? The summer heat certainly meant that many potential visitors have elected to stay home in the pool and the cool, or have selected alternate “beach destinations.”

However, this is not uncommon for us and we are well-prepared for our late-summer and fall visitors who look to us as a “‘close by” destination as the days get shorter and cooler. We also are surrounded by fabulous fall colours which will be a huge draw again this year.

WHAT DO LONG-STANDING BUSINESSES OFFER YOUR AREA? Long-standing businesses often become a draw for visitors, and a staple for locals.

They draw customers back again and again to visit our wonderful shops and downtown. These customers have come to know and appreciate these businesses and they help to create stability to our business offering. Many of our longstanding businesses are also run by original families, and remind us of the heritage which we have inherited.

12 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

ARYN STRICKLAND MAPLETON

Council here has declined a proposal from a trucking company to purchase land in the Drayton Industrial Park for a cannabis processing plant.

Council made the decision in August, following a closed session discussion about the Autobahn Freight Lines proposal.

The Brampton-based trucking service, which, according to its website, primarily hauls regular and hazmat truck loads from Canada and the U.S., entered negotiations with the township in June.

On June 26 Autobahn representatives Harjeet Randhawa, an agrologist, and Harvinder Singh presented the proposal in person to Mapleton council.

Randhawa and Singh told council at the time the Autobahn Group was fronting the money for the processing plant, but ultimately the two businesses would operate separately once the facility was up and running.

They proposed a 46,000-square-foot production and warehouse facility surrounded by eight-foot fencing on seven of the 23 acres available in phase two of the industrial park.

From the beginning, councillors had concerns about waste disposal and odour pollution at the proposed facility.

Randhawa explained waste would be planted, after chopping and mixing it with cat litter, in accordance with Health Canada regulations.

He added carbon filters would be used within the facility to control odours.

Despite Randhawa’s assurances that the plant would adhere to Health Canada regulations, council ultimately rejected the application.

A motion read by Mayor Neil Driscoll following the Aug. 28 closed session, stated council “has declined the offer of purchase from Autobahn Freight Lines.”

The motion also directed township staff to “investigate the new provincial regulations and report back” to council.

PHOTO: P. 13 ARYN STRICKLAND

BIA ROUND-UP

Mapleton council rejects cannabis production facility in Drayton

Roger Brooks offers businesses 20 ingredients for success ARYN STRICKLAND FERGUS

International tourism expert Roger Brooks presented his ‘20 ingredients for an outstanding downtown” at the Fergus Grand Theatre this summer.

Center Wellington Township organized the presentation and assessment, in partnership with the Fergus Business Improvement Area (BIA), as part of the county’s business retention and expansion action plan.

Brooks began his assessment of Centre Wellington early last December with visits to Fergus and Elora.

In making his observations, Brooks compared the two towns with his experiences in Europe.

“Downtowns are back. Across Canada and in the United States we are going through a major cultural shift; we are moving to the European standard,” he said.

The European standard he further explained, meant keeping businesses open past 6pm, when over 70 per cent of purchases happen, as well as prioritizing open air seating and outside spaces.

Elora, he found, had done well branding itself clearly as an artisanal town with a bustling downtown core.

Fergus, he went on to say, could emphasize a stronger sense of identity.

“If you want to be Scottish, then be Scottish,” he said.

One of the easiest ways to emphasize the Scottish theme and attract visitors, Brooks suggested, would be to rename the two main downtown blocks on St. Andrew street the “thistle district.”

Foremost on Brooks’ list of priorities was adding benches and potted plants downtown to break up the grey-on-grey of concrete sidewalks and stone façades.

He also suggested shops on the main street should hang what he called blade retail signs that explain the main products sold in each store in Scottish-themed type and clear enough to be read by drivers on the road.

Fergus and Elora should be the two top destinations in this entire province; you have the potential.

ROGER BROOKS - DOWNTOWN GURU

Brooks referred to these three suggestions as the ‘low hanging fruit’ of the list.

While some of the changes could be done by business owners relatively cheaply, others on the list of 20, Brooks noted, would need cooperation from the county and property owners.

Ultimately, he said Fergus should narrow the lanes on St. Andrew’s Street so that trucks could not pass through.

In turn he would widen the sidewalks and change the parking on one side of the street to angle parking instead of parallel.

Parallel parking, he said, is a hassle that could deter potential customers from stopping and shopping.

On Aug. 1 Brooks met with representatives of the Fergus BIA, Wellington County and the Regional Tourism Association to work through his findings.

Patricia Rutter, economic development officer Centre Wellington, said many of the items on Brooks’ list are already in the works.

In the spring the township received $54,000 from the provincial government to help with the revitalization of the main street.

“A report was sent to council on July, 23 that outlined where we were going to spend that money, which included new planters, new signage and getting CIP grants to do blade signage,” Rutter said.

“Our ultimate goal for downtown Fergus is that it becomes a destination. We need to make it a place where the locals really want to go and the tourists will follow.”

For Mary Lloyd, owner of the clothing store Sensational You on St. Andrew Street, Brooks’ assessment was a long time coming.

She has owned her store for the past five years and in her opinion, “Fergus has been behind the times by about 10 years. And it will still take time to make these changes.”

However, Lloyd added she is encouraged by how easy some of Brooks’ suggestions were.

“I am really excited about the low hanging fruit that he listed,” Lloyd said.

Brooks added that he was impressed overall by the potential he sees.

“Fergus and Elora should be the two top destinations in this entire province; you have the potential,” he said.

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 13

Advanced Small Engines and Marine celebrates 20th anniversary with opening of second location ARYN STRICKLAND CENTRE WELLINGTON When Steven VanLeeuwen opened Advanced Small Engines and Marine 20 years-ago, he was fresh out of high school and following a passion for building engines.

Just a couple years prior, he had signed up for the Ontario skills competition through Centre Wellington District High School.

VanLeeuwen won gold at the competition for building a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine. The experience gave him the confidence he needed to build a career in the field. It’s a passion he says has lasted over two decades.

“I [love] the technical aspect of how everything has to be set in its perfect place for it to work properly,” VanLeeuwen explained.

When high school graduation rolled around, VanLeeuwen did not have far to look for the inspiration to start his own business.

Growing up in the area, his parents owned and operated Fergus Auto Recyclers, where VanLeeuwen first began working on engines.

Out of high school, VanLeeuwen started with an ad in the Wellington Advertiser offering to repair systems on lawn mowers and boats, slowly building up a clientele.

As the workload increased, VanLeeuwen grew tired of having to buy one part at a time and began to stock shelves as he worked.

Over time he compiled inventory, started selling engines and products, and hired sales staff.

It has been 20 years since VanLeeuwen got his hands greasy working on engines - and he says the same passion drives his approach to business.

“I would say that I have a passion for business in the same way. Everything has to fit in its proper place and work towards the one goal of having it run smoothly,” he says.

THE TWO COMPANIES Advanced Small Engines and Marine has

14 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

become a fixture on Wellington Road 18 near the 5th Line.

Over the years, VanLeeuwen added to his inventory, selling garden and boating equipment. In one location, the company sold everything from mowers and chainsaws to fishing boats and pontoons.

On Sept. 8, the company celebrated its 20-year anniversary by unveiling a new dealership, Advanced Marine, which specializes in marine equipment.

The 12,000-square-foot new facility split the combined small engines and boat company into Advanced Small Engines and Advanced Marine.

“We’ve just separated the two companies from the small engines and the marina,” VanLeeuwen explains.

Just across the road, the small engine division of the company, Advanced Small Engines, is also getting some upgrades.

“They are going to be doing their own

“ expansion there as well with some new brands that they are going to be taking on,” said Jordan Charlton, sales manager for Advanced Marine.

NEW LOCATION

I’ve tried to definitely make sure that my staff understand where we came from and what the foundation was that allowed us to get to where we are today.

JORDAN CHARLTON, SALES MANAGER, ADVANCED MARINE

COMMUNITY ROOTS Being situated in Wellington County has helped the company grow to where it is today and VanLeeuwen and Charlton agree it will help the company keep expanding.

“I’ve tried to definitely make sure that my staff understand where we came from and what the foundation was that allowed us to get to where we are today,” said Charlton.

Growing up in Brampton, Charlton says he enjoyed coming to the county every summer and going out on Belwood Lake.

PHOTOS: ARYN STRICKLAND

“

VanLeeuwen says he couldn’t ask for a better location to set up a second shop for Advanced Marine.

“It is great for exposure. It’s central to all the greater Toronto-Hamilton area and for people who are on the way to the North,” he said.

But what VanLeeuwen is most proud of is the 14 new jobs the new location has created.

“Now with the larger location, we are able to increase productivity,” he said.

Not only that, it also gives these employees greater job security.

“We can actually stockpile work or put certain work aside and keep all our techs and people working full time. That’s exciting not only for productivity and corporate ability to keep working, but also for the employees to not be on seasonal work, so it’s a win-win,” he added.

“The people are what makes the company so unique,” agreed Charlton.

He said the new space features a 6,000-square-foot indoor showroom.

During the winter, he anticipates the company will have roughly 12 to 15 boats inside the showroom.

Based on what Charlton has already

ordered, at any given point Advanced Marine will have in the range of 40-50 boats on site all the time.

“My goal as the marine sales manager is to have one of the largest in-stock varieties of boats. So probably around a hundred different models at any given time,” Charlton said.

Advanced Marine will also continue to offer provide fiberglass and pontoon boats.

“We want to be that one-stop shop.

When customers hear Advanced Marine, they know right off the bat that they are going to be looked after,” said Charlton.

In the meantime, VanLeeuwen said it is also important to take a step back and count one’s blessings.

“The number one thing is we are thankful for the 20 years of business that we have been in the community for, which is amazing, such a blessing,” he said.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 15

After only a year living in the Elora area, he feels at home.

“You still get that small-town feel even though Centre Wellington has obviously grown exponentially in the last couple years,” he said.

That is exactly why employees have chosen to work at the new dealership, according to VanLeeuwen.

“The people that came here that were working on [the building] asked, ‘How can I live here.’”

That has made for some tough decisions for Advanced Marine when hiring new staff.

“We tried to hire as local as possible, but we hear that people want to be here and want to be in this location and love the area, so it’s just a great location,” VanLeeuwen says.

And the key to running a successful business in a small town?

For both VanLeeuwen and Charlton, it’s about staying humble.

“You have to stay humble and treat your customers well because if we want to get business opportunities down the road, customers are going to be the ones making that decision whether you can or can’t,” says.

Charlton.

BELOW - On hand for the Sept. 8 official opening of Advanced Marine were: Allanah VanLeeuwen, Micah VanLeeuwen, Brook VanLeeuwen, Candice VanLeeuwen, Steven VanLeeuwen, Joel Robinson, Patty Elst, Adam Meyer, Mark Benham, Andrew MacNally, Jordan Charlton, Paul VanBilson, Steven Djong, Rick Motz, Tim Birch, David Saumier and Dylan Curry.

PHOTOS: ARYN STRICKLAND

BL

Steven VanLeeuwen’s daughter Allanah VanLeeuwen and his niece Tiana VanLeeuwen try out a cotton candy machine before the Advanced Marine opening on Sept. 8.

16 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

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Sunshine cheque - Steve Fletcher, right, of the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association presents a $14,143 cheque to Christine Freeman, left, of the Sunshine Foundation of Canada. Elayne McSkimming and Rob Smith, middle, owners of Erin Auto Recyclers, were recognized for collecting 4,990 tires, the most in Ontario, during this spring’s Tire Take Back program.

PHIL GRAVELLE ERIN Almost 5,000 tires were dropped off at Erin Auto Recyclers during last spring’s Tire Take Back program, making it the top location in Ontario.

Christine Freeman of the Sunshine Foundation of Canada was at the Erin yard on Sept. 27 to accept a $14,143 donation from Steve Fletcher of the Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association (OARA).

Freeman thanked Rob Smith and Elayne McSkimming of Erin Auto Recyclers for their support, collecting over half of the tires in the Ontario program.

Participating recyclers donate the 88 cents they normally receive for each tire processed, and other companies in related businesses also make donations.

OARA members put in a tremendous amount of work collecting tires, keeping our environment clean and helping make lives a little brighter for children STEVE FLETCHER, ONTARIO AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION (OARA)

The Erin contribution amounts to $4,391.

“We couldn’t have done it without the community,” said Smith, who has been involved with the program since its inception

18 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

nine years ago.

Ontario’s tire recycling system is funded by fees paid by consumers for each tire purchased (originally $5 but now $3.85).

Ryan Politewicz of Trillium Tire said recycled tires are most often used to make rubber mats, playground surfaces and synthetic fields.

Since 2009, Tire Take Back has led to the collection and recycling of 519,902 tires in Ontario, with a total donation to the Sunshine Foundation of $1.3 million.

“OARA members put in a tremendous amount of work collecting tires, keeping our environment clean and helping make lives a little brighter for children,” said Fletcher.

The foundation helps families of kids with life-threatening illnesses or severe disabilities, funding special trips and offering DreamLift flights to Disney World that boost kids’ independence.

BL

PHOTO: PHIL GRAVELLE

Erin business tops in tire fundraising

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Pending regulatory approval, the invest firm will own and operate Conestogo Wind Energy Centre in Mapleton.

STARBUCKS While Fergus may have been shut out of the Starbucks world after Target closed in 2015, new site plans and window signs for the recently vacated Dairy Queen building on Tower Street indicate Starbucks is making a return.

The former Target store, in the same parking lot as the future Starbucks, now holds a Giant Tiger, Dollarama, Pet Valu, Mark’s Work Wearhouse and a Habitat for Humanity Restore.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN Centre Wellington will be undergoing an economic development strategic action plan for $67,300. The plan, proposed by McSweeney and Associates, aims to provide direction to determine what, where, when and how economic development is to be planned, delivered and sustained in the township.

XINYI Guelph-Eramosa council voted to refuse the Xinyi Canada Glass Limited application for a $450-million glass plant in the township in July. The plant was to be the only float glass plant in Canada, offering 400 new highly skilled jobs, 200 of which were to be engineering positions.

The application was for a two million square foot plant located at 5081 Wellington Road 32, north of Wellington Road 124. The biggest concern for township residents was the company’s plan to draw 1.6 million litres of water per day to cool the glass.

During a July Guelph-Eramosa council meeting, councillor Mark Bouwmeester was the only member of council to vote against rejecting the application, with Mayor Chris White and councillors David Wolk, Corey Woods and Louise Marshall voting to reject the application.

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Elora Mill and Spa opens after eight-year wait JAIME MYSLIK ELORA From solariums and elegant ballrooms to a rooftop pool and exclusive chef’s table, luxury has arrived in Centre Wellington.

The long-awaited Elora Mill Hotel and Spa officially opened on July 6.

“It’s a place to come and celebrate the really special occasions,” said Elora Mill general manager Geoffrey Wild.

“It’s not where you’re going to come for dinner every night, but it’s where you’re going to come and celebrate birthdays and celebrate special occasions and ... enjoy world class cuisine right on your doorstep.”

Stepping onto the mill site at 77 Mill St. West in the heart of downtown Elora is an experience.

From the outside, the structures look similar to old photos of the original

20 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

HEAD CHEF JOHN BAKKER, OWNER AARON CIANCONE AND MANAGER GEOFFREY WILD

PHOTOS: JAIME MYSLIK

mill. In fact, Wild said the mill is decorated with just those types of images.

“You’ll find these all the way throughout the whole building,” Wild said.

“So most of these come from the Wellington Archives; they were kind enough to allow us to scour through there, so we found probably about 60 pictures that you can see throughout the mill, from just really cool things about Elora back in the day, back in time.”

The nod to the original look comes largely from a fluke encounter.

Aaron Ciancone, owner and president of Pearle Hospitality, the mill’s parent company, was driving by All Saints Anglican church in Hamilton in 2016.

“Our owner drove past ... and they were busy demolishing this church and he just kind of hung out the window and said, ‘What’s happening with this stone’ and they were like, ‘Well, it’s going to go through a reclamation yard’ and he was like, ‘No, I’ll send trucks,’” Wild said.

“So he bought all the stone and that one church ... was enough stone for everything that we needed here.

“It is stone that was originally quarried out of the Grand (River), not here in Elora necessarily but it’s the same stuff ... It’s nice to bring a little bit of that back.”

The Elora Mill Hotel and Spa offers fine dining, luxury accommodation, a full service spa and a choice from three wedding venues.

“It’s been an expensive journey and it

It’s a place to come and celebrate the really special occasions ...

GEOFFREY WILD, ELORA MILL GENERAL MANAGER

gives me great pleasure to be standing here and celebrating the re-birth of the Elora Mill,” Ciancone said at the July 5 opening celebration.

“I was thinking about that moment in time when I was with my family and we had to make a quick decision about submitting a bid on this property.”

He had consistently heard people had been to Elora and thought it was a beautiful place - but not many had returned to the village.

“And I was one of them and it was really at that moment that I said ... people had so many fond memories of this place, but it really needed a little bit of love and care and attention,” he said.

“And so it was at that point that I realized, ‘let’s take the leap of faith, let’s submit the bid, and see what happens,’ and it was only a few days or a few weeks later ... we were successful.

“So that’s when my heart dropped and the journey began.”

The Elora Mill was built in 1833 as a grist mill and ran as a mill until 1974. In 1975 it opened for the first time as a hotel.

However, after changing ownership a number of times, the Elora Mill Inn was left in a state of extensive deterioration when Pearle Hospitality took over eight years ago.

The inn officially closed at the end of October 2010 and at that time it was thought the building would remain closed for about 18 months.

In reality it would take eight years.

One of the road blocks that Pearle Hospitality faced was the Grand River flood plain - the mill was built directly in it.

Mill officials worked with the Grand River Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Natural resources to come up with a solution.

The mill project also sparked resistance from some members of the community, as: - protesters voiced opposition about the removal of trees on the south side of the Grand River; and

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 21

Those incentives also apply only to yearly tax increases. The company will receive an 80% exemption for the Elora Mill for 10 years from April 8, 2016.

In total, the CIP incentives will save the Elora Mill $640,000 over 10 years.

“Way back in 2015 the council recognized this project was not only good for visitors, it was good for this community,” said Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton. “It was good for Centre Wellington.

“That’s why ... we committed that we would fast track the project and do everything within our control to make sure the application process went quickly and that we didn’t put up any unnecessary administrative roadblocks, that we could move ahead with this project.”

After eight years, the first phase of the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa development opened in July.

“Every single physical feature of the Elora Mill and Spa is centred around the customer experience,” Linton said at the ribbon cutting.

“You’ve demonstrated that one of the key success factors for any organization is to put yourself in the customer’s shoes first and then

PHOTOS: JAIME MYSLIK

- a group of citizens asked for a two-year moratorium on growth until the township could prove how it was going to maintain the 19th century small-town scale, character, atmosphere and quality of urban areas.

In March of 2016, the mill received approval for its heritage permit application.

In December of that year, mill owners learned the hotel would receive tax incentives through both the Wellington County and Centre Wellington Community Improvement Plans (CIPs).

Wellington County CIP tax incentives, applied only to yearly tax increases, include: - covering 100 per cent of the tax increase in year one; - 80% in year two; - 60% in year three; - 40% in year four; - 20% in year five; and - in year six the company will be paying the full tax increase amount.

Centre Wellington also provided tax incentives through a CIP program.

22 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

“ Every single physical feature of the Elora Mill and Spa is centred around the customer experience KELLY LINTON, MAYOR, CENTRE WELLINGTON

build on that foundation. That’s a great example for government and businesses everywhere to learn from.”

In preparation for the mill opening Centre Wellington revitalized and rebuilt Mill Street in Elora.

“I understand that this is a once-ina-generation project; it’s revitalizing downtown Elora, it’s rebuilding our heritage assets, it’s rehabilitating a brownfield site across the river and reclaiming a south bank of the Grand River,” Linton said.

“And is a huge boost to our economy: $150 million in investment, 150 full-time jobs.

“Bottom line is this project is good for Centre Wellington.”

Elora Mill and Spa officials say the company is committed to working with the local community.

In her introductory remarks, emcee Barbara Lustgarten-Evoy explained at the opening that about 80% of mill staff is from Wellington County.

“Pearl Hospitality ... (is) sourcing out and using local food whenever and wherever possible,” she added.

“So thank you ... for that and ... for not just coming in and making this your home but for coming in and making this your home and including all of us in the journey.”

In addition, Wild explained the mill would use local artwork on consignment throughout the mill.

“We want to be using local art ... If any one of our guests are interested we’ll allow the curators to facilitate the purchasing of the artwork,” he said.

The Elora Mill Hotel and Spa has been in operation since July 6 and the first phase of the project is now near completion.

Pearle is in the process of developing the south side of the river into luxury condos, a convention centre, wedding chapel, aboveand below-ground parking and shops.

BL

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 23

“

chamber round-up

CHAMBER

Business Leader connects with Wellington County chambers

Tish Green, President Arthur and District Chamber of Commerce

John Cox, President Minto Chamber of Commerce

Email: achamber@wightman.ca Website: arthurchamber.ca

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

Kira Bailey, President Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce Email: chamber@cwchamber.ca Website: cwchamber.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 important are awards to businesses? What does winning an award mean to their bottom line?

Minto John Cox While it is always nice to be recognized for a job well done and it is encouraging when your efforts are noticed by others, the best reward for our business owners is a satisfied, loyal customer.

When customers give positive feedback and recommendations to others it shows on the bottom line.

BL

How was the summer season for your merchants?

Minto John Cox Summer time is always hit and miss in retail for our businesses. Several construction projects in Minto mean many travellers avoid the detours but thankfully Minto also hosts several great events that bring out locals as well as visitors to our community who shop in our stores, eat at our restaurants and support our community.

Centre Wellington Kira Bailey The chamber celebrates businesses in Centre Wellington each year with the Awards of Excellence. Businesses who do win the awards seem very pleased and appreciative of them. A number of past winners recognize their achievement on their website and proudly display their award in their business.

Centre Wellington Kira Bailey With the number of vehicles in and about town, the events happening and the great weather, it seems like that is a good mix for a successful summer. The caveat is that with construction season it can be a bit challenging for businesses too. All reports I have heard have been positive.

Arthur Tish Green A reward is beneficial to a business if it’s promoted in the community. The awareness of this achievement creates confidence in the consumer.

Arthur Tish Green Summer for most businesses is heavy revenue time. As lots are seasonal, it is important to keep businesses successful in the summer so they can all get through the long winters in Ontario/Arthur.

Mapleton Jeff Duimering Awards can be an important part of a business marketing strategy. A reward from peers allows a company to receive recognition in their community and it adds credibility to their business. An award is also a boost for company morale.

24 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Mapleton Jeff Duimering The summer season for our merchants has been average to above average. We enjoy a good economy in Mapleton.

CHAMBER ROUND-UP BUSINESS LEADER spoke to Chamber of Commerce representatives within Wellington County about area events and news in their respective regions.

BL

What strategies can existing businesses use to maintain customers when a new business opens in their area? Example?

Minto John Cox Minto businesses pride themselves on quality products and service. Having more businesses and/or competition is not always a bad thing.

More business and choices means more shoppers and selection. Maintaining their customers has never been a problem because our businesses are part of what makes Minto a great place to live and work.

Centre Wellington Kira Bailey The chamber supports businesses and their continued growth by helping them build a referral network to ensure their ongoing success. While we always welcome new businesses to our thriving community, the businesses that have been here for a while become tightly integrated into the community as a whole. Participation in community-based initiatives helps to raise their community profile and build a solid and dedicated customer base.

Arthur Tish Green Competition is great for any business, it could keep all clients buying local instead of shopping out of town. This will also keep businesses progressing forward with innovative ideas and the four P’s (price, promotion, placement, product).

Mapleton Jeff Duimering A new competitor can draw more people to an area, which increases the number of potential customers. New competition can make a business sharper and force them to look at what they can do better or even make changes to what they offer. Maintaining customer service and creating a unique experience are great ways to keep customers coming.

BL

What does the cancellation of the Green Energy Fund mean for your businesses?

Minto John Cox It has been rather disappointing for the municipality as well as some local farmers and businesses that had their sights set on utilizing green energy and/or producing it. Not all hope is lost, you just never know what the future holds.

Centre Wellington Kira Bailey Ontario’s cap and trade program was implemented within a short time frame with limited stakeholder consultation. It is critical that the wind-down process follows a methodical, collaborative and evidence-based approach.

This is also true with the wind-down process for Green Ontario programs. Businesses need consistent, clear and detailed information on the government’s plan for timelines, the cancellation of contracts and mitigation for money already spent based on promises from the fund. This will ensure that businesses have the stability and certainty they require to make the necessary accommodations and adjustments, including future financial and investment planning.

Arthur Tish Green The cancellation of the Green Energy Fund will slow down all business within that industry.

This will cause a ripple effect that will negatively impact local businesses and the province.

Mapleton Jeff Duimering The cancellation of the Green Energy Fund is unfortunate and will slow the sales of energy efficient products. There may be businesses that are unable to afford energy efficient upgrades to their buildings or equipment. Although there are some people who didn’t take advantage of the opportunity because of administrative restrictions in accessing the funds.

**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.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 25

AWARDS & ACCOLADES Lions Home Show FERGUS

ARBORITE TREE CARE OF FERGUS

The winners of the 2018 Fergus Lions Home and Leisure Show include ArboRite Tree Care of Fergus, Canopy Farms Landscaping of Fergus and Old Corral Plank Furniture. Others noted as deserving honourable mention were: Wellington County OPP, Millbank Family Furniture, The Wellington Advertiser 50th Anniversary and Red Brick Realty. “All the booths were creative, showed great effort and the booth and staff interacted well with the visitors,” stated organizers. The show was held in May at the Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex in Fergus.

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Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce held its annual golf tournament. Twenty teams competed at the Ariss Golf and Country Club in June. The morning and early afternoon offered good weather but by late afternoon a severe rain and a wind storm hit the course. After taking cover in the clubhouse the weather cleared and the round was resumed.

Roberta Scarrow of the Centre Wellington Chamber, centre, awarded the low gross score prize to a foursome from the Gorge Country Kitchen in Elora, including, from left: Cory Oakes, Tim Xintavelonis, John Xintavelonis and Dan Xintavelonis.

4-H Ontario and Kubota Canada Ltd. Announce Partnership ROCKWOOD

4-H Ontario and Kubota Canada Ltd. have entered into a new partnership.

This partnership will benefit 4-H Ontario youth, as Kubota has established their exclusive sponsorship of 4-H Ontario’s youth leader webinars and the development of a new provincial Graduating Members Award.

“This partnership with Kubota Canada Ltd. sets the bar for excellence and community involvement with 4-H senior members,” said Debra Brown, 4-H Ontario executive director.

“Together we will deliver positive youth leadership development through the youth leader webinars and honour the excellence and dedication of graduating 4-H members through the new Graduating Members Award.”

4-H Ontario youth leader webinar training prepares senior 4-H members with

the knowledge to serve in their clubs in a leadership role, officials say.

Once a youth turns 15 years old, they can take on more responsibilities within a club project. If youth wish to take on this role, they are required to attend training where they will learn more advanced techniques and theory on communications, teamwork, mentorship and leadership as applied to a 4-H club.

Every year 4-H Ontario honours approximately 100 to 150 graduating members, who are still involved at age 21, in over 40 different 4-H associations across the province. 4-H Association Awards Nights take place in counties across the province from October to March.

Kubota will now be recognized as the exclusive sponsor of the Graduating Members Award for 2018.

All 4-H associations will now be able to

provide a personalized gift in honour of a member’s dedication to the 4-H program.

Local Kubota representatives will be invited to present these sponsored awards at 4-H Awards Nights.

“Kubota Canada Ltd. is very pleased to support 4-H youth in Ontario through these very worthwhile programs. Our partnership with 4-H Ontario is a great way to reach out and support our youth,” said Rob Allison, national brand manager for Kubota Canada.

“We hope to build lasting relationships with the communities in Ontario and help our youth reach their full potential.”

This partnership will also see the two organizations work together on other initiatives such as creating opportunities for 4-H members to attend Kubota dealership events and for Kubota representatives to attend 4-H clubs to experience 4-H programming.

BL

We hope to build lasting relationships with the communities in Ontario and help our youth reach their full potential.

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KELLY

LINTON Let your voice be heard!

Vote ONLINE October 15-22!

My Family And I Love Calling Centre Wellington Home!

Since being elected as your Mayor in 2014, I have accomplished what is increasingly rare in politics – I did what I promised I’d do. I led a Council that prioritized spending on our needs not our wants; took real action to increase jobs and investment; and ramped up citizen engagement to a whole new level. I am committed to working with you to continue to unlock our town’s incredible potential.

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For more about me and what we need to accomplish together, visit www.kellylinton.ca or connect with me at linton4mayor@kellylinton.ca.

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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 semployed. 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 contributions, 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 a 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.

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 | 29

GRAND OPENINGS Mapleton ‘pop up shop’ closes for season MAPLETON – While the Made in Mapleton pilot project provided some obvious benefits, the future direction of the project is currently under consideration.

The “pop up shop,” featuring consignment items and products from small and home-based businesses in Mapleton, opened its doors in downtown Drayton on June 26.

It closed as scheduled on Sept. 26 to coincide with the end of the local theatre and cottage seasons.

At the Sept. 25 council meeting Mapleton economic development officer Tish Wake reported the store attracted a variety goods and services from 35 consignees.

“Made in Mapleton has assisted our rural home-based businesses and small business and instilled a sense of pride within the community,” Wake stated in a written report to council.

However, while consideration was given to operating the store through the off-season, Wake advised council it could be too costly.

“Although the Made in Mapleton store is beautiful, has done well adding a contributing business to the downtown in Drayton,

The Made in Mapleton Pop Up Shop was officially opened on July 5. From left: Mayor Neil Driscoll, economic development coordinator Trish Wake, councillors Marlene Ottens, Lori Woodham, Dennis Craven and Michael Martin, Perth-Wellington MP John Nater and Wellington County councillor Gregg Davidson. the project must close,” she stated.

“There was not enough return feedback from the consignors to assist with voluntarily staffing the store. The largest expense being wages, the overall loss, without including wages over the next months would be $3,243.06.”

She added, “Continued efforts and future endeavors will support the Made in Mapleton

branding.”

Wake also noted a proposal for a similar initiative for an urban centre within Mapleton will be included in the draft 2019 budget.

Meanwhile, Wake said the economic development department is working on alternatives such as an outlet at the Drayton Foodmart or a re-vamped farmers market.

FERGUS - A new Habitat for Humanity Wellington Dufferin Guelph ReStore has officially opened in the south end of Fergus.

The store is the last piece of the puzzle to fill the former Target building on Tower Street South.

On July 30 shoppers were lining up before 8am, one hour prior to the store opening its doors for the first time.

“I think people coming to the door ... feel really grateful that they have somewhere where they can take their stuff knowing that it’s going for a terrific cause,” said store manager Deb Stanson.

30 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

PHOTOS: PATRICK RAFTIS, JAIME MYSLIK

ReStore opens in former Target building

Timber Mart to open distribution centre in Mount Forest in January CHRIS DAPONTE MOUNT FOREST

PHOTOS: GOOGLE, BILL LONGSHAW (x2)

Timber Mart has announced plans to open a distribution centre on the west side of Mount Forest in January.

The lumber and building material facility will be located at 555 Perth Street and is expected to create 25 jobs in the town.

The property was formerly home to Viking Cives Ltd. Spokesperson Alexandra Kazan told Business Leader that Timber Mart will move into the existing 16,000 square foot building but the site will require extensive renovations.

“Over the next three months, Timber Mart will be installing fencing around the five-acre property, grading the land, adding gravel space for storage and renovating the office spaces,” Kazan stated.

Company officials say the location was chosen because it is “within a six-hour radius” of its many independent dealers across the province.

“Our new distribution centre in Ontario will offer our members all of the conveniences that our existing facilities provide and that

our members in B.C., Quebec and New Brunswick currently enjoy,” stated Timber Mart president Bernie Owens in a press release.

“We look forward to opening the new facility in January of 2019 and providing our dealers with a great source of products and competitive advantage in their local markets.”

Kazan said Timber Mart has been looking for an Ontario distribution centre location for “a few months.”

She said Wellington North officials were “great” to work with and “very supportive.”

Wellington North Economic development officer Dale Small said municipality officials,

During Centre Wellington’s Doors Open event, One and Only Handmade Marketplace on St. Andrew Street in Fergus held its ribbon cutting. The shop carries primarily one of a kind and handmade merchandise. The Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce coordinated the ribbon cutting on June 16.

Those taking part in the ribbon cutting include, from left: Joanne Young-Evans representing the chamber, Michele Croft, Melinda Croft, Camryn Joubert, Evelyn Connell, Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton, chamber executive director Roberta Scarrow, ribbon cutting sponsor Sheri Copplestone from ASC4Business and Paul Walker of the chamber.

who had been promoting the vacant industrial-commercial lot, welcome Timber Mart with “open arms.”

“We’re excited to have them in our community,” Small said in an interview with Business Leader.

“Any time there’s new jobs created in our community we’re excited about it.”

The Mount Forest centre will be the third distribution centre in the country for the Canadian-owned building material and hardware chain.

It currently has distribution facilities in Langley, B.C. and St-Nicolas, Quebec.

Kitchen and bathroom store Xanadu held its grand opening in Elora at the end of June. Xanadu has a showroom that is open to the public in Elora but all of the construction work is done in St. Jacobs. From left, front, Paul Walker of the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Centre Wellington Mayor Kelly Linton, chamber director Aileen Hawkins, Xanadu owners Bill Vandeven and Tara Scheutt, Centre Wellington Councillor Kirk McElwain and ribbon cutting sponsor Sheri Copplestone of ASC4Business.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 31

OPENINGS

THE SHEPHERD’S PUB The Shepherd’s Pub closed it’s doors at it’s Mill Street West location in Elora on March 31. The pub then reopened at 5 Mill Street East in Elora on Aug. 4. For more information visit www.facebook.com/Shepherds-Pub-Elora -250165711665306.

GUMBEE’S Gumbee’s is held its grand opening in Harriston at 6159 Wellington Road 109 on Aug. 25. For more information visit www. facebook.com/Gumbeez or call owner Jen Skeates at 519-710-0477. The business is closed on Mondays.

DENTURE CLINIC LTD. A new business has opened in Mount Forest.

The Denture Clinic Ltd. is located at 160A Main St. North. Contact owner Martin Durkalec at 519-509-5905.

THE SYLVER ROSE EATERY A new business has opened in the former location of My Kitchen by Gancena in Fergus. The Sylver Rose Eatery is a unique dining experience of Mediterranean and international fusion. The restaurant is located at 216 St. Andrew St. W. in Fergus.

Owner Craig David can be contacted at sylverrose.eatery@gmail.com.

CAVA GRANITE A new Canadian business has taken over the former location of Roxanne’s Reflections in downtown Fergus. CAVA Granite is making 152 St Andrew St. W., its new home.

CAVA Granite Corporation is a Canadian business specializing in granite and marble countertop installation. For more information call Adrian Christia at 519-843-2597 or email info@cavagranite.com.

PARADA DENTURES Parada Dentures owner Franklin Parada has opened a second clinic in Fergus. The clinic is Located at 749 St. Andrew St. W., Fergus in the Freshco plaza. Services range from implant retained, full, immediate, and partial dentures. Patients can be seen at either the Guelph office or in Fergus or through the mobile denture service where representatives can come to the patient. For more information call 519-766-1113 and press 1 for reception.

NEW STIHL DEALERS Advanced Small Engines and DeBoer’s Equipment are excited to announce their inclusion into the STIHL dealers group.

Being an authorized STIHL dealer will allow

them to sell and service the full line up of STIHL products.

COLORS FROM AFAR Colours from Afar is open on Main Street in Mount Forest. For more information email Laura Majic at coloursfromafar@gmail.com or visit Colours from Afar on Facebook.

DADDY’S BUTCHER SHOP Daddy’s Butcher Shop is now open at 168 St. Andrew St. W., Fergus. To contact them call 226-383-MEAT. DRAGON VAPE Dragon Vape is now open at 126 St. Andrew St. W., Fergus. Call 833-236-8273 x5 for more information.

THIS WEE SPACE This Wee Space is now open at 125 St. Andrew St. W., Fergus. Email sarahsmith@thisweespace@gmail.com or visit thisweespace.weebly.com for more information.

ONE AND ONLY HANDMADE MARKETPLACE One and Only Handmade Marketplace is now open at 215 St. Andrew St. W., Fergus.

Contact the store at 226-962-3573.

NEW OWNERS THE EVELYN RESTAURANT The Desert Rose in Elora has been sold and will re-open this fall as The Evelyn Restaurant. Visit www.facebook.com/ theevelynelora/ for updates.

ELORA BREAD TRADING CO. The Elora Bread Trading Co. has sold.

Founder Calantha Elsby announced in July that she would be selling the company for a position working in conservation. On August 22 the Elora Bread Trading Co. announced on Facebook that chef and artisan baker Greg Dove would be taking over the company as of Sept. 1.

CLOSURES BCR8IV COUNTRY SPA Sharon Smith is closing her business, BCR8iV Country Spa in Elora after being opened for 38 years WILD THINGS PLANT FARM The Wild Things Plant Farm in Cifford is closing after 20 years in business.

32 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

Wightman Exhibit - The First 110 Years ABOYNE In celebration of Wightman’s 110th anniversary, the Wellington County Museum and Archives’ newest exhibit ‘Wightman – The First 110 Years’ tells the story of the Wightman family, their business and their impact throughout Wellington County communities.

“This exhibit tells a remarkable family story about innovation, struggle and success,” said Amy Dunlop, curator of the exhibit.

“Through objects, photographs, video and audio elements our newest exhibit not only highlights changes in telecommunications over 110 years but also celebrates a family’s journey in the process.”

“Wightman is the only privately owned fourth generation telecommunications company in Canada,” said owner Blair Wightman.

Owner Paul Wightman added, “Each generation took great risks and sacrifices and made decisions so that the next generation could take on the legacy. One hundred and ten years later, Wightman’s legacy is still strong.”

The Wellington County Museum and Archives will be hosting an opening reception on Sept. 9 from 1 to 3pm.

Food and refreshments are provided by The Red Door Café in Fergus.

Everyone is welcome Wellington County Museum and Archives is located on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora.

The exhibit is open until Feb. 3.

Galleries are open weekdays from 9:30am to 4:30pm and on weekends from 1 to 5pm.

Admission is by donation.

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

THE PORCH LIGHT The Porch Light Bar and Restaurant has opened at 82 Metcalfe Street in Elora. For more information visit porchlightelora.com or call 519-800-1873.

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Centre Wellington bumps up reserves to allow CIP grant for Sweet Distractions in Elora

Centre Wellington has bumped up the reserves of the municipality’s Community Improvement Fund in order to grant/loan funds to improve the façade of a local business.

The item came up briefly during an August council session as economic development officer Patricia Rutter, brought the funding request to council.

In her report to council, Rutter explained the owners of 16 West Mill St. Elora applied for a CIP grant/loan under the façade, building and property improvement incentive.

The business, Sweet Distractions, is known as the candy shop in downtown Elora.

Rutter said the owners would like to repair the woodwork on the building, install new windows, provide updated lighting, soffit and fascia as well as painting the front and back of the building.

The CIP committee reviewed and approved the project as it complies with the requirements of the program.

Based on estimated costs, applicants would be eligible for a maximum grant of $6,000 plus a $6,000 loan for a total municipal contribution of $12,000.

However, the CIP reserve balance currently sits at $4,450. Therefore the committee asked for an additional $1,550 in funding in order to be able to provide the building owners with the maximum grant amount of $6,000.

Councillor Fred Morris asked if this meant there would be no more CIP grants until the next budget year.

Managing director of planning and development Brett Salmon said there was money set aside for downtown revitalization for the blade signage.

“Otherwise, with Wellington County starting its own CIP program, we will need to amend ours, to implement some of the county programs,” Salmon said.

Morris asked how much funding had been provided through Centre Wellington’s CIP program.

Salmon noted that in 2018, no additional funds were requested because in the prior year not all the funds were used. Originally $100,000 was placed in the program.

SWEET DISTRACTIONS

Councillor Kirk McElwain asked with the building being repainted “will the apothecary sign which has been there forever, remain?”

The building owners intend to keep the

34 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

symbol.

Council later agreed to grant the additional $1,550 in Community Improvement Plan funding to the business.

PHOTOS: P.34 SUBMITTED; P.35 PHIL GRAVELLE

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BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 35

CHEQUES

+ Balances

This spring members of the Mission Thrift Store in Fergus took to the roads of downtown Fergus raising funds for Heart and Stroke on the Big Bike. It is a heart-pumping, cheer-thumping, crazy big, fun ride for participants and raises not only funds but recognition of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, officials say. While they pedal, participants understand that their efforts support critical heart disease and stroke research, so they feel good, while doing good. Other local rides happened last week in Arthur, Mount Forest and Palmerston.

TD Erin staff, along with foster dog guide Sherman, presented a $150 donation and raffle basket for this spring’s Erin Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides. Sherman headed to the Oakville training centre in May and was not able to participate in the walk this year. He will be working with a trainer and matched, at no cost, to a Canadian with a medical or physical disability. The $25,000 to raise and train each guide dog is raised through Lions Foundations of Canada with no government assistance.

RBC bank donated $60,000 to The McGinn Brothers BIG Game for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre Wellington in advance of the tournament.

The day’s event was supported by the organizers of Riverfest Elora, who invited RBC to make the cheque presentation in front of thousands of music fans on the opening night of their three-day music festival in Elora.

Tye, Jamie and Brock McGinn were joined by members of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre Wellington and organizers of the The McGinn Brothers BIG Game on stage to accept the cheque on Aug. 17.

In late June employees from Agilec Fergus volunteered at the Centre Wellington Food Bank. Employees helped prepare hamburgers and soup for a Centre Wellington community dinner. This was part of Agilec’s company-wide initiative, Turn the Tables on hunger, a program designed to help eradicate hunger in the communities employees live in. Agilec’s Fergus location also donated supplies and food. The Food Bank thanked Agilec for their dedication to ending hunger and lending a help hand in their community.

36 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

PHOTOS: P.36 MIKE ROBINSON, SUBMITTED (X3); P.37 SUBMITTED

Cheque presentations, draw winners and donations around the county.

Do you support a local charity?

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

This summer Renate Karger, right, accepted a donation for Elora Centre for the Arts from Shoetopia representative Laura Clark.

Palmerston and District Hospital recently received a $10,000 donation from RBC in support of local nursing education. From left: front, RBC commercial account manager health care, Wellington-Dufferin Karen Galasso, RBC branch manager Harriston Clifford, Wendy Albrecht, Palmerston Hospital RPN Debbie Binkle, PDH Foundation development officer Dale Frankin; centre, RBC branch manager Arthur Bahaar Luhar, Palmerston Hospital patient care manager Nancy Cleary, RBC branch manager Drayton Cathy Vesnaver, RBC mortgage specialist Drayton Jackie Harnock, Palmerston Hospital RN Mark Byers, Palmerston Hospital ward secretary Sandra Lloyd; back, RBC business account manager James Zorychta, RBC assistant manager Drayton Amber Weima, RBC regional vice-president Dan Woods, Palmerston hospital RNs Esther Freeman and Katie Olechowski.

Hospital donation - The Elora Apothecary Pharmasave hosted a barbecue fundraiser this summer and donated $1,200 to the new Groves hospital. From left: pharmacist and owner Bronwyn Tolmie, pharmacy technician Julia Jennings and pharmacy student Joshua Butt made the donation to Sarah Sheehan of the Groves Hospital Foundation.

RBC supports local nurses WELLINGTON COUNTY

This spring RBC and Groves Memorial Community Hospital representatives gathered for a $10,000 donation from the bank in support of health care and nurses.

Pictured left - Groves Memorial Community Hospital and Palmerston and District Hospital have each received a $10,000 donation from RBC in support of local nurses.

The donation builds on RBC’s decade of ongoing commitment to support healthcare and nurses.

The donation, which will fund training programs and educational opportunities is part of an $80,000 donation to be shared among various hospitals in Grey, Bruce, Wellington, Perth, Huron and Dufferin Counties.

BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY | 37

THE SOCIAL CORNER

Advertising is hard.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Invest in a reliable marketing services provider so you can continue servicing your customers Let’s face it: deciding where and when to advertise is a job on its own.

So there’s Google’s search, display, shopping, video, and mobile app network; Facebook’s domain, multi-product carousel, offers, video, lead, canvas, sponsored mentions, and dynamic ads.

Then there’s Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube [Google], Snapchat, online news and media, and niche blogs, all with their own advertising features and offerings.

The list is overwhelming and I haven’t even included traditional advertising such

DREW MOCHRIE

as TV and radio, newspapers and magazines, and mail-out items like postcards and flyers.

This begs the question: how do you decide to advertise on Google or Facebook? How does a small business owner decide if ads in a newspaper every week are better than ads in a monthly magazine, or vice versa?

The answer is simple: seek professional help.

Let me put it to you this way; would you Google search your health issues and selfdiagnose your headache as an impending brain tumor because a ‘doctor’ on WebMD said so? I didn’t think so.

That being said, why do 76% of small business owners continue to do their own marketing rather than hire a professional?

Why are small business owners spending 20-plus hours per week on their marketing?

In a world where time is money, you’d think more would delegate their marketing efforts [to a service provider] and focus on their core competency.

This ‘Do-It-[My]Self’ mantra doesn’t work in today’s multi-media age and it’s time for small businesses to find a reliable marketing services provider.

IFRA World Publishing Expo & DCX Digital Content Expo How the Advertiser invests in the future of your business.

From symposiums to conferences, trade shows to large expo events, the Wellington Advertiser continues to invest in its future. Providing value to our advertisers has and will be the top priority.

By the time this issues reaches your hand, Publisher/President David Adsett and I will have returned from Berlin, Germany, where we attended the IFRA World Publishing Expo and DCX Digital Content Expo. There pioneers of the print and digital media industry shared their ideas, knowledge and experiences with us. It’s our job to make sense of it all and bring these big ideas back to the county - but only if it makes sense for advertisers here.

Whether it’s in print, broadcast, online, external signage or more, the Advertiser will remain vigilant in providing true value to small and large businesses alike. We’re investing in our future, because it’s your future too.

38 | BUSINESS LEADER WELLINGTON COUNTY

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