Business Retention Expansion & Attraction Project (BREA)

Business Engagement Program Overview

The economic well-being of Oro-Medonte Township is directly impacted by the successes and challenges facing its business community. In recognition of this, action is being taken by the Oro-Medonte Economic Development team to engage with local businesses and landowners to understand future needs and opportunities. The data and feedback collected will assist the Township with creating an action plan to develop a sustainable economy and build on the Township’s current Economic Development Strategy and integrate findings from other key initiatives, such as the Tourism Action Plan and the Employment Land Strategy, completed over the past few years.

This project is funded in part by the Ontario government through the Rural Economic Development Program.

Background Information

The Township of Oro-Medonte undertook the Business Engagement Program (BEP) to enable a better understanding of opportunities for business retention, expansion, and attraction. The project focused on the Township’s key sectors, as identified in the Economic Development Strategy: agriculture, manufacturing, service-based sectors and tourism, in addition to information gathered from vacant and underutilized landowners or representatives where development opportunities may exist. 

A significant focus of the project was to assess the status of vacant and underutilized land, identifying challenges, opportunities, and barriers to investment, as well as identifying actions to enhance investment readiness, support strategic growth, and improve the feasibility of developing employment lands by identifying necessary studies and business expansion opportunities. The geography of this project is mainly concentrated around the Highway 11 corridor, which includes prime industrial, commercial and agriculture lands. All businesses across sectors and geographic locations within the Township were invited to participate.

The BEP is a form of business retention and expansion program which is considered a key tenet of economic development. These programs are critical for sustaining and growing local economies as approximately 80% of new jobs and capital investments originate from existing businesses within a community. Their primary objectives are to assist businesses and the overall business community in overcoming challenges that could lead to closure or relocation, and to support their growth and expansion efforts. Effective BRE programs not only stabilize employment and tax revenues but also enhance the local economy's diversity and resilience. It is much more costly to attract new investment to a community than to help existing businesses grow and expand.

The data collected was analyzed and used to provide insights and develop recommendations based on the needs identified directly from the business community and property owners. The recommendations are designed to provide the Township with tangible actions to support business retention expansion and attraction. These recommendations were derived from the feedback provided directly by the business community, in consideration of background data, and the focus on responding directly to the identified needs of the business community. These recommendations were developed with consideration for existing plans and are not meant to supersede them but should complement these plans and provide renewed focus to the Township’s economic development actions.

The recommendations provide strategic direction through an action plan for the Township to attract and retain businesses, support local employment, prepare and attract future investment, and ultimately enhance the economic growth of Oro-Medonte based on the existing opportunities and challenges facing Oro-Medonte businesses as identified through the BEP.

We thank everyone who participated and provided your comments and business information through the BEP.