New Report Offers Recommendations for Business Expansion and Retention in P.G.
Prince George, B.C.- A new report for Initiatives Prince George, sets out a number of recommendations for business retention and expansion in the city.
The report was developed by an independent consultant from information gathered through more than 150 interviews with local businesses over the summer.
“There were lots of interesting things we learned” says Heather Oland, CEO of Initiatives Prince George “For example, the number of businesses exporting, or the number of businesses in stages of planning for succession, or the number of businesses planning to expand in Prince George over the next 12 to 18 months.”
She says information is important to help IPG plan a business retention and expansion program.
The recommendations call for IPG to follow a variety of actions that include:
- Exploring ways to improve supply of appropriately zoned land and leasable building space;
- Providing companies assistance with market analysis, including for export markets;
- Continuing to pursue downtown revitalization strategies;
- Continuing to provide support for finding and retaining skilled staff;
- Continuing to promote housing affordability, post-secondary education opportunities and cultural and recreational amenities in worker and investment attraction programs;
- Developing training programs and/or link to existing programs to support business community skill development;
- Working with the City of Prince George to enhance regulations and processes in support of economic development; and
- Working directly with companies identified through a Business Retention and Expansion interview as being in danger of either closing or leaving Prince George to preserve local employment and economic activity.
Oland says the one piece of information she found most hopeful was that 87 % of the companies surveyed believe the business climate in Prince George is better than it was 5 years and will continue to improve over the next 5 years.
“One of the things I really appreciated about the report is the firms assessment of their capabilities and their opportunities and challenges” says Oland, she says that information will be key to developing a “robust program” for them.
Comments
Save a million bucks and dump them on their ear would serve everyone better. Thought the Chamber was the voice for business along with the other four business associations around town. Revitalize down town, really?? its like beating a dead horse. How about stop competing with Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire and other big box stories. Move to a higher end product, be trendy. Down town is financial center move more of that business into the core, which draws more little shops and eatery’s. Make the down town the business center for Prince George and leave the rest to the malls and box stores to do their thing.
Problem solved, now forwarded my $100,000 fee please
IPG serves as an effective organization to market the city of PG. A large issue has been attracting qualified individuals to help PG businesses expand. Marketing projects like “Move Up PG” is a great tool. PG has a rough reputation that we need to debunk.
“Revitalize down town, really?? its like beating a dead horse. How about stop competing with Wal-Mart, Canadian Tire and other big box stories. Move to a higher end product, be trendy. ”
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The types of shops you describe are exactly the types of stores one sees in successful downtowns. You don’t find them in malls. If you want to see that type of development in PG (and I think it would be great!), it should be downtown IMHO. That’s the type of stuff you can build a downtown around, it just takes some vision and will.
It really must be hard for initiatives pg to look like their earning the $1,000000. subsity they are given every year. We really dont need them.
We don’t need independent consultants to tell us why businesses are not setting up shop downtown. Look around!
Our current city leaders have made it almost impossible to change the downtown. They have their own vision. And, that is what we are looking at. You tell me what the problem is? I don’t think we need to do a study on this. Do you?
Yes indeed. It looks like businesses are doing quite well on their own. Imagine IPG not doing this sort of survey on their own. What is it that they do again???
”PG has a rough reputation that we need to debunk” ! Pg has done more then enough to deserve that reputation. How many people will be driving there kids to nicer neighborhoods tonight to trick or treat?
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