
2018 marked another positive year for the City of Brantford as the area’s strong economic generators contributed significantly to our vibrant, ‘open for business’ economy and success in the global marketplace. The 2018 Year in Review Report summarizes many of the great strides taken by our community.
From an industrial standpoint, the attraction and retention of small and medium-sized firms continues to serve as the catalyst in the development and diversification of our local economy. Fifteen new industrial firms were welcomed to the City, creating 194 new jobs and occupying 358,396 square feet of new or existing space.
Businesses that have established their roots here continue to expand and build their future with us. Overall, seven existing firms enlarged their operations representing 304,866 square feet of additional space and 53 new jobs. From a greenfield perspective, Mitsui High-tec (Canada), Inc. purchased an additional 18 acres of City-owned industrial land for their long-term growth plans. This investment was further complemented by an economic development business mission to Japan. City delegates met with key company executives, as well as provincial and federal trade commissioners focused on securing future foreign direct investments from this highly developed and market-oriented economy.
The Brantford-Brant Business Resource Enterprise Centre (BRC) continued to link entrepreneurs and small business owners with the tools they need for growth and development. BRC staff completed 876 one-on-one business consultations over the course of the year, resulting in 246 new business start-ups and the creation of 397 new jobs. Staff continued to provide training, mentoring and entrepreneurial support through the ongoing Provincial Summer Company and Starter Company Plus programs, in addition to the newly launched StudentBiz program geared towards developing high school entrepreneurs.
As a testament to our community’s strong tourism attributes, the Visitor and Tourism Centre assisted over 10,500 visitors from various parts of the country and around the globe. Most notably, Tourism Brantford’s efforts in the sport tourism, motor coach (travel trade) and meetings & conventions markets attracted almost 50,000 attendees, generating an economic impact of roughly $7.2 million.
Municipal and community support for arts and culture grew substantially over the past year with the disbursement of over half a million dollars to various cultural organizations and festivals in Brantford. Additionally, staff continued to work towards the implementation of the Municipal Cultural Plan and initiated two capital projects that will be completed in 2019; a feasibility study for a mid-sized performance space and an economic impact study of arts and culture on the local economy.
Read the full 2018 Year in Review Report for full details or visit our reports page for previous annual reports and additional community information.