2022-2023 Annual Report

2022-2023

ANNUAL REPORT

Brandon Chamber of Commerce

2022-2023 BoardofDirectors

Tanya LaBuick

President

Jaime Pugh MNP LLP Vice-President

Lois Ruston SecretaryTreasurer

YWCA Westman

Barry Cooper Heritage Co-op Past President

Courtney Baxter Bushel Plus

Matt Berg

Emelio Brown

Laurie Brugger

Century 21 Westman

Realty Ltd.

Tilda Fortier

Greenstone Building Products

Andrea Epp Epp Law Office

Livingstone Landscaping Ltd & Livingstone Outdoor Leech Group

Meredyth Leech

IntriTech Digital Marketing

Chris Finley Mazergroup

ennifer Ludwig Super Thrifty Drugs Canada Ltd.

A heartfelt for the

you

OUR MISSION, OUR VISION, OUR FOCUS

WHO WE ARE

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an independent, membership funded, non-profit organization that represents Brandon business from the grassroots level.

MISSION

To encourage growth in the Brandon community by fostering a progressive business environment, favourable to enhancing existing and attracting new business.

VISION

A vibrant, growing organization with a diverse, inclusive membership that reflects the dynamic business environment in Brandon and delivers recognized value for its members. Through strategic partnerships with business and community organizations and leadership in the chamber movement, the Brandon Chamber is a catalyst for business development and growth in the region

Respected at all levels of government and the community as a highly credible and influential organization, the Chamber is the voice of Brandon’s business community

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Strategic Focus

Economic Development

Strengthen regional Economic Development to support a competitive Brandon, attract business and development, and reduce red tape

Workforce Alignment

Provide resources to support employers’ human capital needs

Organizational Effectiveness

Organizational improvements that maximize value for membership investment

Organization Value

Enhance the success of Chamber members by offering valued business support, services and programs.

Did you know?

Our Executive committee meets monthly with local MLA’s to ensure that our business community’s needs are top-of-mind

Leadership Message from Tanya LaBuick

At the onset of my president’s year, our collective decision was to focus on a few priorities to see what we could accomplish in 12 months

Our priorities were:

1. Work with government to provide support and funding to business, to speed up economic recovery.

We collaborated and supported the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation to secure 400k in October 2022 for our downtown business to fund a variety of upgrades or other projects to help our members and their businesses

Late in 2022, I was appointed to the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council on Competitiveness, which proposed a series of recommendations for the budget that was released in early 2023. I am pleased to report our work had an impact on the budget, specifically tax reform and the HET Levy. Other recommendations are left with cabinet for further, and future, consideration.

In May 2023, we got GROW Brandon off the ground GROW is a specific economic development steering committee and an acronym meant to create a picture of who we are and where we live; Great-hearted, Resourceful, Optimistic, Welcoming. Our first meeting was on May 18th. Thank you to Mayor Fawcett, the President of ACC, Mark Frison, and our GM, Connor Ketchen for their help putting this together and their willingness to work against an aggressive timeline.

We recently published an RFP for GROW Brandon intended to help us create a stronger Westman economy It is for the development of a comprehensive economic development strategy that engages stakeholders in the creation of a long-term, sustainable solution for our city, and region

Next steps for GROW are the selection of a consultant, the development of the plan, a second steering committee meeting, and a Brandon Economic Summit sometime in the first part of 2024. Thank you to the province, the city, ACC, and the Chamber for funding the consultant.

2. Work with the major institutions and stakeholders in Brandon to build a collaborative approach to advocating for and promoting Brandon as the second City in Manitoba.

This is where we got a little louder. We worked diligently and strategically with our mayor and other community stakeholders to ensure our messaging was consistent. I believe governments, stakeholders, and people in general, are looking for collaboration. They WANT us to work together. They WANT us to be a team. We were successful in this effort as time and again our delegates from all levels commented how we were all saying the same thing This is a win

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Leadership Message from Tanya LaBuick

3. Work to understand the needs of our members, to better serve our members, to build a more inclusive membership, and a more inclusive board.

This was a big deal to us. Both Connor and I were focused on ensuring members felt heard and helped. We worked hard to be responsive, and solution minded, doing everything from editing letters members were sending to government to identifying the right people to take action to address issues our members were facing, and then using our influence to make sure action was taken Diversity on our board, just like having more women on our board, it takes time for the business and city culture to catch up with good ideas. We will continue to focus recruitment on a true reflection of our community. We do appreciate that there is a gestation period for business owners to be able to have the space and time to serve on a board such as the Chamber. Patience will be important for this initiative.

4.

Give back to our Board of Directors

We wanted to pour into our directors as a form of appreciation for all the time they give our organization. We offered them training in public speaking, media relations, not for profit financial statement interpretation, and my favourite, Pickleball. We had a very good group around the table, diverse, smart, caring, and willing to voice an opinion. You are well represented, thank you to all of them

The Chamber Network

The Brandon Chamber is aligned with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, the largest and most influential business organizations in Canada and Manitoba. Through the Chamber Network, we work together to shape policy that will make a difference to business in our region. These organizations have achieved notable successes in influencing policy for the benefit of our members and Brandon Chamber delegates attend both AGMs to support and debate various policy resolutions that address business concerns.

Provincially, we worked with other local chambers to advocate on shared issues, bring members together to make new connections (via our events) and deploy and build upon new projects shared within the network.

Working Together

From events to advocacy, the Chamber works with a variety of volunteers, partners and stakeholders to better serve our members. By leveraging the talents and passions of a diverse group, we are able to work on common goals a win-win for all

In the past year our collaborations included: working with Brandon Downtown Development Corporation (BDDC) to create the Downtown Revitalization Grant for small businesses; having Chamber representation on various community boards and bringing external expertise to our own committees; and working with 65+ volunteers with in the Chamber to develop and deliver programs, services and advocacy for our members.

Advocacy & Leadership Recap

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

The Chamber actively advocated on budgets, attended forums, participated in consultations to voice concerns of our members and promote fiscal responsibility. The Chamber hosted pre-budget submissions and consultations on both the City of Brandon budget and the Brandon School Division budget.

The Chamber is proud to be the voice of business in Brandon and a leader in our community This past year we worked hard to engage stakeholders and speak to all levels of government on a variety of business issues The following is a summary of our leadership and advocacy work in 2022 & 2023

Chamber representatives met with government officials of all levels of government to discuss issues of importance to our members. This includes developing a clear, direct line for our members to communicate their issues to all levels of government. This included advocating for the Builders’ Liens Act, hosting a Mayoral Debate and City Council Scorecards during elections, and attending the Provincial Budget Lockdown in Winnipeg. We also prioritized creating one on one connections with locally elected officials. Our Executive Committee met monthly with local MLAs, and our Board Directors each met with a paired City Councilor regularly to ensure that member priorities are top of mind. Our Board President, Tanya LaBuick, also sat on the Premier’s Economic Advisory Council on Competitiveness, which provided guidance and recommendations on issues pertaining to Manitoba’s competitiveness in relation to other provinces and United States

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The Business Development Committee focuses on attracting new business, promoting existing Brandon businesses, and addressing specific business development concerns within the community. During the 20222023 Chamber year, the committee toured local industry leaders’ locations, learning about how they contribute to our local economy and listening to what their challenges were. The committee also met with government representatives to discuss issues impacting local businesses, including minimum wage

WORKFORCE ALIGNMENT

The Workforce Alignment committee helps to foster a workforce that meets the evolving needs of employers and community This past year the committee focused on retention and recruitment They created a digital marketing campaign through the Chamber, which gave hiring tips for employers in a fun, yet informative way. They also created a half-day workshop called “How to Find & Keep Talent”, which had local experts educate and guide local business owners how to improve their recruitment and retention strategies.

to our 67 board & committee volunteers for the 2022-2023 year!

Connection

Speaker Series

What a year it has been! As we look back on the past year ' s luncheon series, one word comes to mind: captivating. Each month was filled with captivating speakers, and we were happy to have Mayor Jeff Fawcett provide his first-ever State of the City address, and Premier Heather Stefanson return to give us another State of the Province address. With an average of 221 attendees per luncheon, each event was a testament to the power of knowledge, community, and inspiration

Annual Golf Tournament

Our 33rd Annual Chamber Golf Tournament took place in June at Wheat City Golf Course. With 158 golfers in the tournament, we lucked out with great weather, great activities from our sponsors, and an excellent meal provided by the Eagles Nest Bar & Grill.

Business Awards Gala

This milestone event was a celebration of excellence, innovation, and dedication within our community. It was an evening filled with glamour and prestige, where we acknowledged and honored the achievements

Education

Finding & Keeping Talent Workshop

The 2022-2023 Workforce Alignment Committee created our Finding & Keeping Talent Workshop. From employer branding to retention, this half-day workshop focused on helping local businesses to address labour shortages & boost their market presence

Personal Password Security Lunch & Learn

Presented by Brandon Computers, this lunch and learn educated our members on protecting passwords, understanding how hackers work, and tips and tricks for ensuring your digital business information is kept secure. Attendees were provided lunch by the Backyard on Aberdeen!

First Friday Coffees:

Tim Hortons

Event Sponsors

How to Find & Keep Talent Workshop: West-Can HR

32nd Annual Chamber Golf Tournament

Avanta Financial Services Inc

Blue Moon Water

Brandon Source For Sports

Burns Maendel Consulting Engineers Ltd

Career Connections Inc

Crane Steel Structures Ltd

CW2 Construction & Design Ltd

Forbidden Flavours Roastery

Flynn Canada Ltd.

FYidoctors Brandon

Guild Insurance Group

Heritage Co-op

Jacobson & Greiner Ltd.

Leech Group

McMunn & Yates Building Supplies

Murray Auto Centre Brandon

Progressive Westman

RBC Dominion Securities - Nestibo Wealth

Robinson Cancade Private Wealth Inc

Subway

St John Ambulance - Brandon Branch

T-Birds Food Fun Games

Universal Doors and Truck Accessories

Western Financial Group

Westman Communications Group

Westoba Credit Union Ltd

Wheat City Golf Course

Monthly Chamber Luncheons:

Assiniboine Community College

Brandon First

Brandon University

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

CENTUM Mortgage Choice

Community Futures Westman

Compass Credit Union

Corral Communications – A Bell MTS Dealer

CW2 Construction & Design Ltd

Inclusion Westman

Professional Transport Driver Training School

RBC Royal Bank

St. John Ambulance – Brandon Branch

Sunrise Credit Union

Toba Centre

Westman Communications Group

Business After 5: Assiniboine Community College

Career Connections Inc

Chez Angela/ Secret Garden

Taylor Jackson Financial

The Backyard on Aberdeen

The BloomBox

The Green Spot

2023 Superwoman Conference:

CENTUM Mortgage Choice

Greenstone Building Products

GREY PEARL Interior Design

Progressive Westman

Sunrise Credit Union Limited

Westman Communications Group

Westoba Credit Union Ltd.

Event Sponsors

Annual Business Awards Gala

Alternative Group

Assiniboine Community College

BDO Canada LLP

Behlen Industries

Bell MTS, a division of Bell Canada

Better Business Bureau

Brandon Business Interiors

Brandon University

Brockie Donovan Funeral and Cremation Services

Burns Maendel Consulting Engineers Ltd

Cando Rail & Terminals

Community Futures Westman

Excel-7 Ltd

First Peoples Development Inc

Fusion Credit Union Greenstone Building Products

Guild Insurance Group

Heritage Co-op

Keystone Centre

Keywest Photo Image by Design Inc

Leech Group

Manitoba PC Caucus

Maple Leaf Foods

McPhail Travel/Moonlit Canopy

MNP LLP

Prairie Building Maintenance

RBC Royal Bank

Reesor's Jewellery (1978) Ltd.

Shoppers Mall/Morguard

Shreem Systems & Solutions Pvt. Ltd

Siere

Sunrise Credit Union Limited

Town Car Rental Ltd

Western Financial Group

West-Fit Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Clinic

Westman Communications Group

Westoba Credit Union Ltd

Workers Compensation Board Brandon

Financial Report

On behalf of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Staff, the following represents a brief summary of the information from our year-end financial statement for 2022-23. This statement is available to any member by visiting our office at 1043 Rosser Avenue.

This year saw a “return to normal” post-pandemic with regards to our events and program delivery. Revenue and expense were monitored closely throughout the year and adjustments made to accommodate the gradual return of in-person interactions. Overall, assets and liabilities were consistent year over year.

In comparing our financial performance to the previous year, it's essential to note the differences in circumstances. In the prior year, travel expenses were significantly lower as we were unable to actively participate in various events and conferences. This year, we were excited to take part in these events again which saw an increase to our travel expenses Conversely, advertising income saw a decrease compared to the prior year, mainly due to a lack of external funding sources that had previously supported our promotional efforts. Additionally, our office expenses were elevated due to the comprehensive redesign and enhancement of our website, aimed at improving our digital presence and member experience. Despite these variations, we remained committed to adapting and diversifying our revenue sources, ensuring our Chamber's ongoing financial strength and effective support for our members.

The organization remains on very solid financial footing, with funding set aside to repay the CEBA loan at the end of 2023. Another lump sum payment was made on our building loan, so it continues to reduce ahead of schedule.

The new staff team managed through this year ’ s budget very well and the organization is poised to grow and succeed into the future

Communications & Member Involvement

Member Profiles and Recognition

One of our favourite parts of the Chamber is getting to celebrate our members! We recognized new members with a warm welcome in our Glance, and also highlighted an existing member each month in our digital magazine as well We recognized our members during Small Business Week who celebrated milestone business anniversaries though our publications and presenting certificates during our October luncheon. We also created Member Mondays on social media, highlighting some of our members from different industries. We also prioritized attending member’s celebrations, open-houses, and events when possible.

Communications/Marketing

Communicating with our members is a key priority of ours We sent out 12 issues of our Chamber at a Glance newsletter, a weekly Chamber Insider e-newsletter, published our annual Roster Book, and Business Review Magazine. We are proud to have switched the monthly Chamber at a Glance to completely digital by 2023, reducing our carbon footprint, and allowing us to reach more people. We continued to grow our reach on our social media platforms, and improve communication methods to both our members and the public.