Chamber at a Glance January 2023

AMessagefrom YourPresident

Happy New Year!

I am optimistic that you all got some rest over the holiday season and a bit worn out from all the celebrations as you, hopefully, have returned to a more normal Christmas season.

I am writing this in December, so in advance of the new year. First off, I would like to thank Aimee Hatcher for coming to our December luncheon and sharing the story of her son Luke. Our companies, CW2 Construction and Design and Guardian Fencing, provided a Hot Wheels to each luncheon attendee, asking that you Hide a Hot Wheels for Luke. Cars have shown up all over the place, from Wawanesa, Manitoba, to Orlando, Florida. What a heart mending thing you all did, an outstanding display of kindness, and community. Thank you for participating.

I am seven months into my 12-month term as your president It has been a quick seven, and I expect the next five will not be any slower I have enjoyed my tenure and have learned so much more than I can probably list in an article I am grateful for Connor Ketchen, and the team at the Chamber who have embraced some new ideas and certainly are committed to learning on the fly. Connor is a good leader, fair minded, and accessible to his new team, he is an asset for our Chamber, and certainly for me as president.

December was a busy month, as I expect it was for most everyone. I attended two more Economic Advisory Council on Competitiveness meetings. We spent the first two meetings deciphering the best method to provide recommendations to our government. Admittedly, the payroll tax and personal tax exemption level has surfaced multiple times in what would make us more competitive and compelling for industry to set up shop in Manitoba. There is subcommittee looking specifically at taxation and how it affects our ability to compete for industry and labour, so we try to steer towards other tangible efforts that can be capitalized on quickly, or strategically

Connor is leading an initiative to develop a recruitment model that will be proved with one industry/area and then used for other areas as demand dictates This is based off a successful version used in the Atlantic region of Canada, by another Chamber of similar size, so some of the legwork has been done. More to come on this in the fall on months of 2023.

In the last four months our board has been trained on how to read/interpret/understand our Chamber financials, hosted a chat with both Mayoral candidates, took in some public speaking training from Naomi Forman, and attended multiple meetings representing our chamber and our members on immigration, health care, school boards, City of Brandon initiatives, and economic development to name a few. In the rest of our fiscal year, Jaime Pugh will lead the team who reviews and provides comment on the school division, provincial, and municipal budgets Lois Ruston will be tackling our Business Achievement Awards and current issues for our business community, while Barry Cooper will lead the charge on board recruitment and elections

Connor and I will also be meeting with the Rural Manitoba Economic Development CEO, Margot Cathcart, to get a handle on how they can help Brandon. We will also be pursuing a stand-alone Economic Development committee, once we have our arms around this a bit more, we will be sure to share.

Thank you for your continued support of our chamber, and please reach out if you have any questions or feedback that can make us better.

Let’s go get 2023!

Tanya Labuick, Brandon Chamber President

YourDecemberBrandon ChamberRecap

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is officially over half way through the fiscal year! Between a new team of staff and a new Board of Directors, it has been a busy, yet fulfilling, first half of the year. December was a great month to take the time to reflect on the last six months, and plan for success in the new year.

Our First Friday Coffee was a festive one as people were eager to get into the holiday spirit. Our staff wore festive sweaters, while some of the attendees brought their favourite coffee mugs! The conversations were insightful, listing to everybody discuss their goals for 2023, and their accomplishments from 2022

The Business Development Committee is working hard to build new relationships and better understand some of the key businesses in Brandon Before the holidays they were able to get a tour of the Koch Fertilizer manufacturing plant They gained a better understanding of what exactly Koch does, how they can help our community, and how their facility works.

Our holiday luncheon was a hit this month! With a cash bar, festive theme, photo booth by Trident, and 50/50, we had an excellent turn out. 50/50 proceeds went to Dollars for Scholars, a scholarship that gets awarded to students furthering their education at a post-secondary institution.

Our luncheon also heard from Aimee Hatcher, who talked about Hide a Hot Wheels for Luke. You can see more on this campaign on Facebook, and be sure to hide a Hot Wheels on December 18th!

Our Chamber team decided to take an afternoon to give back to the community by helping the Christmas Cheer Board deliver hampers After a fresh snow storm, it made for an interesting adventure It wasn't surprising we (or Connor, specifically) had to help push some vehicles stuck in the snow

The remainder of the month was spent visiting members to say happy holidays, and celebrating a great 2022 with our board and staff!

(L-R) Laurie Brugger, Sandy Trudel, Matt Berg, Lois Ruston, Connor Ketchen, Erin Houck

Connor, Emily, Erin, & Jessica delivering Christmas Cheer Hampers

Jessica Saler, Member Relations & Marketing Coordinator

UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS UPCOMING EVENTS

First Friday Coffee

Stop by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce office and enjoy some delicious coffee and donuts while you chat with other business owners, board members, and your Chamber staff!

9:00am-10:00am| Friday, January 6, 2023

Free |1043 Rosser Avenue | No registration Required

Sponsored by

Business After 5

Come get a tour of one of the largest post-secondary institutions in Westman. This free event gives you the chance to check out other businesses and network with like-minded people.

5:00pm-7:00pm | Thursday, January 12th, 2023

ACC Victoria East Campus | Free | Registration Required

Chamber Luncheon

Come listen to Marcel Kringe, owner of Bushel Plus, talk about innovation in agriculture, while enjoying a delicious meal from the Victoria Inn!

11:30am-1:00pm | Thursday, January 26th, 2023

Victoria Inn | Registration Required

Sponsored by

MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER PROFILE PROFILE PROFILE

with Anna & Kyle, the new owners of WINMAR® Brandon!

Tell us a bit about what your business does?

WINMAR® is a restoration company that provides restoration services for residential and commercial properties.

We specialize is water damage, asbestos, restoration services, mould inspection and removal, smoke and fire damage restoration, disaster recovery, as well as construction, renovation and demolition services. We are very involved in our respected communities and love volunteering with local organizations!

How did you get involved with Winmar?

I (Anna) got involved because of my parents – they had a WINMAR® in Ontario where I grew up. I have always been part of the business and have learnt the business from the bottom up. We both have had our time as labourers, estimators, project managers, and we are now the owners of multiple WINMAR® locations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. I (Kyle) have an extensive background in carpentry, and from a young age always had a knack for building and restoring! Growing up in this industry and seeing others around me succeeding and loving what they do, motivated me to start my own business – since 2010 Anna and I have been proud owners of WINMAR® – Anna started WINMAR® Regina and I with WINMAR® Moose Jaw – we now own WINMAR® Estevan, Yorkton, and Brandon which is our newest venture!

What is your favourite part of your job?

Seeing the smiles and satisfaction of our customers is our favourite part of the day. It is very rewarding when the job is done and especially when the customer is satisfied.

THE FUTURE OF WORK THE FUTURE OF WORK THE FUTURE OF WORK IS INDIVIDUALIZED IS INDIVIDUALIZED IS INDIVIDUALIZED

As an HR Consultant, I have been talking a lot lately about the struggles of turnover & restaffing. In a recent McKinsey study, 53% of employers said that they are experiencing greater voluntary turnover than they had in previous years (De Smet, 'Great Attrition' or "Great Attraction" The choice is yours , 2021)

One way that Employers can protect their workforce from this ‘great resignation’ is by becoming an Employer of Choice What exactly is that? An Employer of Choice is simply a company where people want to work. Existing employees stay and new employees come because it is an awesome place to be.

So, how do you become an Employer of Choice? Many ways! But today we are focusing on one method I like to call ‘Individual Flexible Scheduling’.

Let’s be honest, the ‘Monday to Friday, 8-5’ work schedule is going the way of the gasoline car- old school and approaching ‘obsolete’ status. The work week as we know it is a made-up structure, mostly made popular by Henry Ford (speaking of cars) in the 1920’s. Like I said, Old School.

Employers of Choice are recognizing this and making changes They are trading in policies like ‘disciplinary action for lates’ in favour of ‘work an 8hour day but pick for yourself which hours those will be’

To really become an Employer of Choice, I want you to embrace Individual Flexible Scheduling. This can mean tailoring an individual’s hours of work to their needs, the needs of the team, and the needs of the business (instead of solely considering the needs of the business) It can mean discussing schedules with employees to find out how they operate, if they prefer home or office work, what their most productive time of day is, and what constraints they have on their schedule; then build their hours with them, not for them

I want you to think of Individual Flexible Scheduling and as an attraction tool for great talent, a tool that sets you apart and helps you to become an Employer of Choice.

Lyndsay Seafoot Human Resource Professional, Curbridge Consulting

Chamber at a Glance is published twelve times per year by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce 1043 Rosser Avenue | Brandon, MB R7A 0L5

Phone: (204) 571-5340 | Fax: (204) 571-5347

info@brandonchamber ca www.brandonchamber.ca

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tanya LaBuick | President CW2 Construction & Design Guardian Fencing LaBuick & Co.

Jaime Pugh | Vice President MNP LLP

Lois Ruston | Secretary-Treasurer Chamber Member

Barry Cooper | Past-President Heritage Co-op

Courtney Baxter Bushel Plus Ag Products

Matt Berg Livingstone Outdoor

Emelio Brown IntriTech Digital Marketing Juggernaut Computers

Laurie Brugger Century 21 Westman Realty Ltd.

Andrea Epp Epp Law Office

Samantha Falloon Myphone - TELUS & KOODO Authorized Dealer

Chris Finley Mazergroup

Tilda Fortier Greenstone Building Products

Meredyth Leech Leech Group

Jennifer Ludwig Super Thrifty Drugs Canada Ltd.

CHAMBER STAFF

Connor Ketchen General Manager

Jessica Saler Member Relations & Marketing Coordinator

Erin Houck Events & Program Coordinator

Emily Belhumeur Office Coordinator

3 FACTS ABOUT THE 3 FACTS ABOUT THE 3 FACTS ABOUT THE CHAMBERS INSURANCE CHAMBERS INSURANCE CHAMBERS INSURANCE PLAN PLAN PLAN

It is a Not-For Profit

Any excess profits at the end of the year are put right back into the plan. May that be adding new features to the plan for free, or adding new benefit options that can benefit plan members, they also use these excess funds to help maintain rate stability for firms enrolled in the Chambers Plan

They are the only Group Benefit Provider that will quote for 1 & 2 person businesses

Your company is eligible to apply even if it’s a oneperson operation. Chambers Plan was designed specifically to protect small businesses, from home-based businesses to growing companies (up to 50 employees). Best of all, Chambers Plan can grow and evolve with the needs of your company

The Chambers Plan has some of the most stable benefit rates for Group Benefits

When your claims are bundled together with thousands of similar firms, premiums stay manageable and predictable Unlike most carriers, Chambers Plan utilizes a partial pooling concept on health and dental benefits. Small fluctuations in a firm’s claims do not automatically factor into the rates, giving firms greater rate stability over the long term.

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

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