Welcome from the Chamber President & CEO and from the Board Chair

The Board of Directors and staff of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce are pleased to present our 2022-2023 Membership & Business Directory. We have been working remotely since March of 2020 and are continuing our active and engaging support of the membership in managing their daily and long-term operations. Our Directory remains the primary source of information on local businesses across Waterloo Region and beyond who offer a wide range of excellent services and products. Whether you are a consumer, business owner or visitor to our community, we are certain a member of the Chamber can provide the assistance you require. The COVID-19 pandemic presented major challenges for local small businesses. Government restrictions severely limited cash flow and threatened the survival of many companies. However collectively our members survived persistent lockdowns and are emerging with a renewed commitment to serving their clients and communities. On a highly positive note, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge Chambers of Commerce have established leadership positions among Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade across Ontario and Canada. We successfully launched a rapid screening initiative which distributed kits to small and medium-sized businesses within the Region of Waterloo. By applying these tests with quick results to employees, employers identified asymptomatic cases and ensured actions were implemented for safe workplaces. In collaboration with the Cambridge Chamber we also distributed thousands of medical-grade masks, supplied by local manufacturer Eclipse, to businesses and ensured a higher level of protection for their employees and clients. As the effects from the pandemic persist, our Chamber will continue our role as a strong advocate for increasing levels of financial support from both the federal and provincial governments for struggling small businesses. The increasing debt loads placed on organizations in all sectors across Canada during the pandemic will require programs for prolonged periods of time after reopening. Despite the daily challenges presented by COVID-19, our Chamber will continue to serve the membership and community through an extensive roster of services. Over the next year, many of our events will return to a live and interactive format. I advise all members and stakeholders throughout the local community to monitor our calendar and attend events of interest. I trust you will find the speakers and content highly beneficial. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has noted since the initial stages of COVID-19 that recovery and economic growth must be private sector-led. While public finances have been strengthened from higher inflation rates and other factors, we cannot borrow or inflate our way to prosperity. Government spending needs to be both fiscally responsible and targeted where it can generate genuine economic returns. Sustained economic growth requires all available instruments including tax, regulatory, labour and infrastructure policy to attract private sector investment. Our organization was built on talented and committed volunteers and our future success remains dependent on highly motivated and engaged individuals whose efforts contribute to Waterloo Region and Canadian prosperity. The Board and I thank you for your continued support and extend our best wishes to you for continued success. It has been and will continue to be a pleasure to assist and serve all our members during this challenging time in Region of Waterloo history. Ian McLean President & CEO Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce

Around this time last year, rising vaccination rates had us all looking forward to the end of “lockdown life”, and our hopes of getting back to “normal” were strong. While we might hold differing opinions on the pace of those changes, it’s becoming increasingly clear that there is a growing appetite to return to events of all types. This year, for the first time ever, you had the choice of attending the premiere community and business event of the year, The Business Excellence Awards Gala, virtually or in-person. Even with the added challenges of a hybrid event, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce staff did a stellar job of bringing our guests and participants together, regardless of how they “tuned in”, and seamlessly moved past any technical hiccups, ultimately delivering to us all a wonderful night to celebrate the achievements and innovations of our local business leaders. During the past year, the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce conducted a thorough survey of our members and nonmember businesses alike, with the goal of better understanding the needs of the business community throughout our Region. Thanks to these new insights, you can soon look forward to hearing about new advocacy initiatives, opportunities to connect with senior business and government leaders, and more opportunities for our members and their staff to get involved and stay engaged. Of course, these efforts didn’t happen on their own, so I would like to recognize and thank our Board of Directors, for their commitment to the strategic goals of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, the staff, for their dedication and creativity, no matter what challenges they encounter, and President and CEO, Ian McLean, for his tireless efforts to broaden the reach and impact of our Chamber locally, and far beyond the borders of our Region. Adam Smith Chair, Board of Directors