A new lease on economic development
Andrea Macko Economic times may be tough, admits St. Marys' new CAO Rob Brindley, but that doesn't mean that the town should despair in attracting new business and industry.
Brindley, who served as Barrie's economic development officer before taking the CAO post in St. Marys, recently spoke with the Journal Argus about how to combat the recent spate of closures in the downtown, as well as the shuttering of the Dana plant, and the general state of economic unease. He says that "although this (economic development) journey has been going on for a long time, we're starting it again – and the tactics will be different because of my background."
He notes that his predecessor, Bruce Grant, "built up a strong infrastructure foundation with his knowledge of public works – and now we're going to build another wing based on strategy and economic development."
This new wing will focus on the entire community – attracting retailers to the downtown, as well as industry to the periphery.
"If you're going to attract
people to your community, the same issues are there, whether you're a small retailer or a larger manufacturer," he notes.
"We need to prepare
ourselves (for investment)," he says. "If you look at our website, our economic development information is very limited -- "the first thing we're trying to do, at a very broad level, is that Grant (Brouwer, chief building official), his staff and myself, are putting together statistics" which include an available land inventory, a community profile, templates for permit applications, and who visits St. Marys and why.
Once this information is updated – and regularly available on the town's website, and to staff to field telephone inquiries – Brindley says that "getting the word out about St. Marys" will be vital. He explains that the experience of selling the Dana facility has taught the town "that about 80 per cent of investment leads come through the real estate industry ...they are always working with investors, and one of our next steps is to figure out how to engage that audience on a regular basis to make sure St. Marys is on the radar."
He affirms that currently, "we're not on the radar...and it's those networks, working with the industries, putting out newsletters -- that can get us on the radar."
Brindley adds that the town will be reaffirming its relationship with the Southwestern Ontario Marketing Alliance (SOMA), which it joined in 2006. According to the group's website (www.somasite.com), it "works with local municipalities, provincial and federal governments, and industry to ensure that a positive business climate and a supportive infrastructure are in place" as well as locating appropriate industrial sites and economic development.
The town is also part of a new association The South Western Economic Alliance (SWEA), which encompasses all points west of Toronto. The alliance is still in its infancy, however; Brindley is currently attending a conference in Sarnia that will see the creation of a board of directors for the group, as well as a mandate. Brindley says that "there's not too much information other than the fact that a lot of communities want to get together – we want to find out how they are building their program and how St. Marys is going to get involved."
He believes there are benefits to being part of these types of associations because it makes attending events such as trade shows (to attract new industry) much more affordable, so more can be attended, not just in North America, but internationally. As for the risk of being lost in the mix in these organizations, Brindley says that "you're lost in the mix if you don't get involved."
And eventually achieving a good industrial mix is vital, Brindley believes, to make the town "recession proof." While manufacturing of all sorts has taken a hit lately, certain conspicuous sectors, such as food and beverage, are more reliable in that "everybody eats."
A new direction for the town could be "head office logistics," Brindley says, citing that, in this post Sept. 11- world, insurance and financial firms have to have redundant data back-ups.
Considering St. Marys' proximity to centres such as London and even Toronto, this sector may be a focus, providing secure, white-collar jobs. Also, Brindley sees bioscience, medicine and farm sciences as a potential focus, again considering St. Marys' proximity to farm land.
Securing the core's prosperity is less of a clear-cut route, he says. "Retail is very responsive to the economy; we've unfortunately had some closures in the community (such as Dana), and that trickles down into what's going on" in terms of consumers having less buying power and less confidence in the market as a whole.
"We don't know the answer yet," says Brindley of bringing the core back to life. "But I think we're at a time where we need action, not plans," he says, adding that a consultant will likely only tell what town already knows:  "that we need to be a little more aggressive...and look at other successful core areas and what makes them successful" – in terms of a retail mix.
Also, a review of where tourists come from could help redefine where the town is marketed, he says, adding that the core even needs to be marketed to residents, as many are commuters and prefer to shop where they work.
He acknowledges the "core of volunteers" in groups like the Downtown Merchants' Association, have helped keep the core alive through
promotions and events, but notes that "they've been doing it for a while and want some help."
Brindley is working with Brouwer to renew the town's community improvement plan, which expires at the end of this year. This plan contains the facade improvement plan, and Brindley says that he'd like to see the plan broadened to offer "a suite of services that could be available, to get rid of the red tape" for property and business owners, such as reducing fees for building permits and such.
But the direction that this type of renewal takes is up to
council, because it ultimately impacts the town's revenue streams.
Also, come budget time, the possible decision to hire a devoted economic development officer is ultimately up to council; Brindley says that, in creating the 2009 budget, the town will have to "look at how to keep things affordable for its residents, especially in light of the way the economy is now."
Regardless of what happens in the budget process, Brindley says that he and Brouwer will be taking on an expanded role in economic development, and are starting to put many of these ideas into play.
But overall, he says, "economic development takes time; you have to build a message, and get it out there." The next step is to be "consistent with that message; and by doing that it gets you where you need to be."