2014 Annual Report Highlighting Our Activities Over the Past Year
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KINGSTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT Vision Mission We envision Kingston as an innovative city where private and public The Kingston Economic Development Corporation will provide dynamic enterprises thrive, individuals and entrepreneurs grow, and a diversity and collaborative leadership by leveraging Kingston’s unique assets of people want to visit, live, work and do business. to create jobs and investment in order to sustain, grow and transform Kingston’s economy to meet the needs of the 21st century. We aim to be one of Canada’s leading economies. BOARD oF DireCTORS 2014 Dean Byrnes Adam Koven* Mayor Mark Gerretsen Chair Treasurer City of Kingston President, Eikon Device Inc. Former CEO, Rosen Energy Group Councillor Sandy Berg Tim Sugrue John Proctor Kingscourt – Strathcona District Vice-Chair Vice President, Global Cyber Security Councillor Bryan Paterson T. Sugrue & Associates CGI Trillium District Peter Kraus Niall O’Driscoll Councillor Brian Reitzel Vice-Chair Former CEO & GM Pittsburgh District INVISTA Canada (Ret’d) Alexa Internet Councillor Dorothy Hector* Bo Wandschneider Sandra Gibson Lakeside District (Alternate) Treasurer/Secretary Chief Information Officer TurnerMoore Queen’s University Directors appointed to the Board in December 2014 were Shai Dubey, Assistant Professor, Director Queen’s University MBA Program; Judith Pineault, General Manager, Eastern Fluid Power Inc.; Greg Shannon, Owner, Sun Harvest Green Houses; Mayor Bryan Paterson, Councillor Rob Hutchison, Councillor Jeff McLaren, Councillor Laura Turner. *Completed term prior to December 31, 2014. KeDCo STAFF Corporate Business DeVelopMent Jeff Garrah Cyril Cooper Chief Executive Officer Director, Business Development Paula Drouin Carey Bidtnes Executive Assistant to the CEO Human Resources & Labour Market Officer Secretary to the Board of Directors Jan Dines Donna Gillespie Business Development Officer Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications Christa Wallbridge Melissa Shorrock Business Development Officer Marketing & Communications Officer Mark Hanley Emily McCracken Manager, Small Business Development Centre Administration & Communications Assistant Rebecca Darling Senior Business Consultant, Small Business Development Centre tourisM KinGSTON Ella Vanderburgt Rob Carnegie Coordinator, Small Business Development Centre Director, Tourism Marketing & Development Dajana Turkovic Connie Markle Business Development & Tourism Marketing Coordinator Conference & Travel Trade Manager Meagan Morrison Brandon Pickard Human Resources & Labour Market Assistant Sport Tourism Development Officer Chris Whyman Visitor Services Manager Youko Leclerc-Desjardins Assistant Manager, Visitor Services Ray Bergstrom/Samantha Arniel/Julianna Harbec Travel Counsellors KEDCO is committed to supporting student internships and employment opportunities. A special thanks to the following for their assistance throughout the year: Maral Chouljan, Sarah Kiers, Maria Kritskaya, Kristen Mulder, Ariadna Neguleta-Morogan, Craig Perry, Patrick Phillips, Camille Prior, Maggie Shi, Samantha Sutherland, Ali Tejpar, Claire Theriault. Farewell and best wishes were bid to staff who transitioned to new opportunities: Ann McDougall and Lenore Klein. 2 | MessaGe FroM tHe CHairMan oF tHe BOARD A strong economic development strategy leads to job growth, new investments, improved wages and an overall increase in economic output. An important aspect of the Board’s work in 2014 was confirming the framework for the Corporation’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. We are excited to have launched this ambitious plan to facilitate $500 million of new investment and bring 5,000 new jobs to the community over the next five years. With an increased focus on delivery of business support services for our local companies and a refined direction for attracting high growth sectors, we are confident that we can meet our vision of being one of Canada’s leading economies. The KEDCO Board of Directors, as a governance board, is represented by a varied group of individuals bringing expertise and experience to shape and guide strategic and policy development. We are the guardians of the Corporation and are entrusted with representing and ensuring accountability of the organization within the community. We create mechanisms for determining and measuring the Corporation’s success and are entrusted with fiscal accountability and ensuring KEDCO is fulfilling its mission in the most effective means possible. During the 2014 municipal election, we heard loud and clear the importance of the economy and economic development issues. While we can agree or disagree on strategies, sectors to pursue and sales and marketing tactics, one thing is certain – Kingstonians are keen to see job and investment creation occur. We need to strive to ensure future generations have opportunities to live and work here. We need to ensure entrepreneurs and innovators are supported, feel welcome and are celebrated for their intrinsic role in our economy. We understand the need to raise awareness of the important work KEDCO undertakes to sustain and transform our economy and we are committed to supporting the Corporation’s efforts. The KEDCO Board and staff bid farewell to Tim Sugrue, Adam Koven, John Proctor, Mark Gerretsen, Sandy Berg, Dorothy Hector and Brian Reitzel who completed their terms in 2014. A heartfelt note of condolence is extended for the passing of David Rutenberg. David was instrumental on the KEDCO Board spearheading the Long-Range Strategic DEAN BYRNES, CHAIR Planning Committee which provided great information and analysis for the formation of our Strategic Plan 2015-2020. I wish to recognize the tremendous efforts of the KEDCO staff under the leadership of CEO Jeff Garrah, who without a doubt are committed to the Corporation’s vision and mission and go above and beyond to attract new businesses and help strengthen existing ones. MessaGe FroM tHe CHieF eXeCutiVe oFFiCer We are pleased to present KEDCO’s 2014 Annual Report highlighting our activities over the past year. As the final year under the 2010-2014 Strategic Plan, we feel pride in a number of significant accomplishments achieved both last year and over the span of the five year plan. Economic prosperity means many things to different individuals and to support this, our collective work covers vast portfolios. In 2014, we continued to position Kingston as a premier destination to visit, live, work and do business. The community has benefitted from stable growth over the past five years and there was new opportunity to push the agenda for making Kingston the most competitive place to do business - which in turn attracts great numbers of visitors and newcomers to live and work. An important accolade for Kingston in 2014 was the Intelligent Community Forum naming Kingston a Top7 Intelligent Community, proving again that our city can contend on an international scale among large, metropolitan cities in terms of community culture, a knowledge-based work force and smart business infrastructure. The $40 million investment by Bell Canada to make Kingston the second city in Canada with fully deployed, city wide state-of-the-art broadband and the expansion of Grafoid Inc.’s R&D and production facilities into Kingston were other significant advancements that prove Kingston is a seriously smart community for businesses and people. Small businesses account for over 50 per cent of Kingston’s economic makeup and ensuring we have the means to attract and retain small and medium enterprises is essential to sustaining Kingston’s entrepreneurial and innovative JEFF GARRAH, CEO mindset. Our Small Business Development Centre realized a record-breaking year of consultations with entrepreneurs and business owners in 2014. KEDCO’s goals of growing jobs and investment were not achieved in isolation - it is our local business community and organizations that deserve recognition for their choice to invest in themselves and in Kingston’s collective success. They set the example of the benefits of doing business in Kingston and are one of KEDCO’s biggest assets. KEDCO’s other biggest asset is its people and I personally wish to thank the staff and community champions who go above and beyond to support our mission and advance opportunities for smart growth to achieve individual, business and community potential for Kingston. It is through these ongoing efforts that I firmly believe KEDCO will continue to evolve to better serve community needs and realize the best return on municipal dollars invested to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiencies in coming years. Kingston Economic Development Corporation – 2014 ANNUAL REPORT | 3 strateGiC plan 2015-2020 Launched in December 2014, KEDCO’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020 establishes the vision and framework required to identify resources and develop annual sales and operating plans. Operational activities are developed on an annual basis to reach desired incremental outcomes. The KEDCO Board of Directors reviews progress and provides guidance for the ongoing refinement of plans based on the ever-changing economic landscape locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. From this guidance, staff is charged with development of budgets and tactics for confirmation by the KEDCO Board of Directors and Kingston City Council. Core AREAS oF FoCus: BUSINESS MARKETING tourISM MARKETING The focus of KEDCO’s efforts is on supporting the local & DEVelopment & DEVelopment business community and leveraging Kingston’s unique assets. KEDCO will act