Huron County, Ontario – Huron County Economic Development has completed a six month Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) survey process. In total, 723 survey results were received that represent 21% of Huron’s business community. Huron’s BR&E survey response rate was much higher than typical response rates found in other Ontario communities. The survey results indicated, among other things, that local businesses see many advantages to operating in Huron County including, quality of life, and support for local residents and other businesses.
Highlights from the report include:
- 92% of business respondents identified as locally owned and operated businesses.
- 81% of businesses have been in operation for 11 years or more.
- 94% of business respondents have at least one of the primary owners involved in day-to-day operations.
- 89% of businesses indicated that at least one owner is a resident of Huron County.
- 60% of business respondents do not have a business plan, and 57% of those with a business plan had not updated it in at least 5 years.
- 89% of the businesses surveyed have 19 or less employees, with 67% of those having only between 1 and 4 employees, including the owner.
“This report paints a really dynamic picture of Huron County’s business community,” said Vicki Lass, Director of Economic Development. “It confirms that we have a stable and invested business community with an overwhelming entrepreneurial spirit.”
Key themes from the survey include:
- Business & Sector Supports
- Workforce Issues
- Infrastructure Improvements
“Having this information confirmed through the BR&E process empowers the County’s Economic Development Team to provide the kinds of support that our unique business community needs,” continued Lass. “We would like to thank all of the businesses who have begun this conversation with us. We will continue the dialogue with our business community in meaningful ways to ensure targeted support of Huron’s economy.”
The Economic Development Team have already begun taking action to address these themes and the BR&E survey results will continue to guide the work of the department in its future goals and actions.
The resounding success of Huron’s BR&E project has garnered attention from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) who featured Huron’s project on their Ontario Regional EcDev blog. Read more about the project here:
How Huron County Found Success with Their BR&E Project: https://onregionalecdev.com/2022/03/24/how-huron-countys-ec-dev-team-found-success-with-their-bre-project/
To view the complete report, visit: www.huroncounty.ca/economic-development/bre/
To learn more about Huron County Economic Development, visit: www.huroncounty.ca/economic-development