The City of Estevan is plowing forward with its efforts to bring new businesses to Estevan while trying to retain existing ones.
Economic development co-ordinator Dwight “Fitz” Bramble said the city has received a lot of inquiries from existing and potential businesses since economic development incentives were released at the end of August.
Bramble said he has also been marketing the city in terms of an investment attraction and promotion program.
“When I interact with prospective businesses, and even local existing businesses, I let them know that these incentives are the city’s way of trying to lend support, and to encourage and motivate with the participation in the business environment here,” said Bramble.
The existing businesses he has spoken with have been pleased with the plan, although some questioned why the incentives didn’t come out before they started their business.
He countered that the timing doesn’t always work out as some want. He compared it to going to a business and trying to get something on sale after that sale ended.
“The fact is that we are still providing that environment to help even these businesses that have already been in existence,” said Bramble.
The incentive that targets storefront façade improvements would benefit any business, regardless of whether they have been open for 10 days or 10 years, he said.
A business incubator facility, which the city is strongly supporting, will benefit all businesses in the community as well, and those to come. The incubator will provide a mentorship opportunity between established entrepreneurs and those in the community.
An update on the incubator program is expected at some point in the near future.
The other key incentive is any new or existing business establishing a location within city limits can receive a property tax exemption for three years. Those operating within the city’s five priority investment areas – agri-value or processing, greenhouse technology, geothermal and other renewable energy, manufacturing and warehousing – can receive a five-year property tax exemption.
Bramble believes the city is already starting to see dividends. The fact that incentives are out there is positively affecting the confidence of existing and potential businesses.
But it’s hard to know when those businesses will be starting up.
“Starting and operating business is such an uncertain eventuality that nobody can really predict accurately what’s going to happen. We could wake up next week and hear that three or four or five huge companies want to move to Estevan. Those are uncontrolables that we really can’t comment on.”
“What’s within our control is that we will provide the support and the help to create as healthy of an environment as possible to make those dividends … to create those realities where we are reaping those benefits,” he added later.
Bramble has created investment packages which includes 10 reasons to do business in Estevan. It includes the incentives program, and information on the Saskatchewan business start-up check list.
The City has also started to target three specific business opportunities: craft distilling, craft beer and cannabis greenhouses.
Craft distilling is of particular interest because the city has conducted research , and believes the city has a competitive advantage.
“This is something that can be done pretty quickly, within 12 months,” said Bramble. “If we market this properly and we are fortunate enough to find a viable partner, we can have a craft distillery here within a year.”
Bramble said he has been talking to a group of local business people who are interested in starting up a craft brewery in Estevan.
Both craft distilleries and craft breweries have been opening in the province within the past few years, with some popping up in markets that are a similar size or smaller than Estevan.
“Those are some of the specific opportunities with regards to investment and investment attraction,” said Bramble.
Bramble has also completed a draft of an investment profile, and once the final draft has been completed, it will be posted on the city’s website and will be used for an investment attraction strategy.
And he is about to begin a business survey in which he will be interacting with local businesses, particularly those downtown, to find out what the city can do to better assist and support the businesses in Estevan.
“Some of the issues that we will be looking at will be things like downtown revitalization and improving the appearance of the downtown business area, what kind of information and input can we get from the existing businesses and those kinds of things.”
While he has been focusing a lot on the commercial component of economic development, Bramble said he will soon switch to the residential side to see how the city can reach out more directly to residents, which could take the form of having residents more involved.
“We all have a role to play, and I think we need to emphasize that message a little more in my view,” said Bramble.
