Economic development enhanced by Township

New facilities and infrastructure, a growing community, and creation of a new Economic Development Strategy are making the Township of Langley a hotbed for business, and the municipality’s Economic Development Department has been enhanced to act on these opportunities and attract desirable companies and the benefits they bring to the community.

“The Township’s Economic Development role needs a higher profile both internally within the Corporation and externally throughout the community,” said Gary MacKinnon, the municipality’s Economic Development Manager, who has gained an additional resource through an internal realignment of Township staff. Bob Andrews will be assisting MacKinnon in the enhanced Economic Development Department by building the Township’s business profile, amongst other tasks.

“Bob has been an employee with the Township of Langley for more than 20 years, and is a long-time resident and active member of community,” MacKinnon said. “He brings with him a wealth of experience, and his ability to organize events, build relationships, and connect with the community will be a welcome asset to the Economic Development Department.”

“The Township of Langley is a great place to do business, and we need to take a more proactive role in promoting ourselves and attracting companies to our municipality,” MacKinnon said. “Economic Development is committed to expanding our presence while working with limited funding, so we are realigning our priorities and using available resources within existing budget allocations.”

“So much has been accomplished in the past few years,” said Andrews. “The Golden Ears Bridge has been completed, and the Township has opened its new Langley Events Centre. Since 2004, we have seen Gloucester Industrial Estates grow from approximately 40% to almost 90% built-out. These are great foundations to build on, and we need to take advantage of the new assets that have been created.”

In conjunction with the enhancement of economic development activities, the Township’s Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) will be creating a new strategy over the course of the next 18 months.

“The goals of the previous Economic Development Strategy, which was prepared in 2002, have now been met, and both Township Council and the EDAC agree it is time to set new goals,” said Ed Kolla, chair of the Committee. Some of the accomplishments from the last strategy include the establishment of Tourism Langley and the Regional Circle Farm Tour, creation of profiles on the municipality’s education and training facilities, industrial and agricultural sectors, and Langley Regional Airport, and enhancement of the business section on the Township’s website, at tol.bc.ca.

Recently, the entire section was re-written and updated to help meet the needs of site selectors, whose job it is to scout for appropriate places when companies need to establish new locations.

“The Township has always had a great deal of business information online, but it was time for a change, and we purposely wanted to bring it in line with what is expected by site selectors,” MacKinnon said. “The section now contains 30 to 35 per cent more information, and is easier to read and navigate.”

The website offers descriptions of the municipality’s industrial, commercial, and agricultural areas, information on its demographics, quality of life, and business environment, a data centre with more than 150 comparative graphs, a new Education and Training Sector Profile that outlines the education and training institutions and opportunities available in the Township, as well as success stories of businesses that are thriving locally.

“This gives companies looking for a new home the ability to compare what various municipalities have to offer, and we want to help employers make the decision to come to Langley,” MacKinnon added. “We really want to give the flavour of the Township, and we are confident that we will stand out.”

In looking forward, the new Economic Development Strategy that will be created will continue to bring in commercial and industrial growth to support new residential development, ensure that the Township remains a leader in industrial development, and create an identity that will help “brand” the Township.

“We need to identify what we want and take a proactive role in attracting it,” MacKinnon said. “It is time for introspection, to make sure our processes are business-friendly and timely. We are going to be comparing ourselves with others and we need to ensure what we are doing is effective, efficient, and economical.”

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