Organizational 2017-2020

Project Leader&

GROWTH Alberta , 5306 49th Street, Barrhead Alberta, T7N1N5, phone: 780.674.3140 email: manager@growthalberta.com website: growthalberta.com

1. Build Capacity for Regional & Economic Development Success.

2. Entice entrepreneurship, investment retention, attraction and expansion.

3. Cultivate and foster collaborative partnerships which support the strategic growth and economic sustainability of regions, communities and businesses

STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT:

Regional Economic Development Alliances (REDAs)

REDAs are a collaborative approach by communities and supportive partners to achieve prosperity in a defined geographical area based on a shared economic vision for the future.There are 11 REDAs located throughout the province encompassing over 245 member communities (and approximately 80% of Alberta’s geography) including; towns and villages, counties, Municipal Districts, special areas, Aboriginal communities and cities.REDAs represent powerful “partnerships of partnerships” and combine an entrepreneurial attitude with collaborative efforts to nurture economic prosperity at the local and regional level.

GROWTH Alberta Benefits

• Grass roots organization with a focus on boots on the ground projects to promote economic growth.

• Smaller population so member voices become stronger.• Provides a strong connection to rural and urban Municipal

partners as well as industry sectors.• Coordinated effort reduces duplication. Membership

share economic development challenges and opportunities to drive tactical delivery of consensus based projects to catalyze community growth.

• Provides focus on regional and like industry priorities and solutions with a collaborative attitude.

• Improved local capacity to undertake projects individual communities could not do on their own.

• Develops an attitude of collaboration and cooperation.• Established network of Municipal councils and

administrations working together for economic prosperity.

Regional Economic Development Alliances (REDAs)

GROWTH Alberta Positioning Statement

Agriculture, oil & gas, forestry and manufacturing industries and their supply chain links are key components in GROWTH Alberta’s vibrant, diversified and progressive regional economy. The forests, rolling hills, lakes, rivers and wildlife add priceless scenic components to a thriving historical, cultural, culinary and adventure based tourism industry.

GROWTH Alberta Mission Statement

GROWTH Alberta will act as a resource based catalyst for our membership and stakeholders to build capacity for success, entice investment, foster entrepreneurial innovation, and promote collaborative and strategic partnerships to encourage regional growth and sustainability.

There’s a need for diversification and there’s an abundance of industries in this region,” says Troy Grainger, manager at GROWTH Alberta. “Industries are very entrepreneurial. They foresee needs in their sectors or other industries and can tailor offerings to meet those emerging or evident needs. collaborative partnerships and access to other industries are important to their sustainability, growth and success.” Invest In Alberta, December, 2016

Strategic Project Summary (2017-2020)

Investment Readiness Project

Ability to proactively seek and react to industry generation leads is a timely and crucial aspect of community economic development. GROWTH Alberta is undertaking a member community and regionally consolidated investment readiness exercise. This project will compile, disseminate and highlight asset inventories, industry clusters, supply chains, transportation, diversification opportunities, etc. The project data will then be migrated and consolidated into a new GROWTH Alberta web site and formatted with a target market of site selectors. The final report will be released in November 2017 and will be found at www.growthalberta.com or by request from administration via manager@growthalberta.com.

Youth Retention / Post-Secondary & Training Opportunities

Youth retention is critical to the sustainability of any community as is making education and training opportunities available regionally. GROWTH Alberta is undertaking a comprehensive study to align and develop strategies to ascertain an inventory, promotion and potential attraction of educational and career training facilities. The ability to train and educate youth within the region will foster them staying to live, learn, work and play.

Northern Alberta Broadband Preparedness Project

Digital connectivity is paramount for industry attraction, retention, expansion and entrepreneurial growth. With the recognition of growth in local, regional and global access to economies through the internet, GROWTH Alberta has partnered with the Northern Alberta Development Council, 4 other REDAs and Economic Development & Trade to conduct asset inventories in Alberta. The project then formulated local and regional consensus of connectivity goals and recommended five and ten year strategies to take advantage of these exponentially growing economic opportunities. Fostering improved connectivity has statistically shown uptake in entrepreneurial and industry growth. The final report can be found at www.growthalberta.com or by request from administration via manager@growthalberta.com.

Entrepreneurial Training

GROWTH Alberta will be partnering with Tawatinaw Community Futures Development Corporation (TCFDC) and Community Futures Yellowhead East (CFYE) to deliver an entrepreneurial training program. Piloted in 2017, the initial intake saw approximately 300 registrants with increasing demand. Currently in final phases of development and roll out, GROWTH Alberta will act in a supportive role and potentially assist GROWTH Alberta residents with registration fees to ensure opportunities for all entrepreneurs exist. The program will cover basics such as business planning, marketing, etc. and dive deeper into management, internet and emerging trends in a global marketplace.

Tourism Development

Tourism adds significant contributions to the economies in rural and urban Alberta. GROWTH Alberta operates WILD Alberta, a trade-marked tourism development and promotion brand and web site that enhances collaborative approaches to tourism.In its 7th year, WILD Alberta will be undertaking an extensive strategic marketing exercise that will develop not only forward strategies but encompass a community relations plan, asset inventories, destination marketing fee sensitivity analysis, identify emerging and potential industry growth and entrepreneurial opportunities, etc. The website of www.wildalberta.com is in the final stages of its re-development with intent to attract visitors from Edmonton and surrounding areas. Web site visitation is anticipated to increase from the current 30,000+ hits per annum to over 50,0000. Print collateral (summer guides) and other marketing campaigns will also be undertaken on an ongoing basis. Having received a designation as a Certified Destination Management Executive, WILD Alberta will continue to work closely with Travel Alberta to maximize campaign potential, leverage resources and continue to build the brand.

GROWTH Alberta Business Excellence Awards

This project recognizes and celebrates regional entrepreneurship and industry ecosystems to showcase GROWTH Alberta as a region. Nominations are solicited annually from the general public and award winners from each member community are chose n that champion entrepreneurial spirit, sustainability, economic, environmental and community contribution. The winners are then presented with awards at an event of the host member’s choosing with press and print exposure. Some award winners have been recognized at the Provincial and National levels through GROWTH Alberta nomination and promotion.

Regional Agricultural Analysis and Industry Opportunities

GROWTH Alberta will be undertaking an analysis of the current regional agricultural industry including crop clusters, topographies, soils, etc. and then looking at potential diversification and industry specific opportunities.With agriculture identified as one of the major industrial economic contributors to this region, members have requested the study and accompanying possibilities for investment targets. This project will allow member communities to better investigate investment generation leads and potential industry attraction strategies as well as provide value to do the same for the other pillar industries of forestry and oil & gas.

Regional Promotion to Industry

The GROWTH Alberta region boasts significant opportunities for industrial, commercial and residential investment from outside the area. With examples of industrial incubators, commercial highway developments and residential growth, GROWTH Alberta will facilitate a multi-phase project to promote key investment opportunities in the region.Regional investment fact sheets (collateral and web based) will be developed to outline premier investment opportunities and show the value in relocation or expansion into our area. All key industry sectors will be represented and will also promote the benefits of rural lifestyle and lower operational costs as compared with more urban destinations.Regional promotion will also entail attendance at trade show(s) with invitations to key business leaders, government and others to present the benefits of doing business in and living in the GROWTH Alberta region.GROWTH Alberta will also promote the region to site selectors and investment publications to promote the region, its benefits and member investment opportunities. Economic Development Training

The nuances of economic development are complex and strategic. Formal training and understanding of those complexities is critical in directing GROWTH Alberta region in its short and long term regional project planning. Partnering with Economic Developers Alberta (EDA), GROWTH Alberta will provide a day long training seminar by a trained facilitator to deliver Economic Development for Elected Officials.The Elected Officials Course gives this unique group of community leaders specialized information on the strategies, tools and resources needed to help their communities thrive. It delivers information on issues such as:• The role and function of community economic development• Issues and best practice examples in areas like: business investment, tourism

development, industrial development, and leveraging public and private partnerships.• How to manage the process: bringing the whole community to the table.• How to create effective outcomes for your community.