Counties help generate leads for local businesses

The counties of Simcoe and Grey partnered to host a unique and highly successful Business to Retail Networking Event yesterday (Thursday, March 16) at the Beaver Valley Community Centre in Thornbury.  

The purpose of the event was to support growth in the agri-food sector by strengthening connections between producers and retailers and by providing local and out-of-county retailers the opportunity to network with local businesses, sample products and gain a better understanding of the diversity of Simcoe and Grey’s strong agri-food sector.

“The event was a tremendous opportunity for our local agri-food entrepreneurs to generate leads, market themselves and ultimately grow their businesses,” said Warden Gerry Marshall. “I thank Warden Barfoot and Grey County for their continued partnership as we work together as local and regional governments to offer our businesses every opportunity to expand, prosper and ultimately create new jobs.”

“We are very pleased to have had this opportunity to work together with Simcoe County to host this great event to help our local and regional food producers,” said Warden Alan Barfoot.” “Grey County is working on a local food strategic plan and today’s event is a great example of how we can collaborate at the municipal level to create more opportunities for our agri-food businesses.”

The function was a great success, with 19 local agri-food producers and entrepreneurs participating as vendors showcasing their products and services to more than 50 retailers from the local area and the GTA. Larger retailers included Sanagan`s Meat Locker, which is one of the largest fine food retailers in downtown Toronto.

Simcoe and Grey’s strong and diverse agri-food sector was on display as producers showcased a range of local products  including local frozen fruits, cheeses, yogurt, preserves, granola, meat products, sweets, and more.

The event was hosted through a joint partnership between Simcoe and Grey’s Economic Development Offices and supports broader collaborative efforts between the two upper-tier municipalities to promote industries and sectors beyond their collective borders.

Grey County is an upper-tier municipal government serving nine member municipalities in Southwestern Ontario. Learn more by visiting www.grey.ca.

County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at www.simcoe.ca.  

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