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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2010
(Niagara) At the picturesque Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery, one of Niagara's signature green buildings, the St. Catharines - Thorold Chamber of Commerce released its report on The Building of Niagara's Green Economy. The release coincided with the launch of the Andrew Heintzman's new book The New Entrepreneurs: Building a Green Economy for the Future.
"The Building of Niagara's Green Economy is a report on the findings of a series of surveys of businesses in Niagara," explains Walter Sendzik, CEO of the St. Catharines - Thorold Chamber of Commerce. "Our intention was to gauge the members in Niagara's chamber network to gain a better understanding of their positioning with the green sector."
With funding from Venture Niagara, the report was developed by Steven Megannety of Margin Developments, Phil Ritchie of Keefer Developments and Walter Sendzik. Based on surveys and one-on-one interviews with businesses, the report focuses on businesses that are going green, and Niagara's green potential.
"The objective of the report is to place a stake in the ground that can become a starting point for changing the perception of Niagara's position in the green economy," states Megannety. "Based on the findings, businesses in Niagara are serious about investing in going green, and creating new opportunities within the expanding sector."
The release of the report comes a few months after Niagara's positioning as the green energy capital of Canada. In fact, a majority of businesses in the survey indicated that one of Niagara's strongest assets is in the renewable energy industry.
"The reality is that if Niagara wants to have the jobs of tomorrow, we are going to have to start making the products and provide the services of tomorrow," adds Ritchie. "Going green in business is about economic growth in Niagara, and this report is a starting point in building a longer term sustainable green economy in Niagara that is competitive on a global scale."
The Building of Niagara's Green Economy is available at the bottom of this release. For more information on the report, please contact the office at 905-684-2361 or e-mail policy@sctchamber.com.
The St. Catharines - Thorold Chamber of Commerce is a representative body that comprises over 1140 businesses representing over 29,000 employees. It is the largest Chamber in Niagara and one of the largest business organizations in Ontario.
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