Annual report 2016-Final Nov-14

Annual Highlights
2016
BRAMPTONBOT.COM | 905.451.1122 |
@bramptonbot

#ilovebrampton
About Us
Celebrating almost 130 years, the Brampton
Board of Trade is the go to organization where
businesses of all sectors, convene, collaborate
and create solutions to boost regional economic
prosperity. We provide solutions to the toughest
problems businesses face every day including
overcoming barriers to growth, attracting and
retaining talent and making the right connections.
Membership ranges from multinational
corporations to small startups and individual
entrepreneurs.
Our Mission
Productivity — Deliver services that save you
time, money and help your enterprise grow.
Prosperity — Generate wealth and solutions
that better Brampton’s quality of life.
What we do
Economic Development
Support the thriving local economy by working
with key stakeholders to encourage a businessfriendly
environment.
Advocacy
Work with governments of all levels to encourage
pro-business regulations and policies.
Connect Businesses
Help businesses connect on a local, national and
global scale and build strategic partnerships.
Provide Solutions
Solve problems specific to Brampton including
investment, talent acquisition, building key infrastructure
and more.
Productivity & Growth
Provide businesses with a competitive edge
through business development opportunities
and cost savings programs.

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |
Leaders’
Message
Brampton is poised for greatness, and your Brampton Board of Trade is leading the
way.
Business people came together at the Board of Trade
this past year like never before. Together we worked on
initiatives that not only support one another’s success
but also build our community and Board of Trade. Thank
you for that.
Brampton is emerging as one of Canada’s truly global
cities. This past year, the Board led important strategic
collaborations with regional partners including Canada’s
Innovation Corridor and the Global Cities Council. Together
with our local elected leaders and colleagues across
the country, The Board is advocating for investment in
a number of areas, including infrastructure, innovation
and skills so that Brampton can harness its full potential
and continue to grow in a healthy way.
Brampton is Canada’s 9th largest city and the nation’s
fastest growing major city. It has the country’s youngest,
most well-educated and diverse
workforce. This year we welcomed
new companies like Amazon;
Canon and Habib Canadian
Bank to our business community.
Young, dynamic business
leaders are playing a big role
in shaping the future of our
community and Board of Trade.
Wise counsel from past-presidents and representatives
of business families that have been in our community for
decades has also helped define the new and improved
Brampton Board of Trade.
“Together with our local elected
leaders and colleagues across the
country, we are advocating for
investment in a number of areas.”
$50,000 toward the new Peel Memorial Centre for Health
and Wellness which will be opening in the new year.
Thank you to all of our partners that made significant
contributions to the success of our business community.
The Business Excellence Awards Gala, State of the City
Lunch and all signature events in the first half of 2016 were
sold out affairs. One of the most rewarding highlights of
this past year was the 34% increase in engagement by
our members, not only in terms of their attendance and
sponsorship of meetings, but also through the contributions
of their time and talent on important advocacy issues.
Our success is due in large part to the dynamic volunteer
corps at the Board. It is interesting to note that almost
40% of the directors on the Board are first-generation
Canadians. Now more than ever, the Brampton Board of
Trade is a diverse and inclusive organization. Businesses
represented in our membership are
diverse not only by size, sales and
sector but also ownership (gender,
culture, ownership-model: franchise,
independent, family-owned, or
publicly-traded), and includes both
importers and exporters - those
that serve customers in Brampton
and around the world. 62% of
Board of Trade members are small businesses such as
T By Daniel and Holley Electric and 80% of Brampton’s
leading employers are active and engaged in the Board’s
economic development initiatives.
Through focus on relevant business issues like helping
you better serve your customers, cutting through government
red tape, facilitating important meetings and
connections, our association was able to make a positive
difference in the fortunes of our members and quality of
life in our community.
Another important contribution this year was completion
of the Board of Trade’s health care pledge, donating
We are very optimistic about Brampton’s future. Thank
you committee volunteers, staff, sponsors, advertisers
and attendees for making 2016 a spectacular year. Special
thanks to retiring directors and volunteer committee leaders
Victor Winney, Keith Medenblik and Vibha Vohra-Bolla. We
wish the very best to Evan Moore, incoming Chair and next
year’s Board of Directors. As we look ahead, Brampton is
truly poised for greatness.

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016
By
the numbers
#1business association and
networking organization
years Brampton
129
serving the
business community
42,000
employed by
members
50+
events and
opportunities
to connect
2230
attendees
at events
2400
export and trade
documents
processed
25+
active advocacy
campaigns
2350+
volunteer
hours
dedicated to policy
and advocacy
34%
increase in event
attendance
300%
increase in member
annual investments

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016
@FarzadRayegani— Grateful & honoured to receive
@BramptonBOT Leadership Excellent Award. Proud
of @sheridancollege #CAMDT achievement
@tbydaniel — A major shout out to @BramptonBOT
and everyone involved with this awesome #BEA2016
celebration

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |
2016 Wins
Through the help of our dedicated business volunteers, partners and sponsors we achieved
many strategic goals.
Better engagement
In 2015 and 2016 the Brampton Board of Trade saw
record engagement. Our members were more actively
involved in the campaigns we led, more eager to give
their input and happy to attend our many events.
Bigger impact
The Board of Trade’s strategic plan laid the groundwork
to excel this past year. We spent more time advocating
for business issues, and clocked valuable facetime
with local, provincial and federal decision-makers.
Even more representative
This year Board of Trade was more diverse than ever
before. Our membership not only comes from a wide
range of business sectors and sizes, but it also reflects
the diverse community in which we do business..
More civic pride
Brampton has a lot to be proud of! We worked
tirelessly this year along with our members and
community partners to highlight the many great
things happening to make Brampton a better place
to live, work and do business. The I Love Brampton
campaign was a success.
Stronger relationships
Our strategic partners across Canada and the world
also allowed us to be more influential at the provincial
and federal levels on important tax, transit and
infrastructure issues.
Better infrastructure
One of the most exciting developments this past year
was the re-establishment of mid-day GO service and
the freight bypass agreement-in-principle between
Metrolinx and CN Rail — both support the Board
of Trade’s call for two-way all-day GO Train service.
New businesses
This past year the Board of Trade continued to play
important roles attracting and assisting a number of
businesses to set up shop in Brampton, including
Habib Canadian Bank.
More trade
This year we processed over 2400 certificates of origin
and letters of waiver, allowing dozens of businesses in
Brampton to streamline and accelerate their exports

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016
Advocating
for your
business
Advocacy is at the heart of what we do, bringing
the most important business issues to the
attention of government decision-makers
Cutting red tape
Through our work with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce,
Ontario introduced the Cutting Red Tape Challenge.
Board of Trade members were actively involved in
offering their feedback to improve outdated, unclear
and unnecessarily costly regulations in order to cut red
tape for businesses across the province.
Airports policy
The 5km radius around the Pearson International Airport
is the second largest employment area in Canada. We
continue to work to ensure policies are adopted to ease
passenger flow, and reduce delays in processing so
that business productivity is enhanced and our regional
economy continues to thrive.
Reducing the regulatory burden
The cumulative impact of compliance with government
regulations is impacting job-creation. Much of
our conversation this year with provincial and federal
leaders revolved around working to decrease this
burden for businesses.
Quashing Ontario’s Pension Plan
In collaboration with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce,
the Board worked to ensure the business community’s
concerns about the planned Ontario Retirement Pension
Plan — which would have put a significant financial
burden on businesses — were heard, leading to the
Province’s decision to abandon the idea.
@lindajeffrey — It was my extreme pleasure to deliver
the #SOTC16 address to a full room at the
@BramptonBOT luncheon. Thank you
“The work that the Board of
Trade is doing with all levels of
government to improve the city’s
economic climate is worthy of any
business’s support.”
- Heather Strati, Deloitte Private

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |
Working Strategically
The Brampton Board of Trade is part of the most influential business networks across Canada
that leads public policy and advocacy issues related to business at all levels of government.
Canada’s Innovation Corridor
Brampton Board of Trade has taken a lead role in developing a working group of chambers of commerce and
boards of trade and a CEO advisory board representing business communities along the Toronto-Waterloo
Corridor. Through this collaborative effort, we’re working to attract more talent, business and investment
throughout the corridor, especially in Brampton.
Global Cities Chamber Council
The Presidents and CEOs of Chambers of Commerce/Boards of Trade representing the largest marketplaces
in Canada, have come together as the Canadian Global Cities Council (CGCC) to work collectively on the
issues that big-city regions in Canada face including infrastructure, economic environment and trade. This
year, a core focus was on speeding up processing at Canada’s major airports.
City Budget Consultations
The Board’s policy and government relations team worked corroboratively with the city of Brampton to offer
recommendations for both the 2016 and 2017 budgets in order to mitigate property tax increases.
Prosperity Roundtable
The Board of Trade brought CEOs, vice presidents and senior leaders together from some of the region’s
largest employers to create a vision from the private sector on the future of Brampton and more importantly
a framework for action on key issues such as investment attractiveness, transit, transportation, talent and the
next generation, trade and civic leadership.
MP Orientations & Federal Issues Forum
The Board of Trade moderated federal election debates on Rogers TV and held one-on-one meetings with
local MPs to orient them on the key business issues impacting the business community.
Regional Marketing Collaborations
The Brampton Board of Trade has held strategic meetings with Toronto Global and co-sponsored a regional
economic development health summit with TO Health to demonstrate support and synergies for marketing
the GTA and Brampton.

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016
Providing
Solutions
Small businesses count on the Board of Trade to
be seen, be heard and be connected.
Improve your bottom line
Our members have access to exclusive programs and discounts
on items such as gasoline and office supplies that save their
businesses time and money.
Protect your employees
Board of Trade members have access to competitive costeffective
group insurance benefits for themselves and their
employees including important health, dental and life
protection.
Promote your business
Many of our members receive valuable exposure for their
businesses through our various print and digital advertising
opportunities including our weekly e-newsletters.
Leadership and growth
Dozens of our volunteers through Board committees and
task forces have the opportunity for leadership development,
peer to peer networking and mentorship.
“ChamberPlan has allowed
our small company with only
two employees to still get
the benefits equal to those
offered by a big company.
We like the fact that our rates
get pooled with the other
members.”
- Michelle, CJ Mechanic

Bringing
ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |
together
thought leaders
The Board of Trade frequently brings together some of
the brightest minds to keep our members current on
the latest business trends and issues and to generate
fresh ideas to more effectively run their business.
Speaker Series and Roundtables
This year we heard from a number of thought provoking,
inspiring and informative speakers including Michael Chan,
Minister of International Trade; Brad Duguid, Minister of Minister
of Economic Development and Growth; Mathew Anderson,
CEO of William Osler Health System; Mark Brown, Editor of
MoneySense magazine and more.
State of the City
As one of the Board’s most prominent events, State of the
City brings together business people and key decision-makers
for the Mayor’s address to the business community. This year
the event was sold out. The Board of Trade challenged local
Council to be more collaborative, respectful of taxpayers and
to better understand how Brampton ranks competitively for
business and public sector investment.
Business Excellence Awards
This annual recognition gala brings together the best of the
best of the local business community to honour those who
have excelled. This year Heather Picken was honoured as
Business Person of the Year. 40 companies were honoured for
their achievements in leadership, teamwork, innovation and
other categories.
“The Board of Trade is the only
organization in Brampton that
takes a comprehensive approach
to economic development. The
work they do is invaluable.”
- Evan Moore, Prouse, Dash
and Crouch LLP

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016
“The Board’s BBN groups have allowed
me to tap into their vast network of
businesspeople and made the B2B efforts
of my company more seamless.”
- Matthew Redican, Minutemen Press

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |
Connecting
our members
Over 2200 people registered and attended Board of
Trade events to network with their peers, meet new
clients and build strong business relationships.
Business After Hours
Our signature monthly business networking event gives our members
the opportunity to have valuable face time with their peers and other
community guests. This year Business After Hours was held at a number
of locations, including the Powerade Centre with The Brampton Beast,
Hydro One, Jake’s Boathouse, The Works and more.
Before Breakfast Networking
A very enthusiastic network of small businesses meets biweekly to
provide support to one another and share business leads. Two groups
are currently active and welcomed new members this year.
Nine and Network
Our annual golf tournament took on a new format this year with more
time for our members and participants to network and benefit from
valuable face =time.
Small Business Expo
Members had the opportunity to showcase and talk about their businesses
and also hear from Jeremy Miller, author of Sticky Branding.
@razorcreatve — Ty @BramptonBOT 4 a fabulous golf event.
Flexibility of a business morning & afternoon 9 holes was a
fantastic mix

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016
Out and about

ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |

| ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016

Board of Directors
Badar Shamim
Chair, Board of Directors
Investment Advisor
TD Wealth
ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS 2016 |
Evan Moore
Chair Elect, Board of Directors
Vice Chair, PGR Committee
Lawyer, Prouse, Dash & Crouch LLP
Jaipaul Massey
Past Chair, Board of Directors
Executive Director
Wise Elephant Family Heath
Team
Todd Letts
Chief Executive Officer
Brampton Board of Trade
Heather Strati
Vice-chair, Diversity & Inclusion
Partner, Assurance & Advisory
Deloitte Private
Manpreet Mann
Vice-chair, Finance
Branch Manager
BDC
Tina Larsen
Vice-chair, International Trade
Owner, PCMF
Don Cumming
Manager, Business Development
TD GTA West Commercial Banking
Keith Reardon
Vice President, Intermodal
CN
Harpreet Singh
Co-founder
LAB B
Iain McNab
Dean, Faculty of Applied
Science and Technology
Sheridan
Heather Arthur
Director, Business Care
Rogers Communications
Josh Belczyk
General Manager
Zochem Inc

Join us in
2017 for
our signature
events
State Of The City - February 7, 2017
Hear the Mayor’s annual address to the business
community and from other key community decision
makers on the state of Brampton.
Legacy Lunch - March 29, 2017
A celebration of the Brampton Board of Trade’s 130th
year by honouring those who have contributed to the
success of the organization over it’s lifetime.
Business Excellence Awards - May 11, 2017
Come and recognize Brampton’s most successful
business and businesspeople, including Business
Person of the Year.
Top 40 Under 40 - June 21, 2017
A new event designed to recognize emerging young
business leaders, entrepreneurs and community advocates.

Why Join BBOT?
Smart businesses are Board of Trade members
Brampton Board of Trade fosters the economic prosperity and productivity
of Canada’s fastest growing community. Your membership with the Brampton
Board of Trade grants you access to the tools to grow your business, increase
productivity and control costs. Tap into the Board of Trade’s vast network of
people and resources that can have a significant impact on your business. Be
among the hundreds of businesses in the community -- big and small -- already
reaping the rewards of membership.
People that engage with the Board:
- Are smart business people;
- Save time and money through BBOT building successful businesses;
- Are community-minded and more aware of local issues;
- Are happy to connect collaboratively to bring about positive change;
- Are action-oriented about making Brampton the best it can be
- Want to build their businesses and build our community too
Member
discounts
Effortless
referrals
Networking
Community
Credibility
Business
development
Global
connections
Leadership
opportunities
Advocacy
on your behalf