Chatham-Kent: Chamber Boss Sees Opportunity, Big Challenges, Hope

Chatham-Kent, Like Every Other Canadian Municipality, is grappling with Us Tariffs that threaten to significantly alter the Economic Landscape.

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But local Officials Remain Hopeful in the face of these challenges, noting the community’s diversity and resilience.

The Chatham Daily News Spoke With Rory Ring, President and Chief Executive of the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce, About the Ever-Evolving Tariff Situation, as well as His Thoughts on the Area’s Economy and How the Community Can Prosper.

Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: You are nine months into your role, How have you found the chatham-kent community in general so far?

A: The very Nature of Southern Ontario’s Economy has changed, but changed for the positive. Especially Here in Chatham-Kent, with meaningful in agriculture (and the) Greenhouse Industry. We see Seeing Some of That Advanced Manufacturing Coming Back, as part of the supply chain in the automotive sector. You are seeing a little bit bit more diversity in the cultural economy. Those are all very, very positive Things.

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Q: What are some of Chatham-Kent’s assets, from a business perspective?

A: It’s an idyllic rental, that’s one of the reasons it was attractive to me to come back to subthern ontario. Chatham-Kent is central to so may opportunities. Whether you want to, as a business, look at the opportunities in the oil and gas sector in the sarnia are, or you want to look at the larger urban center in london, the urban center in windsor. … It’s such a dynamic area, and we literally right in the center of it. Geographically, it has been competent, so that we are at able to attract the citizen of the future, who may not want to be in a large urban center, and may want to take adequately of a small urban center like chatham, or may prefe a more rural type of lifestyle.

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Q: Any Success Stories that stand out for you?

A: What’s Really Impressed Me, is the Amount of Independently Owned Small Businesses here. And they really are the backbone of the Economy here…. It’s incredibly important for us to think about shopping local, not just in Times of Covid, or Times when we are under -thread of tariffs.

Q: Thoughts on the challenges, in Particular the US Tariffs that are on everyone’s mind?

A: The Thing that (business) like to see is stability in the marketplace. It’s been absolute chaos since the inauguration. Not just here, but also in the state. I work with over 1,300 Chambers of Commerce in the Association of Chambers of Commerce Executive…. Those jurisdictions that have a relationship with canada as trading partner get it. They get How Integrated We Are. It’s not just about Sovereignty, It’s about Integration. When you say, “I want to buy canadian,” You really have to ask Yourself, What Does that mean? For us here in the agricultural sector… with our cash crops… Almost 100 per cent of the sugar beets goes into michigan sugar. You look at a label, a bag of sugar produced in Michigan, and you boycott that, you are actually HURTING ONTARIAN FARMERS. So, we have to be really, really aware.

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Q: How Much Impact Dues Economic Uncertainty Have With Respect to Investment? What’s Next?

A: Here’s the Thing. Capital Migrates to the Markets that are political stable… We are seeing some Hesitation for Capital to be Invested. We need to be investing in our infrastructure that generates Economic Activity, where we Become Global Traders. Not just connecting on the us… we also need to make sure that we look look at policy that doesn’t able to restrictive barden on business. When you look at the Amount of Red Tape That’s Involved in Operating A Business, You Really have to take your Hat Off to Any Entrepreneurs, Small, Medium or Large, and Say, ‘God injuries you.’

Q: What Would you like to see locally done to improve the economy?

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Water infrastructure. Water is a big thing, because of the Issue of Greenhouses. And what we see see an increase in development charges that are going to be very meaningful to build up that greenhouse capacity… municipalities are a beast of the province. Our message to the province is you need to be tax, let’s get my wrong, but you need to invest in those areas that would generate Economic Activity. Logistics, Preventing Trade Barriers, Making sure that we have Our Health-Care System As One of the Best in the Country. If Your Employees and Their Families Aren’t Healthy, then You Don’t Have The Productivity and The Efficiency That You Need.

Q: All Considered, Should Residents and Businesses be Optimistic?

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A: We have an apparatus appropriate. It’s very, very clear How Much of this Area is an Economic Engine for Ontario, But also for Canada… Obviously, If Something Happens to the Automotive Sector, There’s Going to be meaningful impact? We’ve come through Two World Wars, Depression, A Requerion. We’ve gone through so many challenges and we are still a thriving community. I think that’s something to be optimistic about. To understand How Resilient We are as a community. Yes, we stressed. Yes, we go to go to have some challenges. But when you take a look at our traditional roots, we have communities that come together and really fight the good fight.

Over five weekes we are chronicling our community’s place in the country, the promise of greater prosperity, and the blueprint to get there. See The How Canada Wins Series Intro and other local stories here

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