Media Release

YES! Winnipeg Officially Launches Campaign 2020: $6 Million Sought for the 2016 to 2020 Term

October 29, 2015: Winnipeg, MB – YES! Winnipeg, an initiative within Economic Development Winnipeg Inc., will officially launch Campaign 2020 today with the goal of raising $6 million to cover operating expenses for the 2016 to 2020 term. Guests will hear remarks from Minister of Jobs and the Economy Kevin Chief and His Worship Mayor Brian Bowman, among others. Vince Barletta, YES! Winnipeg’s leader, will deliver the keynote address.

YES! Winnipeg is a unique public- and private-sector partnership that bolsters Winnipeg’s business development efforts through proactive outreach geared toward business retention, expansion, attraction and launch activities. Since its inception in 2011, YES! Winnipeg has helped more than 60 companies develop projects in Winnipeg to date, which are collectively expected to generate over $480 million in capital investment and 3,500+ jobs at maturity.

“The YES! Winnipeg team boasts a tremendous track record of supporting investment attraction and industry expansion in our city,” said Doug Harvey, president of Maxim Truck & Trailer and chair of YES! Winnipeg’s Investor Council. “Together with participating federal, provincial and municipal government agencies that clearly appreciate the importance of this initiative, I look forward to renewing my investment in YES! Winnipeg. I strongly encourage other Winnipeg companies to do the same.”

Part of the purpose of today’s launch is to share YES! Winnipeg’s five-year vision to support business development in Winnipeg from 2016 to 2020. Building on past successes, YES! Winnipeg will work to accomplish the following five goals:

  1. Support the creation of 4,500 new jobs
  2. Achieve $500 million in capital investment
  3. Expand business-to-business relationships between clients and YES! Winnipeg investors
  4. Track the return on investment for participating governments by calculating the positive impact of YES! Winnipeg’s successes on the tax bases of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Canada
  5. Increase emphasis on support for investment attraction and new business launches

“YES! Winnipeg will continue to remain laser-focused on its core mandate to serve as a proactive business development team for our city,” said YES! Winnipeg leader Vince Barletta. “I’m especially pleased that support for a second five-year mission has already proven tremendous, with funding commitments having already been received from government and private-sector entities totaling half of our $6 million investment target.”

Campaign 2020 will continue through 2015 and early 2016 until the funding required to sustain the initiative for the next five years is secured.

Over 200 business leaders and collaborators are expected to attend today’s event. Also slated to participate in the formal proceedings are these stakeholders:

“Competition for capital investment from the international business community is becoming increasingly complex as more and more companies employ sophisticated methods to determine which jurisdictions best meet their needs,” said Marina R. James, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. “With a deep pool of places most companies can legitimately choose from, establishing a meaningful connection with prospects requires time, resources and a strategic yet customized approach. YES! Winnipeg’s role as our city’s dedicated investment attraction initiative gives us the chance to swing for the fences every time, and I couldn’t be more pleased to have Vince and his team serve as global ambassadors of our city’s compelling value proposition.”     

Media is invited to today’s Campaign 2020 launch at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre, located in downtown Winnipeg at 281 Donald Street. The event starts at 8 a.m. Marina James and Vince Barletta will be available for interviews following formal proceedings. Other participants noted above may also be available for interviews, as commitments allow.

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About Economic Development Winnipeg Inc.
Economic Development Winnipeg Inc. (EDW) is the lead economic development agency for Winnipeg. EDW facilitates investment promotion and attraction, capacity building, tourism development, marketing and communications, and the management of market information. By applying competitive intelligence and by fostering relationships with industry leaders, government officials and community stakeholders, potential opportunities and innovation drivers are evaluated to develop key industries and define future economic growth. EDW supports targeted sector, community and social development, and promotes Winnipeg’s diverse economy and high quality of life.

EDW leads global investment attraction, and local business retention and expansion, with its YES! Winnipeg initiative. YES! Winnipeg’s business development team assists in the creation and retention of jobs, identifies opportunities that attract new investment, focuses on expansion and helps local entrepreneurs launch new commercial ventures.

Tourism Winnipeg is the city’s official destination marketing organization tasked with increasing visitation and delivering the best possible visitor experience. A division of Economic Development Winnipeg Inc., Tourism Winnipeg’s mission is to facilitate a healthy, prosperous, responsible and fully integrated tourism industry that enhances Winnipeg’s economic growth through the acquisition of meetings, conventions, sports and events, group travel and leisure tourism.

www.economicdevelopmentwinnipeg.com

For more information, please contact:

Croft Petersmeyer
Director, Marketing & Communications
Economic Development Winnipeg Inc.
Phone: 204.954.1961 Cell: 204.898.4866
Email: croft@economicdevelopmentwinnipeg.com

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