Economic Development Commission – Celebrating 40 years of service excellence

Uncategorized May 1, 2018

This year the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s Economic Development Commission (COEDC) marks its 40^th anniversary on May 1, 2018. With a broad range of programming the COEDC has supported the economic directives of the Regional District since May 1978.

“The COEDC’s goal is to foster a healthy, sustainable local economy by supporting local businesses and encouraging new investment to the region.” Corie Griffiths, Director of Economic Development

Facilitation is at the core of what economic developers do on a daily basis: that is making it easier to successfully grow a business in the Central Okanagan. This includes providing access to pertinent data and communicating resources available to the business community in the Central Okanagan. The COEDC connects with individuals and businesses throughout the year, handling more than 10,000 inquires annually.

“The COEDC is a conduit and connector for communities and enterprises throughout the Central Okanagan. As CEO of Yeti Farm Creative, I am proud of the work the COEDC does through programming support and partnerships with local business to foster economic success in all the communities of the Central Okanagan. “ Ashley Ramsay, CEO Yeti Farm Creative

The Central Okanagan punches above its weight and so does the COEDC. Recent accolades include the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) Marketing Canada Award and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Leadership & Innovation in Agriculture Award in 2017, and the International Economic Development Commission (IEDC) International Excellence in Economic Development and British Columbia Economic Development Association (BCEDA) Community Project Award in 2016.

Program Highlights

The Export Development Program assists local businesses to diversify their markets by getting them export-ready and helping them develop cross-border and overseas markets.

The Agriculture Support Program provides business development expertise working with farm operators to enhance their business offering of agriculture or agri-tourism products/services.

The Innovation Generation Challenge (iGen Challenge) creates opportunities for middle and secondary school students to develop their business and entrepreneurial skills.

The Okanagan Young Professionals Collective objective is to retain and attract young professionals in the Central Okanagan.

The COEDC began the Business Walks Program in Canada; now recognized as a best practice in economic development the program has since been adopted by more than 75 Canadian communities. During the annual Business Walk, the COEDC and partners go door-to-door to up to 500 businesses to capture the pulse of the small business community in the region.

About the RDCO EDC

The COEDC is a service of the Regional District of Central Okanagan dedicated to fostering sustainable economic growth in the Central Okanagan by supporting existing businesses and encouraging new investment.