Windsor-Essex has Announced Recognition of Economic Development Week 2023

This international initiative will highlight local efforts to promote economic growth and prosperity in every community over the course of May 8 to May 12, 2023.

The Invest WindsorEssex Business Retention and Expansion team, together with the City of Windsor, Town of Amherstburg, Town of Essex, Town of Kingsville, Municipality of Lakeshore, Town of LaSalle, Municipality of Leamington, Town of Tecumseh and Township of Pelee are hitting the streets this week to actively promote Economic Development Week (EDW) 2023 and the programs and services available to the local business community.

Created in 2016 by International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the largest international professional trade association for economic developers, Economic Development Week aims to increase awareness for local programs that create jobs, advance career development opportunities, and improve the quality of life in communities everywhere.

Invest WindsorEssex and economic development officers and representatives from partnering municipalities will visit several businesses across Windsor-Essex between Monday, May 8 and Friday, May 12, 2023. The purpose of this initiative is to provide information on resources and to promote taking a regional economic development survey to generate insight into the Windsor-Essex business community and broader programming and supports needed.

The annual regional survey was developed in partnership with Workforce WindsorEssex and ecosystem partners and will be promoted and distributed throughout Essex County to ensure maximum participation across all industries. The survey will remain open for the entire month of May. The assimilated data collected helps the City, County and region identify specific issues and challenges faced by Windsor-Essex companies and helps to ensure continued collaboration and teamwork among the partners. The data generated from the survey will also be effective when advocating for programs and supports for business to all levels of government.

A social media campaign will accompany these efforts providing links to the regional survey as well as specific contact information and resources for each municipality and economic development partner. The campaign will also highlight the local activities taking place throughout EDW 2023.
Regional economic development team and municipal partners contact list.

“It is fantastic to see our region united through Invest WindsorEssex, Workforce WindsorEssex and the other stakeholders involved in International Economic Development week this year. Economic development does not happen in a vacuum, and the results of the surveys taken through this initiative will help local businesses reach their full potential and access resources to achieve success. From manufacturing, to the industrial sector, to construction and real estate, Windsor alone is seeing the best economic indicators of any in the nation. Large-scale projects are fueling development across the entire region. As we experience unprecedented growth and evolution for our local economy, population, community, identity and geographic location, it’s more important than ever for us to work together to keep investing in our strong future. Understanding the opportunities and challenges we face is a key part of it all.”

Drew Dilkens, Mayor, City of Windsor

Invest WindsorEssex is the lead economic development agency for the Windsor-Essex region. The focus of the organization is to develop and execute strategies to retain, expand, attract and help new businesses start-up in Windsor-Essex. Invest WindsorEssex is led by a board of distinguished community leaders. A team of professional staff will assist you with all your location and investment decisions by working one-on-one with businesses, to facilitate the process of starting, growing or locating in Windsor-Essex.

Economic Development Week is an event created by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) to celebrate economic development among communities around the world. The event will occur from May 8-12, 2023.

The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) is a non-profit membership organization serving economic developers. With more than 4,300 members, IEDC is the largest organization of its kind. Economic developers promote economic well-being and quality of life for their communities, by creating, retaining and expanding jobs that facilitate growth, enhance wealth and provide a stable tax base. From public to private, rural to urban, and local to international, IDCs members are engaged in the full range of economic development experience. Given the breadth of economic development work, our members are employed in a wide variety of settings including local, state, provincial and federal governments, public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, universities and a variety of other institutions. IEDC’s members create high-quality jobs, develop vibrant communities and improve the quality of life in their regions.