ALWAYS READY TO ROLL Valley Equipment Ltd. COMING BACK STRONGER THAN EVER City of Niagara Falls, Ontario THEY’RE HERE FOR ONE THING – TO GET YOUR DISTRIBUTION CENTER SORTED ABCO Systems BUSINESSINFOCUSMAGAZINE.COMBUSINESSINFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM M AY 2 02 2Proud to deliver Sustainable Solutions to the Steel Industry Together with our customers, we are inventing cleaner manufacturing solutions for a carbon neutral future. As responsible citizens of the industry, we create a better world. We are a trusted and committed partner, delivering value, serving our customers with unmatched innovative, reliable, and low carbon solutions. Together we are advancing the industry for a better future! All of our solutions will help us to evolve together with our customers and position ourselves as a successful integrator and reliable actor in the supply chain. Through production of carbon free hydrogen we can help steelmakers to decarbonize their plant. EDITOR’S CORNER Proud to deliver Sustainable Solutions to the Steel Industry Together with our customers, we are inventing cleaner manufacturing solutions for a carbon neutral future. As responsible citizens of the industry, we create a better world. We are a trusted and committed partner, delivering value, serving our customers with unmatched innovative, reliable, and low carbon solutions. Together we are advancing the industry for a better future! All of our solutions will help us to evolve together with our customers and position ourselves as a successful integrator and reliable actor in the supply chain. Through production of carbon free hydrogen we can help steelmakers to decarbonize their plant. 3 Walking through town, enjoying the spring weather, I find myself looking at a lot more vacant commercial loca- tions than existed a couple years ago. Some of my favourite shops and res- taurants are gone, of course, but others are holding on. While some established giants have fared par- ticularly well in these past couple of years, the pandemic has really taken its toll on small- and medium-sized businesses in my city, and certainly in others. The varied measures we took in different provinces and states to protect the population had their impact, and the nature of a given business probably had a lot to do with its survival. A grocery store had to adapt to mandates, but they didn’t lose their customer base, whereas a yoga studio faced a much bigger challenge. But what other choices and decisions by owners and managers made a difference? I think the survivors are the ones who were able to adapt most effectively. With belts tightened, SMEs had to be effective with their mar- keting while minding the bottom line. They had to adapt to a more online-friendly service – whether that meant provid- ing an option for picking up groceries at the curb, or delivering yoga lessons online in a way that kept the customer engaged and eager to return. Jessica Ferlaino investigates the challenges of marketing in such times in her latest piece, Small Budget, Big Results – Making The Most Of Your Marketing Dollar. Tim Hocken Editor Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: EDITOR Tim Hocken DEPUTY EDITOR Jaime McKee COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS William Young | Robert Hoshowsky | Margaret Eaton Jessica Ferlaino | Karen Hawthorne | Claire Suttles Allison Dempsey | Nate Hendley CONTENT TEAM MANAGER James Corbett SENIOR CONTENT MANAGER Brad Mike CONTENT MANAGERS Scott Forbes | Louis Susara | Aaron Ferguson SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Luke Simms SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Severina Gachparova GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Laura Pratt | Ashley Dowling Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva REGIONAL DIRECTOR Adam Cameron OPERATIONS MANAGER Jonathan Fisher CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff Hocken “With belts tightened, SMEs had to be effective with their marketing while minding the bottom line.”INSIDE MAY WORKFORCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRANSPORT, SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS SERVICES 4 Making the Most of Your Marketing Dollar Whether you operate a small- to medium-sized business or are the CEO of a multimillion dollar corporation, there is a certain understanding that effective engagement matters when it comes to developing a viable marketing strategy. However, the ability to leverage that impact in terms of return on investment (ROI) varies significantly in terms of available budgets of time and money. SERVICES 5 BUSINESS IN FOCUS THE HOUSTON FRANCHISE SHOW 14 – 15 May, Houston, TX See the most successful franchises and brand new opportunities from every industry. Meet face to face with proven businesses and compare all your full and part-time business ownership options under one roof. Learn the ins and outs of franchise ownership with seminar topics including Legal Advice, How To Choose The Business For You, Financing Options, Government Assistance Programs and much more. For more information LICENSING EXPO 24 – 26 May, Las Vegas, NV Licensing Expo is the largest event dedicated to licensing and brand extension. Whether you are looking to spot trends, build partnerships, or secure brand rights for your products, Licensing Expo has your answer. Discover the widest range of brands for license globally, from entertain- ment to non-profit; build connections and secure meetings that could lead to your next successful product range; and spot trends and be inspired by the thousands of branded consumer products on display. For more information EVENT TECH LIVE SUMMIT 8 June, online Following the success of Event Tech Live U.S. & Canada last year, the Event Tech Live Summit will take place digitally on June 8 2022. One of the only dedicated exhibitions and conferences for event professionals with an interest in technology, the ETL Summit will offer a single day of high-quality content from a mix of leading suppliers, renowned planners, and some truly exciting Keynote speakers from companies including Bloomberg, Informa Markets, Intel, Jack Morton Worldwide and Meta already confirmed. Content will come from four continents, giving attend- ees an invaluable education programme. For more information UNIVERSAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP EXPO 13 – 16 June, Toronto, ON Themed, “Profitability and Global Economy,” UEE is a universal event aimed at bringing business owners together to reach the same strategic goal. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook Inc. will be leading the train of facilitators, and exhibitors from around the world will be showcasing while facilitation takes place simultaneously. For more information CANADA’S FARM SHOW 21 – 23 June, Regina, SK “The biggest stage for the best in Ag,” Canada’s Farm Show connects local producers and international customers with the latest in dryland farming equipment, technology, and innovation. This event delivers agricultural products and equipment, agricultural technologies, produc- tion equipment, agricultural accessories, and experts in the agriculture and forestry industry. For more information visit: INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 Are you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Business Industry? To get your event listed in Business in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163FEWER STORES EXPECTED TO CLOSE: UBS AMAZON INTRODUCES SURCHARGE The past two years under the specter of COVID have been tough on retail, including brick-and-mortar stores, many of them forced to close their doors early in the pandemic. Among the hardest hit have been clothing and acces- sories, consumer electronics, and home furnishings, with many households slamming the brakes on large purchases. Despite the closures of physical stores and the rising popular- ity of e-commerce, some retailers have been able to survive because of cheaper rents and an interest from customers to return to in-store shopping experiences. According to the world’s largest private bank, the number of stores expected to close in the next five years across America is considerably lower than projected just a year ago, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data from Switzerland-based UBS Group AG states between 40,000 to 50,000 retail shops will shutter in the United States in the next half-decade. While the news is far from reas- suring for the economy, it is an improvement over the 80,000 stores UBS previously forecasted to close by 2026. With gas prices soaring and the rate of inflation showing signs of moving past 8.5 percent – the highest it has been in 40 years – many companies have had no choice but to raise prices to offset their own costs. The world’s leading e-commerce retailer, Amazon, made the unprecedented move of adding a five percent fuel and inflation surcharge which applies to third-party U.S. sellers using Amazon’s fulfillment services. The additional fee, which started at the end of April, is subject to change. It applies to all product types, including “small and light items,” apparel and non-apparel, and dangerous goods. In a recent notice, Amazon stated hiring more workers, increases in hourly wages, greater expenses due to COVID, and the price of building more warehouses have driven up the company’s own costs. It is likely this move will cause higher prices for consumers. Frederic Legrand / Shutterstock.com INDUSTRY NEWS 7WENDY’S TAKES ON THE BREAKFAST MARKET GROCERY GIANT GOING GREENER Move over McDonald’s, Starbucks and Tim Hortons, there’s a new kid in town. Lobbing its latest grenade into the fast food wars, Wendy’s recently launched its breakfast menu at Canadian locations. After conducting extensive research, Wendy’s – famous for its Dave's Single®, Double, and Triple burgers, chicken sand- wiches, salads and the ever-popular Chocolate Frosty® and Vanilla Frosty® – believes the time is now to capture the morning meal market. “We believe the breakfast category is ripe for disruption and we're here to offer a fresh, high-quality breakfast that customers deserve,” said Liz Geraghty, Chief Marketing Officer, International, The Wendy's Company in a media release. “We've done the work. We've immersed ourselves in what Canadian customers want from their breakfast through extensive research and have worked closely with our franchisees to ensure their teams are set up to successfully deliver a breakfast worth waking up for.” Paying a nod to mealtime favourites, Wendy’s is now offering sig- nature menu items such as the Breakfast Baconator® and Frosty- ccino, along with fresh and hot seasoned potatoes (“say goodbye to greasy hashbrowns”), classic breakfast sandwiches with a choice of sausage or bacon with an egg, croissants, and more. Perhaps the boldest item on the new breakfast menu is coffee. Sourcing sustainable 100 percent Arabica beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms in Central and South America, Wendy’s coffee will be brewed throughout the day to ensure freshness. To ensure the signature medium-roast coffee blend meets the palates of Canadian consumers, it was tested by almost 1,000 individuals prior to being launched. Wendy’s breakfast items are available in the company’s Canadian locations, and via delivery through SkipTheDishes and UberEats and other platforms. Few of us can imagine starting our day without a cup or two of our favourite coffee, yet many may not think about recycling. That is about to change. Canadian grocery Loblaw Companies Limited recently announced it will overhaul the popular coffee aisles in its loca- tions and transition from unrecyclable packaging to paper- based solutions. All 35 varieties of President's Choice® and no name® ground and whole bean coffee will soon be available in this innovative packaging, which the company describes as the first of its kind in Canada. “This change is helping to reduce the carbon footprint and improve packaging recyclability across the category,” stated Loblaws in a media release. “Produced by Loblaw’s long- time partner Club Coffee®, the new AromaPak™ with Boardio® technology is made with a minimum of 80 percent paper content from renewable, recyclable and sustainable Forest Stewardship Council® sourced tree fibres.” This year, the revo- lutionary packaging earned the company a Global Packaging Award for Package Innovation and Sustainable Design. “The PC brand is known for innovation,” says Kathlyne Ross, Vice President of Product Development and Innovation at Loblaw Companies Limited. “While that has always meant having the newest flavours and food trends, it increasingly means leading the way with sustainable packaging. We know the impact our products can have on the environment and we are committed to being part of the solution. This new recyclable packaging is another step on our journey in eliminating waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across our operations.” Deutschlandreform / Shutterstock.com INDUSTRY NEWS 8FORREC REFRESHES BRAND A leading experience design company behind the creation of many of the world’s most successful leisure and entertain- ment destinations, Toronto-headquartered FORREC recently updated its branding. Known globally for “creating transformational guest experi- ences,” FORREC’s rich and diverse portfolio encompasses more than 2,500 projects in over 60 countries, including theme parks, branded experiences, mixed-use and entertainment, resorts and hospitality, water parks and much more. To further align with its vision and innovation, the company’s brand evolution includes a new logo and new brand colours and graphics. “The new logo and brand assets show a refreshed bold, more playful, and imaginative side of FORREC,” said Michelle Lemmon, Director of Marketing, in a press release. “Imagination is at the heart of what we do and speaks both to our output and our environment, expressing our collaborative way of working. Creativity and innovation are at the heart of who we are; it’s not just what we do, it’s part of our identity. The cohesive brand elements and colours will help tie all our assets together on all our materials.” With a who’s-who of clients including Universal, Legoland Parks, Six Flags , Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Tridel and many others, FORREC continues to develop dynamic new projects. Among the company’s latest works are two attrac- tion narratives for Lionsgate Zone at Motiongate™ Dubai, as part of the Dubai Parks and Resorts expansion. Inspired by the blockbuster John Wick movie franchise starring Keanu Reeves and Now You See Me, the two new roller coaster attractions are John Wick: Open Contract, and Now You See Me: High Roller. “FORREC is proud to have played a vital role in the creation, design, and development of these new experiences at MOTIONGATE Dubai,” said the company’s President and CEO Cale Heit in a media release. “We are fortunate to have great partners at Dubai Holding Entertainment and Lionsgate; Dubai Holding Entertainment is incredibly well-seasoned in working with popular IPs and always have the guest experi- ence top of mind, while Lionsgate spares no effort in bringing their IPs to life in the most impactful way possible. Working with both partners on John Wick: Open Contract and Now You See Me: High Roller was an exciting process filled with diverse perspectives and we’re excited to see guests’ reac- tions with these new, thrilling coasters.” For more information on FORREC, INDUSTRY NEWS 9Next >