There’s much more on the horizon for the Lower Columbia Initiatives Corporation (LCIC). The organization started the Metal Tech Alley Imitative a few years ago and continues to attract and build growth in the Trail region.
Executive Director Terry Van Horn is very grateful to have received two two-year grants as part of the Province’s Rural Dividend grants. The latest was for $500,000.
One of the initiatives they will be working on moving forward is mapping the circular economics. That includes understand where the supply chains are, what the intermediate and waste streams are and solutions to close that gap. Van Horn provides an example where a company might not be using a certain product and are shipping it off site. There might a business case developed for that product, which could potentially attract new entrepreneurs.
The funding will also allow LCIC to develop a sustainability plan that would look at examples from Europe where the whole business community is included to support economic development.
“Our entire region buys into it, not just the businesses that are doing the metals and technology portion of the economy, but all of the business and municipalities and all of our residents. We’re all talking about it and celebrating and we’re all vested into it,” said Van Horn.
She adds this will help ensure we’re all working towards the same end goal of prosperity and a strong local economy.
There’s also a lot happening around Midas.
“Make sure were training our local workforce so that they can compete in the new emerging technologies sector that will support all of the development that’s going on in our region,” explained Van Horn. “And then, of course, being able to attract the talent that we do not have in our region at this time.”
That includes other entrepreneurs and experts in the metallurgy sector.
The region is being celebrated provincially and even nationally for their innovative approach and Van Horn describes the initiative and its partners as “leading the pack in cluster development and collaborative approach to economic development.”