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Business Retention and Expansion

Strengthening Local Business. Shaping Belleville's Economic Future.

Businesses are the backbone of Belleville’s economy—and understanding their needs is essential to long-term growth. That’s why the City of Belleville invests in Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) initiatives, a globally recognized best practice in economic development.

What Is a BR+E Program?

Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) program is a structured, community-based process that helps municipalities better understand the challenges, opportunities, and priorities of local businesses.
Through confidential, face-to-face interviews with business owners and senior management, the City gains timely insights that inform:

  • Economic Development strategies
  • Investment attraction efforts
  • Infrastructure and service planning
  • Municipal budgeting and policy decisions

BR+E programs are guided by trained community volunteers working alongside a City Economic Development coordinator, ensuring the process is collaborative, data-driven, and grounded in real business experience.

Creating Lasting Impacts for Businesses and the Community

BR+E initiatives don’t end with data collection—they drive action. Insights gathered from past BR+E projects continue to shape Belleville today, resulting in meaningful, long-term improvements such as:

  • A successful family physician recruitment program
  • The creation of the Work in Quinte labour attraction initiative
  • Transportation improvements, including new routes and intersections
  • Infrastructure upgrades (water, sewer, fibre optic services)
  • Downtown Community Improvement Plans (CIPs)
  • Business park signage enhancements
  • Targeted training programs aligned with industry needs

These outcomes demonstrate the power of listening to local businesses—and acting on what’s heard.

Current Focus - Prosper Belleville: Manufacturing BR+E (2024–2025)

To better understand post-COVID challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing sector, the City of Belleville launched Prosper Belleville, a Manufacturing BR+E initiative supported by the Rural Economic Development Fund.


Project Highlights:

  • 746 hours invested by staff and volunteers
  • 38 interviews and site visits
  • 86% industry participation rate
  • 26 actionable items identified

This initiative provides a roadmap to support manufacturers and guide future business park planning.

Key BR+E Action Themes

Focused on attracting, integrating, and retaining newcomer talent:

  • Establish a stakeholder working group to navigate immigration pathways to Permanent Residency
  • Support employers in understanding federal and provincial immigration programs
  • Pilot newcomer training on Canadian workplace culture
  • Improve communication tools outlining resources for newcomers and employers
  • Promote the Workplace Inclusion Charter and EDI practices
  • Explore the creation of an Industry Inclusion Working Group

Focused on strengthening Belleville’s workforce:

  • Promote manufacturing careers through education initiatives
  • Partner with youth engagement groups to retain local talent
  • Launch public campaigns promoting manufacturing as a viable career
  • Promote Belleville externally as a place to live, work, and play
  • Continue physician recruitment and community well-being initiatives

Focused on enabling industry growth:

  • Explore innovative housing solutions for employees
  • Assess industry safety and security concerns

Focused on transparency and efficiency:

  • Deliver workshops and explainer videos on development processes
  • Improve navigation and support for businesses and developers
  • Implement CRM tools within Economic Development
  • Enhance communication, branding, and online resources
  • Update the City’s Community Profile
  • Improve coordination around utilities, transit, childcare, and industrial services

Next Steps

Implementation Phase (2025–2030)

The City of Belleville is actively implementing the Prosper Belleville BR+E Action Plan over the next 3–5 years in collaboration with community and industry partners.

Current Status (2025):

  • 11 action items completed
  • 9 action items in progress
  • 4 under feasibility review
  • 2 no longer relevant due to changing conditions

Progress is continuously monitored, with regular reporting on achievements, challenges and next steps.

Business Retention Report

Business Retention Report