The county-wide Economic Development Strategic Plan is a result of a process that began in May 2017 and involved input from entrepreneurs, bus‍‍‍iness leaders, local politicians, municipal staff, residents, students and service organizations throughout Lanark County, Smiths Falls and North Leeds.

By way of a Service Agreement, Valley Heartland provides economic development services to Lanark County, and has recently completed a county-wide collaborative economic development strategic planning process. The process was led by Valley Heartland, Lanark County and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, and was driven by the Leadership Team and its 4 working groups, with representatives from every municipality in Lanark County.

The Leadership Team and Working Groups dug deep into their research and analysis, incorporating stats with stakeholder input from 338 q‍‍‍uestionnaires, as they identified key growth sectors, future opportunities for workforce development, and the positive impact of small businesses and entrepreneurs to our local economy.

In summary, Lanark County has a well-diversified local economy, with opportunities across a range of sectors including agri-food/agri-business, construction & trades, manufacturing, arts, entertainment & tourism, healthcare and education.

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