Opportunities New Brunswick Launches ONB Connect
SAINT JOHN – Opportunities New Brunswick (ONB) has launched an outreach program it hopes will spur economic growth.
ONB Connects is a program designed to generate business development connections for Opportunities NB and companies, create mentorship and education opportunities in the province and to promote New Brunswick as “a great place to locate or grow a business.”
“Business leaders throughout New Brunswick have told us that a program like this can generate real, meaningful business development opportunities,” said Roxanne Fairweather, board chair of ONB and CEO of Innovatia. “Anyone with a tie to New Brunswick can become a connection to share. Everyone has a role to play whether they live here in New Brunswick, elsewhere in Canada or abroad.”
New Brunswick business stars such as Helena Cain, Bryana Ganong, Jim Irving, Allison McCain, Scott McCain, Frank McKenna, Dhirendra Shukla and Philip Curley have already signed on to be “connectors.” Connectors will introduce business owners with opportunities; help with business growth and long-term success and promote New Brunswick. The program will also support youth through bursaries, mentorship (in collaboration with the Mentra) and skills development.
“We try to support New Brunswick business wherever we can. Everybody working makes the load a whole lot easier,” said Jim Irving of J.D. Irving, Limited, about his company’s involvement in the program. “We say the harder we work the luckier we get, so we work hard everyday to make our own luck.”
Though it’s hiring season for J.D. Irving, many companies are not. Irving says in order for a businesses to start hiring, they need to grow.
“You have to have business, you have to have some need of the people. And if you’re competitive and you’re working at your business, you will be competitive and you’ll start hiring people. That’s how it starts. It’s a big wheel but you got to keep pushing it forward.”
Though today’s announcement didn’t involve any new jobs, ONB president Stephen Lund says people can expect more of those kinds of announcements in the coming months.
“We’ve been busy the last year. We’ve got a lot of good news coming up in the next few months that we’re really excited about.”