NWT Chamber launches Made in the NWT campaign
July 29th, 2009
The NWT Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce it is launching a new program called Made in the NWT designed to highlight Northwest Territories-based manufacturers and help promote their products to potential customers.
“A healthy manufacturing sector is critical to any economy,” said NWT Chamber President Ann Marie Tout. “Our manufacturers face many challenges, including higher transportation, labour and input costs, compared to their southern competitors, which makes recognizing their efforts all the more important.”
In 2008, the value of all manufacturing shipments in the NWT stood at approximately $39.5 million. Manufacturing is a small sector of the territorial economy, but it still employs about 400 people among roughly 100 businesses. Although the secondary diamond industry makes up the majority of NWT manufacturing activity, it is a diverse sector with other firms involved in producing a wide range of products:
- Lumber milling, doors, windows, water tanks, cabinets, logs and other home products;
- Boxes, pallets, stakes, core boxes, timbers and other material for the mineral industry;
- Manufacturer of cleaning agents
- Printing, silk screening, and publishing;
- Bottling, baking, canning and meat processing;
- Custom furniture;
- Boat building, log homes, engine rebuilding, komatiks, sleds, trailers and upholstery;
- Metal, wood and plastic signs;
- Canvas goods, bags, tents, clothes, jewelry, leather, shoes, tanned furs, clothing;
- Redi-mix concrete, trusses, sheds, planters, fuel tanks, and other construction-related materials; and,
- Crafts manufacture, including pottery.
Through this ongoing initiative, the Chamber has a supply of Made in the NWT stickers that will be provided to any requesting manufacturer free of charge which they can use to label goods produced in the NWT. When potential buyers see the Made in the NWT label, they will recognize the hundreds of jobs and other economic benefits tied to this sector and consider those before making their purchasing decision.
“If we all make an effort to reward those businesses who’ve invested to base their manufacturing operations in the NWT, our overall economy will be that much stronger,” added Tout. “Remember to look for the label and make sure it’s Made in the NWT.”
To obtain labels, click on the Made in the NWT link on the Chamber’s website, www.nwtchamber.com. Simply complete the electronic form and allow a couple of weeks for delivery.
In association with the network of community chambers of commerce in Fort Simpson, Behchoko, Norman Wells, Fort Smith, Hay River and Yellowknife as well as the Northern Aboriginal Business Association, the NWT Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of more than 865 members. For more than 35 years, it has been the only pan-territorial voice of businesses across all sectors of the Northern economy.
