This week’s round of regional business news includes Peterborough tech startup Ribitt raising $600,000 in seed financing, Flying Colours Corp. breaking ground on its new hanger at Peterborough Airport, Mike’s Tattoo moving into the former Nutty Chocolatier location in downtown Peterborough, The Food Forest in downtown Peterborough under new ownership, Fenelon Falls residents and businesses one step closer to getting natural gas, local home builders raising $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity, and Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association raising $3,180 for Community Care Kawartha Lakes.
Also featured is the passing of Bud Monahan, former owner of Bud’s Music Centre in Peterborough, the selling of Puck ‘N’ Pint in Peterborough, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development seeking a board member, the Haliburton Chamber seeking nominations for its 2019 Business & Community Achievement Awards, and the Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce seeking nominations for its Board of Directors.
New regional business events added this week include a federal government discussion on support for women entrepreneurs on December 19th in Peterborough, the Peterborough Chamber hosting breakfast meeting featuring Heather Doughty on January 8th in Peterborough, FastStart Peterborough hosting its next E-Connect with Mike Judson and Mike Doherty on January 8th, the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough hosting its next member meeting on January 9th, and Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosting a New Venture Session in Peterborough on January 10th.
Other new events include Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosting a New Venture Session in Peterborough on January 10th, Community Futures Peterborough hosting a launch party for Ignite 100 launch party on January 10th, Haliburton Chamber hosting “Meet the Fire Chiefs!” in Minden on January 15th, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosting a business planning workshop in Peterborough on January 16th, and the Peterborough Chamber hosting “Lunch Box Learning: 3 Ways Risk Affects your Business” in Peterborough on January 16th.
Peterborough tech startup Ribitt raises $600,000 in seed financing
Peterborough tech startup Ribitt, a free mobile rewards app that allows consumers to collect points on purchases at local shops, has raised $600,000 in seed round funding led by angel investors to expand to new neighbourhoods.
Ribitt was founded by Ribat Chowdhury, originally from Bangladesh, and Sana Virji, originally from Pakistan, who came to Canada to pursue their undergraduate degrees at Trent University. The two launched Ribitt in March 2018 and, to date, have partnered with more than 30 businesses in Peterborough and more than 100 in Toronto, most recently in the Roncesvalles and The Junction neighbourhoods.
The Ribitt app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices, allows consumers to collect points on purchases at local shops. Users can pay directly through the app and collect points on every purchase, then redeem them at any participating local shop for anything they want.
Lindsay Brock, owner of Amusé Coffee Co. in Peterborough, was one of Ribitt’s early partners.
“My café and the Ribitt app launched around the same time, so it was a great opportunity to cross-promote each other starting out,” she says. “Ribitt has been wonderful in terms of gaining awareness for my business and it is a great opportunity for any business that is starting out in a new community or is trying to grow.”
With neighbourhood revitalisation and preserving local commerce is a key focus for cities across North America, there is a significant potential for Ribbit to partner with more of the 27 million “mom and pop” businesses in Canada and the U.S.
“The future success of local shops lies in them coming together and leveraging their combined network,” says Virji. “Participating in a rewards program at a single coffee shop is more effort than the value for consumers, so when local merchants in a neighbourhood join Ribitt’s single rewards program, they create huge value for their customers, while giving them the competitive advantage of scale that bigger chains have.”
Ribitt plans to begin its expansion across Canada in 2019 and is attracting interest from venture capital firms for its next funding round.
For more information on Ribitt, visit www.ribitt.io.
Flying Colours Corp. breaks ground on new hanger at Peterborough Airport
Aviation services company Flying Colours Corp. has broken ground on a new hanger at the company’s Peterborough Airport headquarters.
The 100,000-square-foot structure, which will cost more than $18 million, will be able to accommodate aircraft as large as an Airbus A220 and will include a climate-controlled paint shop, interiors workshops, customer meeting rooms, a boardroom, and offices. It is expected to open by mid-2019.
“Our business has grown significantly over the past twelve months, and we were running out of space to accommodate all our clients’ requests,” says company president John Gillespie. “Once the building is complete, we will be using it to provide additional capacity for completions, refurbishment, and heavy maintenance work scopes on large jet airplanes.”
The company is also adding a fifth hanger to its location at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport.
To keep up with the increases in capacity at both sites, Flying Colours expects to add another 100 workers with experience in maintenance, interiors, and painting.
Mike’s Tattoo moving into former Nutty Chocolatier location in downtown Peterborough
Art is Law. Mike's Tattoo & Piercing #tattooshoplife 3/5 @FILMkelly
Posted by Mike's Tattoo on Thursday, December 13, 2018
Mike Andrews, owner of Mike’s Tattoo & Piercings at 388 Water Street, is moving his business into the former location of The Nutty Chocolatier, at 345 George Street North.
Andrews, who has operated his shop on Water Street for more than 11 years, saw an opportunity when The Nutty Chocolatier closed at the end of September. He decided to lease and renovate the larger space. It will allow him to add two new tattoo artists, and also accommodate Mike Wacker of On Target Designs, a vinyl printing business, and also offer decals and custom made t-shirts.
Andrews says they are on target to open in the new location on Thursday, January 3rd.
The Food Forest in downtown Peterborough under new ownership
The Food Forest Cafe in downtown Peterborough has a new owner.
The business, which offers plant-based and gluten-free organic food, has been taken over by 19-year-old Lasair Wood. Wood has worked in the kitchen at the cafe for the past year, where she rediscovered her love of cooking.
The Food Forest Cafe was founded in 2013 by Katie Lynn and Adam Deck. In mid-2017, they sold the business to Laura Barker.
Fenelon Falls residents and businesses one step closer to getting natural gas
Fenelon Falls is one step closer to having natural gas service to more than 1,000 homes and businesses in the community.
Earlier this month, Enbridge Gas finished installing a 338-metre pipeline beneath the Fenelon River. The installation was completed using a specially designed drill for building pipelines that cross sensitive areas like roads or waterways, eliminating the need for equipment to enter the water and minimizing the impact on area wildlife.
“This is a significant milestone for the Fenelon Falls project,” says Jeff Mantej with Enbridge Gas Distribution. “The success of this pipe installation means that there’s virtually nothing stopping us from getting natural gas to the rest of this community.”
Enbridge anticipates that the entire project will be complete by the end of winter 2019. Fenelon Falls residents have until June 28, 2019 to connect to the natural gas service at no additional cost (other costs, including furnace conversion fees, are not included).
For more information or to sign up, visit www.enbridgegas.com/connect or call 1-888-427-8888.
Local home builders raise $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity
Members and friends of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Home Builders Association (PKHBA) enjoyed a festive dinner and live and silent auctions on December 6th and raised almost $5,000 for Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region.
“Partnering with Habitat for Humanity is a natural fit as our priorities closely align,” says PKHBA executive officer John Kintare. “PKHBA believes that all Canadians should have the right to a reasonable opportunity to own their own homes. Our membership believes strongly in housing affordability and supports the work Habitat does in the community to build affordable homes for low income families.”
The PKHBA Christmas Charity Auction helps support many of the programs that the local association runs each year, including education and training seminars, government and advocacy work, and dinner meetings and networking opportunities throughout the year.
Organized as a network of local professionals, PKHBA has represented the professional home building industry in Peterborough and The Kawarthas since 1956. Members include new home builders, renovators, financial institutions, manufacturers and suppliers of building products, new home warranty programs, and government agencies.
Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association raises $3,180 for Community Care Kawartha Lakes
The Kawartha Lakes Real Estate Association, representing more than 200 real estate professionals in the City of Kawartha Lakes, has donated $3,180 to Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes
The funds will be used to support the hospice palliative care programs offered by Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes.
Bud Monahan, former owner of Bud’s Music Centre in Peterborough, has passed away
Also attending the grand opening was Bud Monahan, the original owner of Bud’s Music Centre at 296 Aylmer Street North. Monahan opened his music store in 1968 and ran it until he retired in 1991, when he sold the business to his son Robert and his son-in-law Rob Branscombe.
Bud Monahan, the former owner of Bud’s Music Centre in Peterborough, passed away on December 8th at Peterborough Regional Health Centre at the age of 88.
Monahan opened his music store in 1968 and ran it until he retired in 1991, when he sold the business to his son Robert and his son-in-law Rob Branscombe.
Located at 296 Aylmer Street North, the business was purchased in October 2014 by Long & McQuade in October 2014, which made plans to move into the building at 129 Aylmer Street, previously occupied solely by Twohey’s Furniture. Long & McQuade opened in the new location in November 2015.
Following a visitation and funeral mass, Monahan was interred at Highland Park Cemetery last Friday (December 14).
Puck ‘N’ Pint in Peterborough sold
The Puck ‘N’ Pint Sports Pub, located at 871 Chemong Rd. in Brookdale Plaza, has been sold to new owners.
The announcement of the sale was announced last Tuesday (December 11) on the Puck ‘N’ Pint’s Facebook page.
The business, previously owned by former NHLer Steve Gatzos, was listed in August 2018 by RE/MAX Commercial with an asking price of $149,900.
There are no details available at this time on the identity of the new owners or whether they plan to make changes to the existing business.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development seeking a board member
The board of directors of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development is seeking to fill a vacancy on the board.
Applicants should have senior level board experience, senior leadership experience, legal experience, experience with government relations, and community involvement.
Interested candidates are encouraged to connect with the PKED Board Nominations Committee and send along their CVs and cover letters to board@peterboroughed.ca by Friday January 18, 2019.
Nominations open for Haliburton Chamber’s Business & Community Achievement Awards
Nominations are now open for the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce’s 13th Annual Business & Community Achievement Awards.
Nominations are being accepted for 11 awards: Business Achievement, New Business, Customer First Business, Customer First Employee, Tourism & Hospitality, Innovation & Creativity, Skilled Trades & Industry, Young Professional of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Not-For-Profit of the Year, and Highlander of the Year.
Nomination forms, which are available at www.haliburtonchamber.com, must be submitted by February 14, 2019.
Nominations open for Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
The Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce invites nominations from its membership for four full-terms (two years) on its Board of Directors.
Nominees must be a member in good standing, nominated by a member in good standing, and be an authorized representative of a business operating within the Town of Cobourg, the Township of Hamilton or Alnwick/Haldimand.
The nomination deadline is Wednesday, January 23rd. Directors will be elected or appointed by the membership at the Chamber’s annual general meeting on Tuesday, January 29th.
For nomination forms, visit nccofc.ca/events/details/nccofc-nominations-to-the-board-1367.
Federal government hosts discussion on support for women entrepreneurs on December 19 in Peterborough
Mary Ng, the federal Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, and Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women and MP for Peterborough-Kawartha, are hosting a discussion at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 19th in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
If you plan to attend, you are asked to RSVP to eugene.sandhu@canada.ca by Tuesday, December 18th.
Peterborough Chamber hosts breakfast meeting featuring Heather Doughty on January 8 in Peterborough
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next breakfast meeting takes place from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 8th at Carousel Restaurant & Tavern (116 Lansdowne St. E., Peterborough).
Heather Doughty of Inspire: The Women’s Portrait Project, will speak on the topic “A New Year of Inspiration”.
Networking takes place at 7 a.m., with breakfast served at 7:30 a.m. (where you can make your best 30-second elevator speech to the room), followed by the speaker at 8 a.m.
Admission is free; just pay for what you order.
Peterborough Chamber hosts PBX at Shorelines Casino Peterborough on January 8
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce’s next PBX (Peterborough Business Exchange) takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8th at Shorelines Casino Peterborough (1400 Crawford Dr., Peterborough).
This is a free networking event.
FastStart Peterborough hosts E-Connect with Mike Judson and Mike Doherty on January 8
FastStart Peterborough’s next E-Connect seminar takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 8th at The Twisted Wheel (377 Water St., Peterborough).
“Ringing in the New Year 2.0” features speakers Mike Judson of The Twisted Wheel and Mike Doherty of Dohjo Muay Thai & Fitness.
There will be appetizers and a cash bar will be available.
The event is free, but registration is encouraged at www.eventbrite.com/e/e-connect-ringing-in-the-new-year-20-tickets-53054138356.
Women’s Business Network of Peterborough member meeting on January 9
The next Women’s Business Network (WBN) of Peterborough member meeting takes place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 9th at Holiday Inn – Waterfront (150 George St. N., Peterborough).
Registered psychotherapist Colleen Carruthers will speak on the topic “Becoming More Resilient through Self-Compassion”.
Networking begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the speaker at 7:30 p.m.
The cost is free for WBN members, and $50 for guests. To register as a guest, visit www.womensbusinessnetwork.net/program/.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts New Venture Session in Peterborough on January 10
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre is hosting a New Venture Session from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Thursday, January 10th in the boardroom at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
The session will provide an overview of the foundations of starting and running a business, resources and programs available to entrepreneurs in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, working with the Business Advisory Centre and building a plan of action for your business, and completing the start-up checklist.
The session is free. To register, visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/new-venture-session-tickets-53060128272
Community Futures Peterborough hosts Ignite 100 launch party on January 10
Community Futures Peterborough is hosting a launch party for Ignite 100 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 10th at The Venue (286 George St. N., Peterborough).
Ignite 100 is Community Futures Peterborough’s new annual open invitational competition for business expansion within the City and County of Peterborough. Applications will be available on January 10, 2019, with the application deadline March 15, 2019.
The guest speaker will be Dr. Rafik Loutfy, Director of the Center for Engineering, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, at Ryerson University. Dr. Loutfy is the owner of 47 patents, with nine in commercial use.
Food and beverages will be provided, along with a cash bar.
The event is free, but registration is requested at www.eventbrite.ca/e/ignite-100-brought-to-you-by-community-futures-peterborough-tickets-53029918915.
For more information about Ignite 100, visit ignite100.ca.
Haliburton Chamber hosts “Meet the Fire Chiefs!” in Minden on January 15
The Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Meet the Fire Chiefs!” from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 15th at the Minden Fire Hall (12418 Highway 35, Minden).
The breakfast and networking event will provide the opportunity to see the new fire hall in Minden and network with all of the fire chiefs in the county, as well as to learn about fire safety and why it matters for your business.
The cost is $20 for chamber members, and $25 for non-members. Register at events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=lu6q9flab&oeidk=a07efxawpbe23f86ffa.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development hosts business planning workshop in Peterborough on January 16
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development’s Business Advisory Centre is hosting “Business Fundamentals: Business Planning” from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16th in the boardroom at VentureNorth (270 George St. N., Peterborough).
The session is designed to give you a strong foundation in business planning, and the importance of a comprehensive business plan. The Business Advisory Centre will also share tools available for creating a business plan and top tips for creating a plan ready to share with banks and funding agencies to secure financing.
The session is free, but registration is requested at www.eventbrite.ca/e/business-fundamentals-business-planning-tickets-53060316836.
Peterborough Chamber hosts “Lunch Box Learning: 3 Ways Risk Affects your Business” in Peterborough on January 16
The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is hosting “Lunch Box Learning: 3 Ways Risk Affects your Business” from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, January 16th in the boardroom at the Chamber offices (175 George Street North, Peterborough).
Kelland Sewell of rPM3 Solutions Canada Inc. will share three ways risk affects your business and how you can harness this information to improve business performance through Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).
Bing your lunch along with you, and have the opportunity to listen to the short presentation followed by a Q&A.
The event is free to attend for members of the Chamber or members of the Women’s Business Network of Peterborough.
