Perth County survey shows strong business confidence, growth across sectors

Businesses across Perth County are continuing to show confidence in the local economy, with many planning for change or growth in the coming years, according to the county’s latest business retention and expansion (BR+E) survey.

County economic development and tourism staff shared the survey results with council at its May 7 meeting as part of a broader update on economic activity and tourism across the region.

“This time, our BR+E was focused on being a concise, business-level, intelligence-gathering exercise as opposed to a community-level temperature check,” said county economic development officer Justin Dias. “So, that survey has been completed and those results help to inform our staff’s response and deliver resources to those businesses requesting additional funding, joining our programs, or other resources related to their survey responses.”

The 2026 BR+E survey collected 142 responses from businesses across Perth County, representing a range of sectors including retail, agriculture, arts and recreation, manufacturing and construction. Responses were spread across all four lower-tier municipalities, with the largest share coming from North Perth, followed by Perth East, West Perth and Perth South.

One of the most notable findings from the survey is 66 per cent of respondents indicated they are planning some form of change within the next two years, whether that be expansion, relocation, downsizing or selling their business.

At the same time, businesses identified a range of supports they would like to see from the county, with grant and loan programs topping the list. Other commonly requested supports included marketing assistance, social media and digital marketing training, artificial intelligence tools, succession-planning resources and workforce-related supports.

Workforce challenges remain a key concern for many businesses. More than 40 per cent of respondents reported difficulties recruiting or retaining employees, with common issues including a lack of qualified applicants, competition for labour and a limited pool of candidates.

“Of the 142 business responses, 68 per cent chose to remain anonymous, and that’s understandable,” Perth County Warden Dean Trentowsky said during the council discussion. “But 42 per cent of the respondents reported experiencing workforce, recruitment or retention challenges. … I guess my concern is … how do we help them if they remain anonymous, but they indicate they’re in trouble and need help? … It’s kind of like a 911 call comes in and they say, ‘I need police, fire and ambulance,’ and then they hang up the phone and we don’t know where to go.

“We have the ability to offer some assistance, but how do we make that connection … and try to offer some assistance?”

Speaking to Trentowsky’s concern, Dias said the county can address the issues raised around workforce, recruitment and retention challenges through a general approach. One piece of that puzzle, Dias explained, is letting businesses across the county know about the relaunch of Ontario Job Grant, the redesigned Canada-Ontario Job Grant program that provides up to $10,000 in funding to help employers train their employees and update their skills so they can adapt to a changing economy.

“This is a program designed to help employers access the specific training they need to help their employees upskill or get the skills they need to be retained or once they’re recruited,” Dias said. “That’s something we shared yesterday on our socials; we’re going to push that out to ensure as many businesses as possible can take advantage of it.”

Coun. Rhonda Ehogoetz also noted that Perth County council and its member, lower-tier councils can continue pushing for new housing and higher densities in their communities to support employers as they bring new workers into the county.

Despite those challenges and broader economic pressures such as inflation and uncertainty, roughly two-thirds of respondents still rated Perth County as a good or excellent place to do business.

In addition to survey results, staff also provided council with a snapshot of where business expansion is occurring across the county using building permit data.

In the agricultural sector, nearly $97 million in construction activity was recorded in 2025, including new builds, renovations and additions. West Perth accounted for the largest share of that activity, followed by Perth East, with North Perth and Perth South each making up smaller but still significant portions.

Commercial and industrial construction activity also remained strong, totalling more than $53 million across the county in 2025. In contrast to agricultural development, Perth South led the way in commercial and industrial investment, followed by Perth East and North Perth, with West Perth accounting for a smaller share.

Staff noted the inclusion of building-permit data provides a more complete picture of business expansion across Perth County, capturing activity that may not be reflected through formal funding applications or direct economic-development support.

The county plans to continue tracking this data on a quarterly basis moving forward to better understand growth trends and support ongoing business-development efforts.