Senator Pierrette Ringuette met in Fredericton last month with provincial Ministers Ronald Ouellette and Greg Byrne, as a first step in promoting the creation of the Atlantic Marketing and Export Centre (AMEC). The planned location for AMEC is Northwest New Brunswick, where it will provide bilingual services.
“Report after report has identified Canada’s lack of marketing abilities in today’s global economy,” Senator Ringuette said. “This lack is even more evident in the Atlantic Provinces, where many small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford or identify marketing and export expertise and so fulfill their potential. What can be done to correct the situation has been a constant concern of mine. I believe that the Atlantic provinces must continue to promote regional synergies and mutually support beneficial projects.”
With the support of Minister Ouellette, who planned last month’s meeting, the research study on AMEC was presented to Minister Byrne, who viewed the project’s concept positively: “There is no doubt that all the Atlantic Provinces need to look at new initiatives to help grow our economies and become self-sufficient, and this could be an excellent tool for achieving our objective.”
The concept of the Atlantic Marketing and Export Centre was researched and developed thanks to the Senate Special Research Fund, which gave Senator Ringuette’s project $30,000.