Local businesses show off their wares at FCFDC Trade Show

Oct 28, 2010

Photo: Ella Branderburgt of Ella's Cafe and Bakery in Harrowsmith

The 2nd annual Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) Trade Show took place on October 21 under the bright lights at the Harrowsmith Free Methodist church's new gymnasium and 44 local businesses took part.

The show’s goal is to promote small businesses in the County of Frontenac by offering residents a chance to see what products and services are available in their own backyards while also providing business owners with an opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals.

Small businesses in the area are definitely growing, so much so in fact that the event, which was held at the Verona Lions Hall last year, had to be moved this year to the bigger Harrowsmith venue to accommodate even more businesses.

One new business owner joining the ranks this year was Ella Banderburgt of Ella's Cafe and Bakery, which just opened Oct. 1 in the former Castle Coffee building on Road 38 in Harrowsmith. Ella is offering a wide selection of full home-cooked meals that she makes from scratch, using no processed foods. She reports so far that business is booming. Ella expects to open the bakery part of the business by Nov. 1 and it is the baked goods that are her specialty. She will be offering breads, tarts and pies, plus her famous melt in your mouth shortbread cookies, which are made from a secret recipe she invented 20 years ago. She had the rich and buttery morsels on sample at the show and they looked as good as they tasted. They come plain as well as in flavors like Swiss chocolate, toffee, cafe mocha, and candy cane, to name a few. A former financial adviser who grew up in Sydenham, Ella has always wanted to run a bakery/cafe. “This business has always been a dream of mine so I just decided to make it a reality and it all came together very quickly.”

For already established businesses in the area the trade show is an opportunity to show off new products, as did Kwik Load Products of Harrowsmith. Owners Ron and Ingrid Smith established their business over a decade ago and sell various kinds of truck and car equipment. New this year, they are offering a number of different types of emergency LED lighting systems for various emergency, snow and other municipal vehicles. A large coloured billboard in their booth displayed the other products they offer including various innovative loading systems. Ron was happy to be part of the show and said, “I'm sure there are people within a 50 km radius who don't know what services we provide so the show is a good opportunity to get that information out there.”

For many local businesses the trade show represents a very local and affordable annual platform from which to promote their businesses. Thanks to the Frontenac CFDC for organizing and funding this important annual local business event.