Three hundred new businesses opened up in Chatham-Kent in 2023.
Michael Duben, Chatham-Kent’s Chief Administrative Officer, was the guest speaker at the Chatham-Kent Chamber’s breakfast, held Thursday morning at the Retro Suites.
Duben used the opportunity to highlight some of the success and growth the municipality has experienced in the past year.
Duben credited the municipality, especially the economic development department, for playing a role in bringing in the new businesses.
He said many businesses did their homework and saw the activity and growth in Chatham-Kent and saw an opportunity.
Duben also spoke about some of the challenges the municipality faces, such as the Wheatley explosion clean-up, and finding a solution for a Civic Centre for Chatham-Kent employees to conduct business.
“We do need a home that is safe, that is accessible, that is modern, …to attract staff,” Duben said, noting the building is not just for staff but for the public as well. “From my perspective I don’t care where it is, I just want our staff to have a place they can work out of and call home.”
Duben has been Chatham-Kent’s CAO for 18 months.
Mayor Darrin Canniff called Duben “top-notch.” Canniff said Chatham-Kent’s renaissance is due, in part, to Duben’s leadership.
“When I see the arts, culture, recreation, the growth, and people wanting to come here, it’s through [Duben’s] leadership, it has happened,” the mayor said.