BREWD

Taking Action for Business

Business Retention, Expansion and Workforce Development

About us

Central Alberta First (CAF) is a regional collaboration of business, communities, and provincial and federal agencies and governments who are committed to growing business in Central Alberta. Central Alberta First is where local business comes first. Contact us and join the movement today!


  • Together, we are leading the charge in building a strong economic future by advancing the Next Generation Economy Initiative (NGEI). This exciting initiative is a three-year ​plan designed to foster business growth and development. Central Alberta First recognizes the importance of collaboration and here are the partners who have joined together for business for a shared vision in Central Alberta.

Funding Partners

Regional Champion Sponsors ($2,500+)

Business Visitation Team Volunteers

  • 22nd @ Taylor Dental Care (Red Deer): Gillian Piedalue
  • Advanced Telecommunication Ltd. (Olds): Cindy Smith
  • Alana Peters, Leadership Coaching and Facilitation (Red Deer): Alana Peters
  • Ax Computer Consulting (Red Deer): Mike Axworthy
  • Bell Canada (Red Deer County): Jenine Wiley
  • BDC (Red Deer): Shannon Preus
  • BDC (Red Deer): Chad Knudson
  • Career Haven Inc (Red Deer): Paul Adeoba
  • Century 21 Bravo Realty (Olds): Delena Simanton
  • C4ner Consulting (Red Deer): Cathy Forner
  • City of Red Deer (Red Deer): Michelle Zeggil
  • City of Red Deer (Red Deer): Lesli Rentz
  • Employment Placement Support Services (Red Deer): Heather Bendera
  • Healing Touch (Penhold): Lorna Burns
  • HR Outlook - Human Resource Consulting Inc (Red Deer): Emily Genereux
  • In-Sight Coaching and Consulting (Innisfail): Patricia Bourne
  • Innisfail Chamber of Commerce (Innisfail): Blaine Staples
  • Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce (Innisfail): David Adbeau
  • Innisfail & District Chamber of Commerce (Innisfail): Lee Eddy
  • Innisfail Chamber of Commerce (Innisfail): Lindsey Forget
  • Innisfail Chamber of Commerce (Innisfail): Michaela Ludwig
  • Innisfail Chamber of Commerce (Innisfail): Trish Proctor
  • Invest Olds (Olds): Sandra Blyth
  • Government of Alberta, Jobs Economy and Trade (Red Deer): Nicole Lorrain
  • Karen Baker Consulting (Red Deer): Karen Baker
  • Kneehill County (Kneehill County): Wendy Gerbrandt
  • Kneehill County (Kneehill County): Jenna Kester
  • Meringue3.14 Marketing by Design (Carbon): Amy Merrill
  • Me 1st Fitness and Coaching (Red Deer): Tammy Porter
  • Michelle Doucette (Red Deer)
  • Mountain View County (MVC): Natalie McKay
  • Mountain View Events Ltd. (Mountain View County): Deborah Rice-Salomons
  • MNP LLP (Red Deer): Kevin Walsh
  • Mr. Mike Steakhouse Casual (Olds): Mehul Patel
  • Olds College of Agriculture & Technology (Olds): Clare Janitz
  • OTR Web Solutions (Olds): Camila Jimenez
  • OTR Web Solutions (Olds): Ian Conklin
  • Peace by Piece Nutrition (Penhold): Candice Harris
  • Plant Based and Juicy - Canada (Olds): Corena Walby


Community Advocate Sponsors ($1,500)

Community Supporter Sponsors ($ 500)

Become a sponsor

Become a sponsor

Become a sponsor

  • Red Deer County (RDC): Sandry Badry
  • Red Deer County (RDC): Tara Logan
  • Red Deer Leads Executive Association (LEADS) (Red Deer): Matt Costain
  • Red Deer Polytechnic (Red Deer): Ben Allan
  • Red Deer Polytechnic (Red Deer): Katelyn Ruiz
  • Red Deer Polytechnic (Red Deer): Isaac Nyamekye
  • Red Deer Polytechnic (Red Deer): Rebecca Schmalz
  • Red Deer Polytechnic (Red Deer): Brianne Nettelfield
  • Regional Business Support Network (Olds): Anne Serrano
  • Regional Business Support Network (Olds): Michelle McFadden
  • Royal LePage Wildrose Real Estate (Olds): Mary Jane Harper
  • SellPhone Lab (Olds): Harish Sharma
  • SellPhone Lab (Olds): Tarun Sood
  • Servus Credit Union (Innisfail): Heather Kurst
  • Servus Credit Union (Three Hills): Marci Pelletier
  • TalentCircle Consulting & Coaching (Sylvan Lake): Tammie Sorensen
  • Take Flight Osteopathic Wellness (Olds): Christal Geier
  • Tim Van Horlick (Innisfail)
  • Twisted Steel Blacksmithing (Red Deer County): Shelley Allarie
  • Town of Olds (Olds): Councillor Dan Daley
  • Town of Olds (Olds): Gary Gaudette
  • Town of Innisfail (Innisfail): John Powell
  • Town of Innisfail (Innisfail): Janice Wing
  • Town of Innisfail (Innisfail): Meghan Jenkins
  • WBS Lutz Farm (Mountain View County): Jennifer Lutz
  • Ultimate Safety (Olds): Doug Rieberger
  • Valeria Alieieva (Penhold)
  • West Country Pump and Filtration (Red Deer): Kelli Ritz
  • West Country Pump and Filtration (Red Deer): Rob Christensen
  • Youth HQ (Red Deer): Rob Lewis


  • Learn about the project's goals, scope, timelines, and key
    stakeholders     involved in this initiative. Find information on
    how the project aims to benefit the Central Alberta region
  • PROJECT CHARTER

BREWD UPDATES

  • Learn more about the overalll results and updates regarding BREWD survey
  • FINAL WEEK UPDATES
  • The BREWD Survey Winners Are Here! Check if You're One
    of Them!
  • BREWD PRIZE WINNERS

Next Generation

Economy Initiative

BREWD (Business Retention Expansion & Workforce
Development) is phase 1 within the Next Generation
Economy Initiative (NGEI). BREWD aims to analyze the
economic foundation including eight (8) critical inputs
(innovation, human resources, financial, infrastructure,
property, business climate, marketing, and quality of
life). BREWD is about engaging business and industry to
test if the foundation has the capacity, competency, and
responsiveness to support future growth and enable a
competitive advantage for its businesses.

Developing
regional alliances
and partnerships

Fostering a culture
of entrepreneurship
and innovation

Building on
competitive
advantages

Engaging leadership
and effective
governance.

NGEI DIRECTIVES

Where businesses,
industries and
communities act regionally
to compete globally. Seeing
each other, not as rivals,
but as partners that
depend on one another to
prosper.

Where entrepreneurs and
existing businesses create
relationships of exchange
and innovation. Driving
regional growth through
expansion of export
markets.

Where the region offers
specialized locational
advantages used by
business and industry to
expand and sought by new
entrepreneurs wanting to
access these advantages.

Where effective governance
happens across
jurisdictional boundaries
through private, public
governance partnerships
driven from the bottom-up.

The BREWD project takes a two-pronged approach to fostering economic growth in the region:

  • Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) and Workforce Development (WD)
  • Process
  • The BREWD project follows a clear timeline
    to efficiently achieve its goals.
  • Timelines

BREWD PROCESS & TIMELINES

Empowering Businesses, Building a Future:
Join the BREWD Project