Now, more than ever, New Brunswick’s prospects for economic growth depend on the competitiveness of our manufacturing and exporting sector — on our ability to produce the high-value, high-quality and competitively priced goods, along with supporting services and technologies that customers want to buy across Canada and around the world. More than 30,000 New Brunswickers work in manufacturing in well-paid and highly skilled jobs. The future of manufacturing matters for every sector of the economy and every New Brunswicker, no matter where they live across this province.

Presenter: Joel Richardson, Vice President of the New Brunswick and PEI Division of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) and Executive Director of the Metal Working Association of New Brunswick (MWANB)

Joel Richardson represents the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) as their Vice President for New Brunswick and PEI. CME is Canada’s largest industry and trade association. With CME, Joel focuses on the key priorities of companies to help them grow and be more competitive here and around the world.

Joel also serves as the Executive Director of the Metal Working Association of New Brunswick supporting companies who employ thousands of trades people in welding shops, industrial fabrication, machining, engineering and materials supply.

In these roles Joel leads the Coalition of NB Employers – a group of over 25 industry, trade and business associations who collectively employ nearly two-thirds of the provinces entire private sector workforce.

Joel is an experienced management professional with 20 years in economic development, tourism and government service delivery.  He has led diplomatic and business development trade missions by supporting elected and private sector executives in China, Europe, Central and South America, Middle East and the United States of America.

Joel led a cross-departmental provincial team on the development and execution of the New Brunswick export strategy, which was recognized by Progress Magazine as the winner of the Innovation in Practice Award for being the best economic development strategy in Atlantic Canada.

He served two terms as a Fredericton City Councillor, where he also led the New Brunswick Cities Association as President, and chaired the Atlantic Canada Caucus and National Finance Committee of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

Joel was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 in Economic Development worldwide by Development Councillors International.