Local Firm to Help Businesses Impacted by the 2011 High Water Event

Economic Development Brandon confirms that MNP, a respected business consulting firm and leaders in the field of business continuity, will provide expertise for and work with businesses directly impacted by Brandon’s 2011 high water event to develop business continuity plans.

Through the Province of Manitoba’s Excess Moisture Economic Stimulus Program, $100,000 in funding has been made available in Brandon to pair a business continuity expert with businesses affected by the mandatory evacuations associated with last year’s high water event.

A formal request for proposal process enabled Economic Development Brandon to select MNP from an impressive group of business continuity experts.

“MNP is pleased to be able to work with the City of Brandon on this innovative initiative to help local businesses continue to function and prosper following a disruption or emergency,” said Jeff Cristall, MNP’s Regional Managing Partner for Southern.

Through the business continuity initiative, MNP will work directly with participating businesses in a one-on-one confidential manner over the course of the next 6-7 months. The guiding principles for the project will be to develop customized and functional business continuity plans for each business while minimizing, as much as possible, demands on business owners and key personnel. The MNP approach will take business continuity best practices; tailor them to fit individual business needs and develop a plan unique to each business they work with.

“While the high water event of 2011 brought to light the importance of being prepared to continue business operations following a disruption, there are countless other incidents that could disrupt and impact businesses,” noted Sandy Trudel, Director of Economic Development. “It is our hope that by assisting businesses to proactively plan for business interruptions through MNP’s all-hazards approach, we strengthen their ability to withstand the financial and human impacts of such interruptions enabling them to continue to operate their business in Brandon.”

The MNP team is a very experienced group of professionals who have completed numerous similar projects and are known as leaders in the field, Trudel said. Added to the impressive credentials the MNP team brings to this project is an understanding of the local business community that only a company who has operated in the City for an extended period of time can offer, she concluded.

The opportunity to work with MNP on the development of a business continuity plan, at no cost to the participating business, has been offered to all businesses that were evacuated during the 2011 high water event.