Suggesting that a commitment to his “three cs” is the right way to go to help the city grow and prosper, the mayor encouraged the local business group to be “one of our champions” in promoting city initiatives, including distribution of a new power stick geared toward promoting economic development in Hamilton.

The innovative flash drive technology, ready to be shared with business interests outside Hamilton, contains a synopsis of city features that attract investment and is programmed to be automatically updated as well as to track its users.

“We need your input and ideas,” the mayor told the crowd of about 35 business people at the breakfast meeting as he spoke of the need for partnerships to move the city forward.

“I would like our city to be respected, not only internally, but externally as well,” he said, adding that despite Hamilton’s need to prepare for economic challenges ahead, “we are well poised to be successful.”

Acknowledging that Hamilton is “still big in steel,” Eisenberger said the city can boast of a diversified economy to help it “weather the economic storm” that is brewing.

“We’re not only steel; we’re well beyond that now,” he said, reinforcing his comments with the results of a survey that identified Hamilton as having the third most diversified economy in Ontario.

Another encouraging piece of information, recently published in Canadian Business magazine, is that Hamilton ranks seventh in all municipalities across Canada for “doing business,” said the mayor. “That’s incredible,” he added.

Alluding to city council’s vision of Hamilton’s economic future, he said, “There is nothing stopping us from being an economic powerhouse.”

The mayor cited “tremendous architecture, the beauty of the escarpment and the city’s modern transportation system” as some of Hamilton’s many positive attributes. A university and community college, as well as proximity to American markets and housing affordability were mentioned as other items in the plus column.

Hamilton has a plan to attract new business and investment and has added $1.5 million to its economic development portfolio to support the plan. It also has more than $100 million in provincial money to support infrastructure improvements and help cover social service costs and is committed to a $1.6 billion water and sewer infrastructure upgrade program.

The mayor’s appeal to members of the Flamborough business community to support the city as it moves ahead has already been taken to heart.

Chamber president Penny Gardiner reassured him at the close of the meeting that the group is ready to partner with the city on initiatives to help the city to grow and prosper.