3 Small Business Collaborations in the Capital Region

Here at Ignite we recognize the value of small businesses in the region and their positive impact on our economy. This is why, every year, in the month of October we celebrate “Small Business Week”, where we collaborate with small businesses and business support organizations to come together and learn, network and promote the impact small business have on our community. In this year’s “Small Business week”, we wanted to highlight businesses that support and aid the work of other small businesses. Here are some of these awesome companies.  

—

Chinova Bioworks  

Chinova Bioworks, a biotechnology company in Fredericton, recently collaborated with the local micro-distillery, Moonshine Creek, helping them to optimize the production of one of their best-selling products; their Apple Crumble Cocktail. 

Chinova Bioworks is a biotechnology company dedicated to delivering clean-label ingredients and reducing food waste. Using a fiber found in white button mushrooms, Chinova creates a number of natural and sustainable products including food preservatives and fining agents such as their MycoKleer product. MycoKleer is a natural product that allows particles or sediments in beverages to fall to the bottom of the tank or bottle, making it easy for the producers to remove sediment and have clearer beverages. 

Many alcoholic products, such as Moonshine Creek’s Apple Crumble Cocktail have a large amount of natural sedimentation that settle in the bottles over time. The micro-distillery, located in Waterville, NB had invested large amounts of money in finding solutions to this problem, as the sediment led their customers to believe the cocktails were old and spoiled. 

Moonshine Creek’s current filtration system increased the production cost and time. While looking for a more cost-effective solution to eliminate the haze and sediment, that’s how Moonshine Creek found MycoKleer;  

“Preliminary tests were highly successful, prompting additional trials and led to an outstanding collaboration between Moonshine Creek and Chinova.” said Julia Boyd, Marketing Manager at Chinova Bioworks. 

In the case study posted in Chinova’s webpage about MycoKleer, Moonshine Creek praises the help of the biotechnology company, as it allowed them to increase the production of the Apple Crumble cocktail, while saving time, energy, and at the same time reducing cost.  

“Chinova sees the value in working with local organizations because it leads to growth, not only with sales but bolster our surrounding communities and jobs,” said Boyd. 

For more information on Chinova Biworks and Moonshine Creek, check out their websites! 

 —

Robert Simmonds 

Robert Simmonds is a retail store that offers men’s and women’s clothing & footwear, located in Downtown Fredericton.  

With 40 years of experience in the retail sector, Robert Simmonds has collaborated with an array of local small businesses in the city of Fredericton, and all over Canada. These collaborations can be seen in the store’s business practices from stocking products from local vendors, to collaborating with designers from NBCCD or start-up shoe companies, or even working with parking app technology. 

Robert Simmonds acknowledges the importance of collaborating with small businesses, as they encourage and promote entrepreneurship. Paul Simmonds, owner and founder of the company, expands on this.  

“[At Robert Simmonds] We value the eco structure of entrepreneurship and believe that businesses bring sustainability, opportunity, and vibrancy to our community,” said Simmonds.  

Currently, Robert Simmonds is working with a technology company to develop an avatar for clothing try-on, as they are looking to develop mutual benefits for their collaborations, as well as mentor a new generation of entrepreneurs through their work. 

For more information on Robert Simmonds, check out their website! 

—

Carl G Wargaming 

Carl G Wargaming is a community-based game store, located in Oromocto, NB. The game store is recognized for its community integration activities, as it hosts monthly game tournaments, weekly paint nights, and many other activities for the Oromocto gaming community. 

Additionally, they offer many different types of games, ranging from traditional games to more unique board games, role-playing games, card games, and tabletop miniature gaming options. 

Carl G Wargaming believes in supporting other local businesses to promote community integration, like Steve White, an army veteran and owner of the store had when he was in the military.  

Caty White, Co-Owner of the store and Steve’s wife said part of their success was because of the help and support other local businesses gave them when they started their own. 

“We were very fortunate that other small businesses reached out to us when we were opening to see how they could help us. Due to this, we have tried our best to also support them,” said White. 

Currently, Carl G Wargaming supports other businesses by collaborating with them with contests and giveaways, sharing their events through social media, and looking for promotional products to acquire. 

Carl G Wargaming said they don’t have any plans to work with any other business at the moment, but that they are going to maintain their previous collaborations with the local businesses they were working with.  

For more information on Carl G Wargaming, check out their website! 

 —

Like these businesses, Ignite believes in supporting small businesses in the region, highlighting their contributions to our region, and promoting economic growth and entrepreneurship. Don’t hesitate to check out these awesome businesses and contribute towards a more inclusive business community!