A COUPLE of columns back, I touched on why our local economy is extra strong thanks to the diversity of our industry mix.
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But what are those industries that make us more resilient?
Health is now our biggest employer, providing 16 per cent of all full-time equivalent jobs in 2021-22, followed by construction (12pc), education (12pc), public administration (nine per cent), retail (eight per cent), manufacturing (seven per cent), and hospitality (six per cent), with transport and agriculture providing five per cent each.
That's a nice spread of industries, but what's important is they are producing goods and services that go well beyond meeting the needs of our growing local population. They are adding value to economies beyond Bathurst, which is great for our resilience.
One business I've been impressed by is in the new internet economy of all things digital.
Ribbon Gang is a business created in Bathurst by founder James but is now exporting to the rest of Australia and the world.
Starting from zero in 2014, in a classic lounge-room-to-boardroom success story, they now manage over 60 websites for clients across Australia and South-East Asia, generating more than one million reaches per month.
While their corporate headquarters have grown from a shared workspace at Upstairs to a dedicated office suite in Bathurst, they employ "boots on the ground", as James says, in Sydney, Melbourne and Singapore.
You'd easily understand the lure of big cities for a young and rapidly growing company, but this team remain passionate about their "hire local first" policy - and the kicker is that our strong education sector has the capacity to deliver Ribbon Gang the graduates they need who naturally want to live, work and play right here.
Speaking of Bathurst being a much loved and liveable city, I'm proud to say our staff at Bathurst Regional Council have gone above and beyond - despite the financial doom and gloom of recent months.
Last Saturday night, Bathurst scored the "overall winner for the 2023 Tidy Towns Award" across all NSW.
This award hinges on the traditional but simple notion of having pride in your home town and we now have a shot at the national title as the best NSW has to offer ... fingers and toes.
