We’re pleased to feature Meagan Preston, a Forest Impact Recovery (FIR) Advisor who was engaged by the Interior Logging Association (ILA), with funding from ETSI-BC, to work with ILA members in the Southern Interior of BC.
With over 20 years of corporate business experience and a rich background in offering diverse business support services, Meagan is well-prepared for her role as a FIR Advisor. Over the past four years, she has been working in various capacities with the ILA to support its members. Notably, she executed a government-funded research project that delved into the difficulties faced by members in the forestry sector. This experience has given her unique insight into the industry’s challenges and the resilience it demands.
As logging has been a mainstay of the provincial economy for more than a century, the ILA’s mandate is to support its members and be their voice in the industry. “This means that we have to be constantly in the loop about what is going on; not only the changes in policy but working to take issues that affect businesses to those who can change policies to help improve the industry as a whole,” Meagan explains.
Meagan plays a key role in helping support both the timber harvesting and other related businesses. “I work with forestry industry businesses and industry partners and their challenges are all different. For many of them, it is a lack of work, rising costs, and a struggle to find employees that make it hard to make ends meet and keep the people they do employ.”
Meagan possesses a deep understanding of the forest sector’s ongoing challenges. Most people are not aware of the urgency of the situation for businesses in the forestry industry, Meagan says, explaining that many have been around for decades, but are now struggling to make ends meet.
“I just want to help find them a way to stay profitable and find ways to diversify so they can continue to operate and have viable businesses to sell when they decide to retire.”
As a FIR Advisor, Meagan’s key priority is to provide one-on-one support to businesses within the ILA membership and its partners. She offers an array of resources to help businesses identify their specific needs and helps formulate tailored business plans and strategies to help them pivot, grow, and sustain their businesses. She goes the extra mile by locating funding opportunities, connecting clients to resources that cater to their requirements, and aiding them in implementing crucial changes.
“I am looking forward to getting more resources in place to help the people in this industry long term and helping businesses thrive despite the current conditions,” Meagan adds.
Forest Impact Recovery (FIR) Advisors like Meagan are located throughout the Southern Interior of BC. These Advisors are hosted by 18 different business support organizations, with funding from ETSI-BC. Click here to see the list of Host Organizations. ETSI-BC acknowledges financial support from the Province of BC in delivering this program.