Abbotsford is the largest municipality in the Fraser Valley Regional District and one of BC’s most important agricultural centres. Berry farms, dairies, poultry operations and nurseries surround the city, and much of their output is processed and packed locally before it ships across the country and into the United States through the nearby border crossing at Huntingdon–Sumas.
The city also has a growing aerospace and manufacturing sector, including companies such as Cascade Aerospace and Conair, and Abbotsford International Airport hosts the long-running Abbotsford International Airshow. The University of the Fraser Valley is based here.
In November 2021, atmospheric-river flooding hit Sumas Prairie hard, a reminder of how much local businesses depend on accurate, accessible records and the ability to communicate quickly when operations change. Many companies here still run on paper forms, spreadsheets and phone calls — practical systems that work until volume or staff turnover makes them fragile.