Local business embraces the Be Local Network
Abby’s Gold & Gems in Uniontown is helping area residents appreciate the benefits of Be Local.
“We distributed 139 Be Local cards throughout the year,” reported Danette Ramsey, who is co-owner of Abby’s Gold and Gems with her parents John and Diane Carom. “That’s an increase of 78 percent over 2016, showing a desire by the public to join the program.”
Ramsey observed, “We attribute the significant increase to Abby’s staff who know the monthly promotion and offer it to almost every customer and the advertising campaigns Abby’s runs every month to make the public aware of the Be Local program.”
Ramsey added, “We hope that other vendors hear our experience and realize that the program does have benefit to the business far beyond the costs associated with the Be Local program. Every time Abby’s offers a discount under Be Local, it is developing customer loyalty and in the instance of new customers, these people become customers for life if we provide the goods and services they want.”
Abby’s is one of several businesses embracing the Be Local Network.
Besides Abby’s, Be Local cards are available at Shop’n Save Walnut Hill and Yum Yum’s Bagel Cafe in Uniontown, Republic Food Enterprise Center in Republic and Herald-Standard offices in Uniontown and Connellsville as well as the Greene County Messenger office in Waynesburg.
Businesses can make requests to sell cards. The cards offer discounts to cardholders who shop at participating businesses.
The Be Local website at www.belocalpa.org has information on the latest offers and participating businesses. Be Local ads in the Herald-Standard and Greene County Message also list offers every day of the week.
A Southwestern Pennsylvania based marketing program, Be Local “is dedicated to strengthening the region’s economy and promoting locally-owned, independent businesses by educating residents and visitors about the importance of Thinking, Buying, Investing and Visiting local and the positive impact this philosophy has on our area,” explains the Be Local website.
The network includes businesses from Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties, and is operated by a group of local media companies and community organizations who are dedicated to improving the climate of the local economy and to build a community of buyers that understands the importance of investing in local businesses and corporations, the website explained.
Network partners are the Herald-Standard, WMBS, Greene County Messenger and On Point Media.
Corporate sponsors include Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Day-Centennial Chevrolet, Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Ford Business Machines Inc., Highlands Hospital John P. Murtha Wellness Center, Home Warehouse, Laurel Business Institute, Mill Street Merchants, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, Republic Food Enterprise Center, Shop’N Save Walnut Hill, Shumar’s Welding and Machine Service Inc., Somerset Trust Company, SWC Realty, Uniontown Hospital, USCAA and WMBS Radio.
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Ted Flowers at 724-425-7231 or by email at tflowers@heraldstandard.com. Discount cards are available at the Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, and at the Greene County Messenger, 82 W. High St., Waynesburg.