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Business Expo sees solid turnout |
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Friday, 30 October 2009 |
By PAUL SIMS
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MAYHEW — Businesses across the Golden Triangle networked and got a chance to put their services on display at a first-ever regional event which brought them together Thursday.
The Golden Triangle Business Expo took place at the Golden Triangle Campus of East Mississippi Community College at Mayhew.
The Columbus Lowndes Development Link, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and the West Point/Clay County Community Growth Alliance organized the event.
“We’ve had a real positive day,” said Allison Matthews, the GSDP’s vice president. “We’ve gotten to network with each other’s businesses.”
She said people were “giving positive feedback about the regional nature of the event.”
“It’s been a great opportunity for businesses to get to know other businesses,” said Maureen Lipscomb with the Columbus Lowndes Development Link.
She also expressed appreciation to EMCC for allowing the organizers to hold the event on the campus. “They were very accommodating and eager to have us out here,” Lipscomb said.
Matthews said organizers hope to draw more of the public to the event, which included consumer information, next year.
“We look forward to next year working together again,” Lipscomb said.
Lee Beck, Metrocast’s regional marketing manager, said “I think it’s been a great first Golden Triangle Business Expo.”
The event provided a great opportunity to get to know other exhibitors “to see what products and services they offer,” Beck said.
The seminars on Columbus Air Force Base and Mississippi State University were very helpful, he said.
The event gave buyers from CAFB an opportunity to learn about the different area businesses, Lipscomb said.
During the seminar regarding business resources at MSU, attendees heard several presentations including Sonny Fisher from the MSU Small Business Development Center and Tom Adkins with the Technology Resource Institute at MSU.
According to the SBDC’s Web site, it was started in 1981 and has a 10-county service area which includes Clay, Choctaw, Kemper, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Monroe, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Noxubee and Webster counties.
Its stated major objectives are to counsel and train existing business owners to become better able to survive economically and entrepreneurs to help them start competitive businesses.
Officials with the SBDC say they do not loan money, but do help businesses develop plans.
It is one of eight such centers throughout the state.
For information, visit http://business.msstate.edu/sbdc/.
Adkins provided material on TRI’s Resource Referral Center. According to a brochure on the center, its goal is to help community development and business leaders enhance economic growth for the state.
The center can help those who contact the staff there to help describe the nature of a problem, provide certain direct assistance like business analysis or planning, locating the appropriate organization or person at MSU who can best help resolve an issue and contact the unit and follow to make sure those who contact the center are getting the help they need.
For information on the Resource Referral Center offered through MSU’s TRI, visit http://www.msstate.edu/dept/tri/.
Robyn Havard, managing agent of Insurance Associates of Starkville, said she was made aware of the event through the company’s relationship with the GSDP, which she said did a “wonderful job” in promoting the company she represents as well as others.
“It’s just been a wonderful opportunity to meet exhibitors as well as people from the communities,” Havard said.
Representatives of the three entities who hosted the event have said they intend to hold a regional Business after Hours event in May.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 02 November 2009 )
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