In the New Year, with the Southport pilot phase underway, this same program with be launched in the other business districts of town such as: Grasmere, Commerce Drive/Metro area, Greenfield Hill, Black Rock Turnpike and the Downtown area as well.
“Black Rock Turnpike is different from Downtown which is different from Southport,’’ said Beverly Balaz, Executive Director of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. “We understand that each area has its own business culture and customer base. In addition, we want to support our current members’ events by cross-pollinating and cross-promoting. Ultimately, we want to foster business growth, and integrate and connect all the districts together to build on each other’s strengths. We’re working on linking the business districts together for the common good.”
The Southport Chamber Association is part of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. There are more than 20 businesses in the Southport group. Board Member and Marketing Chairperson for the Chamber, Denise DiGrigoli, is one of the co-owners of Troy Fine Art Services in Southport, and she is the Ambassador for the new program. William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty is also one of the businesses in the Association.
“We’ve connected everyone together and got people talking to each other,’’ Balaz said. “We hope to meet quarterly, so we can share best practices, and have events that will include a variety of members for the betterment of the entire district and the residents of the community.”
"We also encourage our members and citizens to visit our new website. Find what you need, here in our town. Interact and connect on our social media venues like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn about services, offerings, opportunities and activities in our beautiful town," said DiGrigoli. "In our busy lives it is a great way to be informed."
The new business initiative alliance started in the summer. Balaz said the goal is to help ensure success and stability for all of the businesses in Southport and Fairfield.
“At the end of the day, we want all businesses to succeed,’’ Balaz said. “That’s the objective. Sometimes we’ll all get busy and don’t even talk to our neighbors. This is a great way to get organized, talk and help each other share best practices.”
"I think it's a terrific idea,'' said Brad Kimmelman, Brokerage Manager for William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty in Southport. "This will help all of the business in this area stay connected, share ideas and learn from each other."
For more information on the Southport Chamber Association, contact Balaz at beverly@fairfieldctchamber.com or at 203-255-1011.