City headed in right direction
Published 11:55 pm Wednesday, July 21, 2004
By Staff
Susan Hines, Chamber Chatter
Over the past few months you have heard about the various benefits of being a Chamber member. Recently, I attended my second ICSC Conference. ICSC stands for International Council of Shopping Centers. There are many different sessions held and you can choose which ones best suit your town. Some of these sessions run concurrently, so it was helpful that another member of the Hartselle Development Board was able to attend the opposite session.
One of the most helpful sessions was "Meet The Retailer." During this session, executives from many companies stood before the hundreds in attendance and gave some very important information regarding their companies expansion plans and location/site requirements.
The company's site selectors have a list of requirements for choosing a new site. Some of the things they look at and for are:
We have learned a lot about what these businesses are looking for and this helps us to market Hartselle in a more effective way, as well as to structure our literature in a way that answers their questions about our area. The Chamber of Commerce, as well as the entities compiling the Hartselle Development Board, are working for both the businesses currently in the Hartselle area, as well as those in our future.
Hartselle is growing! As you read in the recent edition of the Enquirer, we are the 18th fastest growing city in Alabama. Our current growth is estimated at a rate of 3.3 percent per year. With proper growth planning, we can maintain the quality of life that continues to bring people to our area.
