The commerce groups of Arran-Elderslie are joining forces to make one big business association.
The Chesley Chamber of Commerce, Paisley Chamber of Commerce, and Tara Downtown Improvement Association announced they're banding together to form the Arran Elderslie Community and Business Association.
The merger had been in talks for about two years, as memberships with each group fluctuated and volunteers suffered burnout.
Bruce County provided a facilitator to help the discussions last year, and surveys showed there was interest in the forming of one organization.
In January and February, several meetings were held to create the not-for-profit and the inaugural board of directors was recently elected.
Led by President Craig Reid, the new organization says its goal is to strengthen, promote and celebrate businesses to enhance the vibrancy of the community.
They also hope to hire a part time administrator down the line to manage some of the workload and ease the burden on volunteers.
The association is encouraging new members to join, as eight networking events are planned over the year, starting with a Breakfast with the Mayor on Tuesday April 9 at 8 a.m. at the Tara Legion. There, businesses can hear more about the association and vote on new logo options.
You can pre-register for the event by emailing [email protected] by April 4.
