There is a movement afoot to get consumers out and about and shopping in their local areas, which is catching on here in Valdosta.

A number of stores participated in the promotion in May and even more are signed up for June. It’s a $20 on the 20th promotion, where everyone in the community is asked to go somewhere in town that day and spend $20.

The newspaper is running special ads for retailers and restaurants who are participating in the event, and many of them are offering incredible deals that day. So since you have 20 days to save up that $20, you can go ahead and start setting it aside to spend on June 20.

This movement has created a lot of consumer awareness in other communities of the importance of shopping locally in this weakened economy. And think about it ... if every single person in Lowndes County spent just $20 that day, it would generate about $2 million in sales and don’t forget the accompanying SPLOST sales taxes for the schools and local governments that go along with that.

So don’t forget, start saving your change now, and by the 20th you should have enough to participate in the promotion to keep your dollars home, working for you.

Hood Packaging

Late Friday afternoon, when we received the fax from the company’s corporate office in Mississippi, employees at Hood Packaging did not know the plant had just announced it was closing.

For a company that has been in business for two decades, even though they embraced the spirit of the Warren Act, they did not embrace its purpose, which was to minimize the effects of closure on its employees. They chose instead to shut down the plant immediately, and pay employees for the next 60 days.

Let’s hope this plant finds a new owner or a new purpose soon, as it has a great location near town right by the railroad track, and let’s hope the employees find work again very soon as well. There’s talk again about a company looking at the old bakery on Forrest Street so maybe there will be new jobs in the area soon.

Business Roundup

I’ve received quite a few calls and notes about the construction going on near the intersection of North Valdosta Road and Inner Perimeter. Well, I can tell you that it’s a proposed site for a Chick-Fil-A, but the deal is not done yet, so keep your fingers crossed.

The work being done now is to prepare the site, and since there are eight acres there, other retail/restaurants are likely to sign on to move there soon as well. I’ll keep you posted.

Not far from there at the North Ashley Professional Center, a Quiznos is coming. The site is being prepared for it now as well and the sign went up to officially announce it this week.