Area Businesspeople Create Merchants' Association

IRONWOOD, MI - Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - A special organizational meeting of the Ironwood Business Merchants Association (IBMA) was held last night at Taconnelli's Downtowne. A dozen local businesspeople, representing businesses from both Downtown Ironwood and US-2 were present at the meeting.

Three of the attendees of the meeting, Cory Gresham, George Goerig, and Gail Johnston are currently members of the Downtown Ironwood Development Association (DIDA). Louise Demasi recently resigned from the Authority. Representatives of the Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce also attended the meeting.

Cory Gresham initiated the meeting by thanking the businesspeople who attended. He said he had hoped for a better turn-out, but the unseasonably warm weather played a factor in the poor attendance. He explained that Peter Taconnelli expressed a need for a merchants' association at a previous meeting of local businesspeople. Gresham said he juggled his schedule and recruited several other businesspeople to help him put the inaugural meeting together. He said he was curious to see whether or not there was interest in organizing a business association, and he personally believed there is a need.

"I want this to work, because I've got a long time to live here!" Gresham told the audience. "And I want to stay here, and if we don't work together, it's going to be a very hard thing to do! So that's my sales pitch on why I think this association is needed."

George Goerig, Chairman of the DIDA, agreed that a merchants' association was needed. He asked the group what role the association would be playing compared to the Chamber of Commerce. He said the Chamber was also wondering what role the association would be playing as well. Goerig suggested that one of the association's roles would be to gain political clout regarding City policies.

"There definitely is strength in numbers and that would be an advantage of having an association." Gresham agreed.

Larry Kauppi said it was important to establish the role the association would be playing. He went on to say that the Chamber of Commerce and the association would have different goals. He suggested that the association would give a collective voice to area merchants in matters that affect business. He said that the merchants would be represented as a group to the City, the Chamber, the DIDA an others that could make decisions and create policies that could affect their businesses. He said the Chamber's purpose is to market the businesses in the area, but a merchants' association would serve as a tool that would represent the best interests of area businesses.

"Maybe that's why we need an association," Kauppi elaborated, "So people involved in different organizations realize that the merchants are a vital part of what's going on."

Louise Demasi agreed. She said that having a collective voice was important so that organizers of events and people who create policies for the City consider the impact their activities and decisions have on area businesses. Demasi said that having an association that was vocal and looked out for the interest of area businesses would be a good thing. She expressed a desire to know what's being planned so that she (and other business-owners) can participate in the plans.

She went on to explain that several downtown businesses were negatively affected by the SISU Ski Fest. She said her business was not affected, but several businesses actually lost income because of the race. She said that roads were closed throughout the area, and people were unable to get to many downtown stores. Demasi went on to explain that many residents of the Norrie area were severely inconvenienced by the closed streets.  She said if the area businesses were included in the planning of the event, many of the problems created by the race could have been avoided. She said it was unfortunate that the area businesses were excluded from the process. Demasi suggested that organizers of events and creators of policy would tend to pay better attention to area merchants and their needs if they were an organized group.

When asked for my input, this reporter asked how many of the businesses-owners in attendance had Internet access. All business-owners, with the exception of Ms. Demasi, said they were online. I suggested that the association use one of the many free web-groups (Yahoo Groups, Facebook, My Space, etc.) as a tool, minimizing the need for face-to-face meetings. I explained that most business people find it hard to attend meetings because of the demands their businesses place on them.

I went on to say that having a "members only" web-group that included as many area businesses as possible would be a very good tool for exchanging ideas and for creating a healthier business environment. Polls could be taken to see how the members of the group felt about issues that could affect them. Results of those polls could be forwarded to City officials, the Chamber, and others that set policies and organize events.

Ms. Demasi asked how the web-group would work. It was explained to her that any business member can post to the group, and all members would be able to read their posts. Any member who wished to challenge or support what they read would have the right and ability to do so. The interplay that would occur on such a web-group be a good venue for area businesses to exchange ideas and work together as a collective group.

The group decided to create a mission statement and to establish a Facebook account for the organization. They also decided to call themselves the Ironwood Business Merchants' Association (IBMA). Cory Gresham agreed to set up the Facebook account and to spread the word to area businesses. The Chronicle will provide more information as it becomes available.