A well organized Tyrone Merchants Association held a meeting for merchants only at Joybeans in downtown Tyrone last evening. It was a productive meeting that displayed the seriousness of a merchants association established in the Tyrone business community.
Rob Orr, Levine’s Shoe Fly manager, has been officially named chairman with Gunter Volders, Frozen Cow owner, as the official treasurer. A checking account in the name of ‘Tyrone Merchants Association’ through Hollidaysburg Trust will be active when the association is ready to open the account.
Discussion continued among the merchants dealing with Tyrone Chamber involvement. The merchants association is leaning towards being an arm of the Chamber or to be a separate unit and join the Chamber as a unit.
Orr stated that he will compose a letter to the Chamber stating their goal to organize merchant association advertising money and to extend to extend the invitation for any merchant to attend the meetings which will be held for the purpose of planning sales events.
Participating businesses presently involved should start thinking about paying their money for the group advertising budget. Those monies can go to Gunter Volders, who is acting treasurer.
That money that needs to be paid is a $15 a month fee, but being collected semi-annually at a price of $90. To emphasis, the monies paid solely go towards advertising. Orr Stated, “We can actually start collecting checks for the Tyrone Merchants Association made out to the ‘Tyrone Merchants Association.'”
Orr continued, “What we are going to do is put $15 a month, if you break it down monthly, and we’re going to let that money build bi-annually. The idea that we would have is from 20 people, which is obvious we’re going to get 20 people or more, and if 20 people are paying $15 a month and if we do four events a year, it’s going to be an advertising budget of $900 an event.” He added, “If we get 24 or 25 people it’s going to be $1000 easily, and with over $1000 it’s safe to say at this point of advertising we’ll be able to do all at once. You’ll (merchants) will only pay in that course of that event only $45 over that three month period, but you’ll be a part of a $1000 advertising campaign that draws people into Tyrone.” Orr added that he would like to encourage coupons among the merchants within their advertising.
Tyrone businesses who are currently involved with the beginning but productive first stages of the merchants association include: Levine’s Shoe Fly, Joybeans, C&C Furniture, Jennifer’s Treasures, L.A. Fitness, Tyrone News Agency, Burley’s, Club House Grille, O’s Sew Shop, and Frozen Cow. But Orr and the involved merchant members want to see more, if not all, local Tyrone business becoming involved. The association is shooting for around 20 merchants becoming involved.
Orr, along with active participating merchants, plans on approaching a long list of Tyrone business candidates in the next few weeks to try and influence those businesses to become involved. The more businesses that become involved in the association will elevate the seriousness of the merchants association in seeing through to their goals of bringing business into Tyrone and influencing business being done in the downtown area.
The Tyrone Merchants Association has already taken a big first step by planning an ‘Oktoberfest’ to be held October 25-26, which is a Friday and Saturday, where local Tyrone businesses will be able to display their items outside of their storefronts to encourage shoppers to come into downtown Tyrone and shop. This first event, ‘Oktoberfest,’ will be available to only merchants belonging to the association. Orr noted, “By only allowing merchant association members to be allowed to participate will hopefully encourage other merchants to join.” Orr added that he would suggest businesses to extend hours on the two days of Oktoberfest.
Orr noted, “I want to approach Mayor Pat Stoner and the Tyrone Parking Authority in regards to a possible free parking day during Oktoberfest to further the interest of people to come to business in the downtown area.”
Orr also added that in future events similar to Oktoberfest, those businesses outside of the downtown Tyrone area who would want to set up displays and/or merchandise in empty storefronts, can contact Orr at a first come, first serve basis, and he will do is best to arrange location settings for businesses interested by way of what is available and if not, to try and place that business in another available location.
The meeting was extremely productive among the Tyrone merchants, so the ball is officially rolling. Membership is coming along extremely good and the current members encourage more local businesses to get in contact with a current member and find out what the association is all about.
Orr added, “It’s coming along real good, as far as what we want to accomplish and how much we want to be able to gather in advertising dollars for each event. I think at this point we’re pretty much in gear.”
