Harleysville business group mulled at meeting

For Harleysville resident Sandy Renninger, it’s all about keeping it local.

“I rarely go to the mall. I try to buy around here,” Renninger told the Lower Salford Township Board of Supervisors at its July 31 morning workshop meeting.

Unlike other nearby towns, where there are organizations such as Souderton-Telford Main Streets or Perkasie Olde Towne Association, though, there is no merchant’s group in Harleysville, Shelly Plumb, owner of Harleysville Books, said.

A “Where’s Waldo?” promotional campaign was just run involving several Harleysville businesses and was relatively successful, but there are many other businesses that weren’t part of that, she said.

“We’ve been here six years and while we’re still plugging away, it would be good to have an association where we could work together with other stores,” Plumb said.

Renninger said one of her suggestions was to have the township add a Facebook page to promote the local businesses.

“It’s really just to support the community, the little stores in the area,” she said.

Township Manager Joe Czajkowski said a link could be made to the Facebook page from the township’s website if some other organization created the Facebook page, but the township should not be the one creating and running the social media page.

“I don’t know it’s really an appropriate medium for the township,” Czajkowski said.

Similarly, a link could be made from the township website to a list of Harleysville businesses if such a list were created, board member Christopher Canavan said.

“That would give us the opportunity to promote the businesses in

the community and provide a portal for you,” Canavan said.

About 15 years ago, there were beginning efforts to form a merchant’s association in Harleysville, Mary West, assistant township manager, said.

“The township was very supportive of that effort,” :HsW sDLG. “,W MusW fizzOHG away.”

With the advent of social media and increased focus in recent years on buying locally, the results would likely be different if there were now renewed efforts, Renninger said.

“I think it would be far better if it were tried now,” Renninger said.

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One of the things that was planned for the earlier attempts at forming a business group was to add planters in front of businesses, West said. Another suggestion wRuOG EH flDJ GLsSODys Ln WKH business area, she said.

“It just pulls it together. It just makes it feel more homey,” West said.

Unlike in many other towns, though, Harleysville’s businesses are spread out and there is no GLsWLnFWOy GHfinHG sKRSSLnJ district, Plumb said. Harleysville also does not have sidewalks for people to walk to stores, West said.

Board members said they FRuOG nRW PDNH sSHFLfiF commitments at this time, but would generally be in support of the efforts to help promote local businesses.

“I think we’d be receptive to some of the ideas you guys have,” board member Philip Heilman said.

“It is nice when your local businesses are successful,” West said.