Campaign brings $550,00 for local small business

MARQUETTE– A month long campaign put on by local organizations was a success according to its organizers.

The “Be Local Buy Local” program tracked around $550,000 worth of purchases at small businesses in Marquette County. For the three month long campaign, around 2,100 shoppers registered purchases at around 100 local business using an app created for the campaign. Additionally, the Marquette and Greater Ishpeming Negaunee Chamber of Commerence spent 50,000 on promoting local businesses.

“It’s the local businesses that really give our community the character we all love and it’s really important to shop at the local businesses,” Jason Schneider, Executive Director of the Marquette Chamber of Commerce, “We understand that you can’t do everything at them, but support them were you can.”

He said that small business “generally pay a little bit higher wages; they generally give more back to the community through donations and community service. They’re really the anchors of our community.”

The “Be Local Buy Local” program was put on by a partnership between the Marquette and Greater Ishpeming Negaunee Chamber of Commerences. Schneider said that they plan to put the program on next year. During the program, five–thousand dollars were given away to app users who participated in the campaign.