Greenville, Ohio –The national small business movement, Independent We Stand, announces the quarterfinalists, including Main Street Greenville of Darke County Ohio, of the 2016 Independent We Stand “America’s Main Streets” contest. As the lifeblood of our cities and towns, Main Streets play an important role in the long-term success of communities and help build a sense of place. Independent We Stand invites the public to vote for their favorite quarterfinalist and move a deserving Main Street one step closer to the grand prize of $25,000.
Main Street Greenville is a historic district offering architectural beauty, charm, and a vibrant shopping atmosphere with over 50 quaint shops, stores and dining opportunities for all to enjoy! A distinct mix of local and independently owned shopping options include: a music store, three women’s clothing boutiques, a bike shop, gift shops, a butcher shop, two shoe stores (one celebrating 100 years), a specialty outdoor camping store, jewelry stores, multiple home decor shops, a custom framing shop, antiques, consignment shops, and more! The district also features 11 dining establishments, a vintage arcade, and the only KitchenAid® retail store in the world. The district has seen a recent surge of new business development, including a $250,000 restaurant renovation in a historic property.
“Our community has actively pursued downtown revitalization as a goal for success since the late 1970’s. Over time, we have seen community engagement grow and feel we are in the position to fully utilize the $25,000 award,” said Amber Garrett, Executive Director of Main Street Greenville. “We appreciate everyone who has voted thus far, we hope they will continue to support us through the finish line!”
“The goal of this inaugural Independent We Stand ‘America’s Main Streets’ contest is to promote the importance and strong economic benefits of Main Streets and the small businesses that help them thrive,” says Independent We Stand co-founder Bill Brunelle. “We are so pleased to see how passionate people are about their Main Streets. It’s evident by the broad range of nominations we saw representing 44 states in the first round. Now, it’s time to rally and vote again for these terrific quarterfinalists.”
More than 150,000 votes were cast for 253 nominees during the nominations phase. The quarterfinalists in alphabetical order are:
Ames Main Street Cultural District, Ames, Iowa
Cedar Lee Business District Ohio, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Corning's Gaffer District, Corning, N.Y.
Dover-Foxcroft Downtown, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Downtown Brookings, Brookings, S.D.
Downtown Development Authority of the City of Tifton, Tifton, Ga.
Downtown Laurel, MS, Laurel, Miss.
Downtown Lynden, Lynden, Wash.
Doylestown, PA, Doylestown, Pa.
Gateway to the Great North Woods, Millinocket, Maine
Grapevine Historic Main Street, Grapevine, Texas
Historic Downtown Franklin TN, Franklin, Tenn.
Jacksonville Main Street, Jacksonville, Ill.
Main Street Greenville, Greenville, Ohio
Main Street Libertyville, Libertyville, Ill.
Main Street Madison Indiana, Madison, Ind.
McKinney Main Street, McKinney, Texas
Moultrie Main Street, Moultrie, Ga.
Sterling Main Street, Sterling, Ill.
Stuart Main Street, Stuart, Fla.
Third Street, Beaver, Pa.
Venice Main Street, Venice, Fla.
Water Street, Gardiner, Maine
Wellsboro Main Street Pennsylvania, Wellsboro, Pa.
Woodstock, Georgia, Woodstock, Ga.
Semifinalist voting begins May 2 at MainStreetContest.com and runs through May 29. The winner of the 2016 “America’s Main Streets” contest will be announced June 3.
Contest prizes include:
$25,000 grand prize
STIHL Equipment Certificate for $1,000 worth of STIHL equipment good at any STIHL dealer in the U.S.
$500 Tire Pros certificate towards a set of Continental tires
$500 Do it Best Corp. shopping spree
$500 PPG Pittsburgh Paints shopping spree
Public relations and social media recognition
An Alignable small business social media “Neighborhood” on the site
Special plaque for winner to proudly display
To vote for “America’s Main Streets” quarterfinalists, visit MainStreetContest.com.
Co-presenting Sponsors:
STIHL Inc., America’s number-one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment, is the founding sponsor of Independent We Stand and a co-presenting sponsor of America’s Main Streets contest. The company follows a unique distribution strategy in the handheld power equipment industry, choosing never to sell products at big box stores, but instead remaining loyal to its 9,000+ independent servicing dealers nationwide.
FCA US BusinessLink is an organization within FCA US LLC that encompasses the commercial dealer network, BusinessLink, as well as develops cost-of-doing-business reducing programs and valuable-to-business incentives for small business consumers. FCAWorkVehiclesUS.com is the destination for commercial vehicles, testimonials, current incentives, finding a local dealer and much more.
Supporting Sponsors:
Main Street America™
Alignable
Do it Best Corp.
National Federation of Independent Businesses
North American Retail Hardware Association
PPG Pittsburgh Paints
Tire Pros
About Main Street Greenville
Main Street Greenville is a non-profit organization that supports downtown Greenville, Ohio through stimulating and supporting revitalization efforts, historic preservation, and economic growth. Learn more about the organization on their website, www.mainstreetgreenville.org, or follow them on Facebook. You can contact them at agarrett@mainstreetgreenville.org or 937-548-4998.
About Independent We Stand
Independent We Stand is a movement of independent business owners across the country dedicated to informing their communities about the importance of “Buying Local” and how these efforts bolster their local economy. This movement supports all local and national causes committed to boosting local economic development projects. The Independent We Stand movement is co-sponsored by STIHL Inc. and FCA US LLC. www.IndependentWeStand.org