March 22, 2013
By Brad Harper
Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange speaks to small business owners Thursday at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Development Community Forum. Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield, center, and state Rep. Rod Scott, D-Fairfield, also spoke. / Robert Fouts / Contributed
About 75 small business owners met Thursday with city, county and state officials to learn how to use tax incentives and other local resources to grow their business.
Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, Alabama Secretary of Commerce Greg Canfield and others spoke at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Development Community Forum; giving advice on networking, information sources and getting their business placed on Montgomery County’s bid list.
Strange talked about an incentive to open a downtown grocery store as well as opportunities created by the I-65 corridor initiative and downtown redevelopment. Canfield spoke about the assistance available from the state’s Office of Small Business Advocacy and how his department’s International Division can help them access foreign markets.
Rep. Rod Scott, D-Fairfield, Sen. Greg Reed, R-Jasper, and Montgomery County Administrator Donald Mims also spoke at the event.