Recently, Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R, C, I-Deerpark) visited local shops in the village of Monroe on a small-business walking tour with Mayor James Purcell, Laurie Dziedzic, President of the Greater Monroe Chamber of Commerce (GMCOC), and Paul Campanella, former President of GMCOC. This excursion was the second of Brabenec’s downtown business tours, highlighting some of the great local businesses in Orange and Rockland counties.

“At a time when the state’s economic future is uncertain, it’s encouraging to see so many great family-owned businesses committed to staying right here in the Hudson Valley,” said Brabenec. “The business owners and employees in Monroe were very welcoming, and I look forward to returning soon.

“It’s critical that as a community, we work to strengthen our area by buying from stores that are locally owned. On the flipside, it’s also the responsibility of government officials, like me, to make sure local businesses have the opportunity to thrive and flourish in what has traditionally been a pretty damning economic climate.”

Various studies have shown that for every dollar spent at a locally owned business, a larger percentage of that dollar stays within the community. One study, conducted by Civic Economics, found that shopping and buying locally increased local payroll and jobs; investing of profits back into the community; charitable giving by neighborhood businesses; and procurement of goods. Civic Economics also found a secondary effect of increasing supplies and services for other businesses through the hiring of local accountants, attorneys and designers, advertising in local media, and inventory sourcing for local firms.

Brabenec organized the initiative with local community leaders to emphasize the significance of locally-owned businesses and their impact on the region as a whole. The tour is part of a broader mission to highlight the thriving local businesses in the Orange and Rockland county areas.