JAY — The Franklin County and Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls chambers of commerce will hold a meet and greet for local business owners Thursday to learn about resources they may not be using.
This event is designed to provide information and resources to small businesses affected by workforce reductions, said Penny Meservier, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.
First in The Business Connection Series is “Come Meet Your Business Resources” on Thursday, March 10, at St. Rose Parish Hall in Jay. It will begin at 5 p.m. sharp and is expected to end at 6:30 p.m. Parking lot entrances are off Church and Jewell streets and the entrance to the building is on Church Street side.
Meservier and Kim Turner, vice chairwoman of the Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls Chamber of Commerce, have been working closely with a committee of three local town managers, resources from Greater Franklin Development Corp., the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development and the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area. The group is coordinating what it hopes to be the first in a series of events tailored to business owners in the area, according to a news release.
“I don’t think it is an understatement to say that our communities have been affected by the recent layoffs at Verso, and both chambers feel that this is a great opportunity to make sure business owners know who they can reach out to proactively,” Turner said. “While the layoffs were very unfortunate for many families in the area, I personally feel that we still have so much to offer our business owners, community members, the tourists who come and go throughout all months of the year and even business owners that may not yet exist in this area.”
Verso Corp. shut down a paper machine and pulp dryer at its Androscoggin Mill in Jay in the fall of 2015. The company said it would permanently eliminate 300 positions either through early retirement or layoffs. Verso Corp. and 26 subsidiaries voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January to reorganize and restructure debt to strengthen the company’s balance sheet and to position Verso for long-term success.
For more information, check the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce or Jay, Livermore, Livermore Falls Facebook pages or contact Meservier at 778-4215.
The Business Connection, Come Meet Your Business Resources on Thursday, March 10, in Jay will have resources available to local businesses. Among them are:
• Androscoggin Bank
• Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments
• CareerCenter
• Community Concepts Finance Corp.
• Community Health Options
• Franklin Savings Bank
• Greater Franklin Development Corp.
• Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
• Maine Small Business Development Center — AVCOG
• New Ventures Maine
• Otis Federal Credit Union
• SCORE
• Small Business Administration
• The Women’s Business Center at Coastal Enterprises Inc.: Rural Maine
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