It promotes shopping local on a national scale by celebrating products Made in America and drawing attention to issues from college dorm rooms to gifts and clothing to an entire house of made in America products.

View the interactive map of Made in America companies, find products produced in the United States or download this product list.

With Black Friday and Small Business Saturday just around the corner – holiday shopping is about to commence. One more fruitcake or Chia Pet – NO THANK YOU! As the holidays approach we all have the opportunity to make choices about where we shop. True, it can be tempting to call the number on the TV screen or make purchases online, but is that really the best thing for our local economy? Does this really provide the wow factor that is the reason for giving? This year get creative!!!

Everyone—yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local barber or hairdresser or perhaps a gym membership? Who couldn’t use a little more exercise!

Are you one of those extravagant givers who thinks nothing of plunking down the Benjamin’s for imported electronics? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, his lawn mowed for the summer, or a round of golf at a local golf course. Could your computer use a tune-up? Most of ours can — think of using a local businessman who is striving to get his computer repair business up and running.

Everyone loves to eat – celebrate our local eateries by giving gift certificates to local restaurants. The recipient can eat, drink and be merry while stimulating the economy with a tip for the local employee.

Looking for something more personal? Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit handmade items such as scarves and hats. They make jewelry and pottery…and an endless list of other beautiful products. For those people who have everything, consider giving to a local charity in your family or friend’s name.

If you need help finding a local business or charity call the Gresham Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center or visit www.greshamchamber.org. We would be happy to help you find a business that suits your needs.

Happy Holidays from Try Local First and the Chamber!!

P.S. By shopping locally you are supporting your local community. Remember the job you save may be your neighbors!

My “10 Ways To Local”

1. Changed my business focus to one where I now strive to get local business owners and non-profits maximum visibility in the community, save them money and help them get more profitable.
2. Became a Gresham Chamber of Commerce member.
3. Became a member of a Gresham ITakeTheLead professionals networking group.
4. Joined the TryLocalFirst meetings.
5. Changed my dentist from one on 72nd & Division to Sue Monnes, Gresham Chamber member.
6. Changed my health products from Whole Foods near 40th & Sandy to Lillian’s in Gresham.
7. Changed my auto, home and life insurance from a Farmer’s agent in Milwaukie to Lori Stegmann and John Sage, Gresham Chamber members.
8. Though my change was from one local to another local…it was from a non-Chamber member to a Chamber member: Brian at Cartridge World on Eastman Pkwy.
9. Changed my church attendance and offerings from a Mall 205 area church to Easthill.
10. And, I refer others to local businesses rather than out-of-Gresham businesses or online ones.

I do so love our Gresham. Makes you feel good to be a part of such a great community. We have so much here. I encourage others to really think about where they are spending their money, and consider if it is helping their community or one elsewhere. Let’s all do what we can to spend here, not there. And, think of your own “10 Ways To Local”. You’ll be glad you did, and so will others you affect by your decision.

No guilt-trip intended, but even though it’s convenient at times…when you are out of Gresham and around other areas of the Portland-Vancouver metro area…to buy gas, groceries, coffee, cards and other things…buy local because it’s the right thing to do to support our local economy. Our decisions and habits do make a difference!

To a more prosperous year and years to come,
Steve Copeland
Copeland Business Services
Gresham, OR

Just like the last two years, Try Local First is proud to announce that our $1000 shopping spree is open for submissions.

Don’t Delay. Enter Today!

Simply visit our contest page, and fill out the entry found there, and you’ll be entered. You can enter once a day.

The contest goes from October 24th, 2010 through December 3rd, 2010.

Awesome Sponsors

We have a great group of sponsors, without whom we wouldn’t be able to put this contest on. Please visit their websites below and shop local!

• Silk Espresso
• Oregonian’s Credit Union
• Riverview Community Bank
• Advanced Care Chiropractic
• C.P. Trips
• AccuShred NW / Gresham Sanitary
• Portland Adventist Elementary School
• Lori Stegmann Insurance Agency Inc
• Courtyard Fountains
• Gresham Downtown Development Association

The program will be promoted to our previous thousands of contestants who entered to win our two “$1,000 Shopping Sprees” (one in the Fall of 2008 and one in 2009) and last summer’s “Discover East County Packages”.

It will also be promoted locally by all Coalition Members of Try Local First with information regarding the contest being promoted in local newspaper and on the Try Local First contest page as well as the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce website and other Coalition members websites.

The promotion will begin in mid June and entries will be accepted for 30 days. Winners will be selected based on the previously selected guidelines and presented at the Center for the Arts Plaza “Street Dance” event the last weekend of July.

Those businesses that contribute prizes to the “East County Stimulus Package” will be listed on the Try Local First website and those that contribute prizes with a retail value of $100 or more will receive a link to their website, if requested. They will also be mentioned in as many promotional materials and presentations as possible.

The goal of the contest is to promote East County businesses as well as local events that contribute to the economic well being of our community.

The Home Show will be held June 11 and 12, 2010 at the Holiday Inn, 2725 NE Hogan Drive in Gresham. The event runs Friday, June 11 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and Saturday, June 11 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Admission is $3.00 per adult or $2.00 with a donation to My Father’s House Community Shelter , and $2.00 per child age 6-12 or $1.00 with a donation to My Father’s House. Children 6 and under are free.

For more information, please contact i4 Marketing at 971.235.3120.

Just show your key tag to the business sponsors listed on the web-site start saving money today and support your local businesses at the same time.

We feel the positive energy of people shopping local and taking care of those less fortunate in our community. The Try Local First slogan You Have the Power is truer now than ever.

During this holiday season consider the power you have to make a difference in our community. Local business are far more likely to help our schools, our sports teams, our soup kitchens, our homeless shelters than a business located online or out of state.

If local businesses are successful, a portion of their tax dollars come directly back to our community. So embrace your power and make this shopping season one of blessings for all in in our community.

The walk will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a group discussion at Café Delirium, a local independent coffee shop in Gresham’s historic downtown. He will meet with members of Gresham’s Try Local First campaign to discuss the importance of making local purchasing decisions to help the local economy.

At approximately 2:15 p.m., Bemis and representatives from Try Local First will visit five local merchants to discuss how their businesses are doing and to talk about how the City might be of assistance to them.

In these difficult market conditions, Bemis hopes to draw attention to the importance of thinking locally when making purchasing decisions, and continue his efforts to promote business friendly policies at City Hall.

Mayor Bemis holds Neighborhood Walks quarterly, and uses them as opportunities to connect and learn about issues going on in Gresham. City Councilor Carol Nielsen-Hood, who is also the Executive Director of the Gresham Chamber of Commerce, will join Bemis for the visits.

Walk Itinerary (times are approximate):

1:30 p.m.
Café Delirium
308 N Main, Gresham, OR 97030
Meet with representatives from Gresham Try Local First Campaign and business owner Cody Clark.

2:15 p.m.
Cynthia’s Floral
312 N Main, Gresham, OR 97030
Meet with store owner, Cynthia Loaffler.

3:00 p.m.
Elegantly Funky
101 N Main, Gresham, OR 97030
Meet with store owner, Kerry Parmenter.

3:45 p.m.
Dick’s Sporting Goods (Gresham Town Fair)
700 NW Eastman Parkway, Gresham, OR 97030
Meet with General Manager Rich Rhames.

4:30 p.m.
Borders (http://www.greshamstation.com)
687 NW 12Street, Gresham, OR 97030
Meet with General Manager Julie Nelson.

What’s so important about this idea of using local merchants, suppliers and contractors? What difference does it really make whether you buy your new (fill in the blank) from an East County merchant, a Portland department store or online for that matter?

Is there any way to measure the impact of an individual decision to acquire goods or services locally? The answer is emphatically yes.

One local business made a commitment to hire a local design team and a local general contractor to expand its Gresham senior housing community. The direct economic impact within the community has been phenomenal. Ask the Gresham-based general contractor, PDG Construction Services, or any one of roughly 20 local material suppliers, vendors and specialty contractors who are benefiting from this owner’s decision and commitment.

Or, ask any one of the 260 construction workers, many of them living in East County, who will be employed during the 15-month expansion. Ask Axis Design and Engineering, the local design firm that spent a year in planning, designing and permitting the project.

Mary Beisley, administrator for Courtyard Fountains, explained her company’s philosophy behind the decision to hire local professionals to design and construct its Phase III mixed occupancy facility.

The project contains 44 assisted living units, 15 luxury independent senior apartments, a secured parking garage, commercial kitchen and dining facility, offices and common areas for residents.

The structure is 77,300 square feet and the cost of construction is approximately $11 million.

The owner and Beisley were adamant about using local companies because they knew local firms would take a greater personal interest in the quality of design, execution and final quality of the facility. Gresham is a relatively small community, so local contractors and trades people are committed to performing at the highest level.

Being involved in Courtyard Fountains is a great opportunity for many local firms and each of them want to have a successful outcome to promote their businesses. Further, this local business-to-business commitment has created strong ambassadors among the contractor’s team for the Courtyard Fountains’ future occupancy. It’s a win-win in every direction.

From a practical standpoint, most observers would understand and agree with this assessment. However, is there a real metric that can be looked at to measure the economic impact to the local economy, when a “buy local first” commitment is made?

The Center for Strategic Economic Research is a Sacramento-based consortium that has done specific research into this question. These researchers analyzed the economic impact on a regional economy from various types of construction projects. Courtyard Fountains neatly fits into a health care and institutional building category. The findings are revealing.

Every $1 million of construction supports 11.7 total jobs; 6.8 direct jobs plus another 4.9 jobs through indirect and induced activities. Also, each $1 million of construction cost creates an additional $770,300 of additional economic output through indirect and induced activities.

Direct impacts are the initial, immediate economic activities (jobs and income) generated by the project that correspond with the first round of spending in the economy. Indirect impacts are the production, employment and income changes occurring in other businesses in the community that supply inputs to the project and/or industry.

Induced impacts are the effects of spending by the households in the local economy as a result of new jobs created by the facility.

Beisley — the Courtyard Fountains administrator — estimates that the new staff positions required for operation will create 50 new jobs.

According to this sophisticated economic analysis model, Courtyard Fountains’ commitment to “buy local first” will have an overall economic input to the East County regional economy of almost $20 million.

That really matters, especially in light of the current economic conditions.

It makes a difference every time anyone makes the commitment to buy from local merchants, suppliers, contractors and service providers.

And, the talent and resources are locally available to accomplish almost anything. Ask your local chamber of commerce or check its Web sites for help in finding resources.

Brian Lessler is president of PDG Construction Services in Gresham and also is 2009 president for the East Metro Economic Alliance.