EATON — From lawn and garden companies to insurance and cosmetics, the Preble County Business Expo had something for everyone on Friday and Saturday, April 8-9.
Visitors could meet and network with local business owners and their staffs, learn about new products being offered in a range of categories, sample hometown restaurants’ offerings and even buy some flowers and plants to take home.
“We had just over 800 total attendees for this years Expo,” Preble County Chamber Executive Director Matt Owen said on Monday. “We had 300 on Friday and 500 on Saturday. We also estimate about 75 to 100 children, as we don’t charge for kids under 12.”
The weather didn’t frighten everyone away, either.
“Yes, the cold, wet, windy and snowy weather had an effect on attendance,” Owen noted. “But considering how poor the weather was, we were pleased with the attendance. The fairgrounds staff did a great job of getting us some heat in the building as we were dealing with subfreezing temperatures.”
Chamber had 90 vendors this year, and had some “last minutes folks we squeezed in,” Owen reported. “The floor was completely sold out. Many businesses purchased multiple spaces this year to bring more products.”
How does the future of the Expo look?
“If the expo continues to grow, the committee will need to consider expanding over to Bruner Arena or out onto the fairgrounds themselves,” Owen said. “Growing is a good problem to have. We’ve had a wide range of industry at the show the past several years. There really is something for everyone.”
“The chamber would like to thank all the vendors and sponsors at this year’s show,” Owen noted in an email. “Our vendors and local businesses donated some great prizes for the raffle. I personally would like to thank the Expo committee for all their hard work over the past several months.
“We have some great volunteers representing the Chamber of Commerce. They did an outstanding job.”
Owen noted, “We would also like to thank our grand sponsors: The Preble County Safety Council, The Preble County Agricultural Society, the Preble County Development Partnership and Wallace Heating and Air.”
