Honoring the Business Community During Business Appreciation Month
May 25, 2023 | By Cara O'Donnell
Each year, the business community and partners throughout communities across the nation set aside the month of May as Business Appreciation Month – a time to thank local businesses for their contributions to the economy and community landscapes in which they reside.
In Arlington, where our business community not only contributes to tax revenue and placemaking but also creates jobs and provides services to Arlingtonians, we in Arlington Economic Development marked Business Appreciation Month with a series of individualized visits with some of Arlington’s top companies to learn more about their businesses, future plans and ways the County can continue to be a partner.
In total, Arlington Economic Development staff and ambassadors representing various resource partners and County entities visited with 40 companies and organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, fast-growing tech businesses and local nonprofit organizations. It all culminated with a closing reception at Punch Bowl Social in Ballston, in partnership with the Ballston BID, that provided a networking opportunity for all participating companies and ambassadors, as well as remarks from County Board Chair Christian Dorsey and AED Director Ryan Touhill.
This award-winning Business Appreciation Month strategy does more than just touch base with members of our business community. It allows us to really connect with companies with one-on-one conversation. We learn what their plans are for the future. What they need. What challenges they’re experiencing. And how we in Arlington Economic Development can help with those plans or challenges. It also helps us connect our businesses with partners in the community, whether it be educational resources or workforce training or transit opportunities. It’s an effort that’s highlighted during Business Appreciation Month, but in Arlington, our place as a partner and resource for our business community is something we honor all year long.