The old saying goes that, “you dance the one who brought you.” That is sort of the approach being taken by the Lawrence County Commission with its new program to recognize existing businesses here in Lawrence County who are going above and beyond to sustain jobs and grow their companies.

Although the commission and other county economic development leaders certainly need to stay focused on job creation, it is important not to forget about all those dedicated businesses that are integral parts of our community.

The commission plans to recognize a business potentially as often as each week. This is a good idea and we’d like to see the county really make this a significant honor.

For many of our businesses, winning an award like this would be a big deal and needs to be treated as such.

In addition to presenting them with a plaque and making a proclamation, we’d like to see the commission work to give additional exposure locally. The Tribune is happy to assist with this and would be willing to run a photograph of this “Business of the Week.”

Then it would be nice if, at least once a year, a concerted effort is made to advertise and promote the winners for that annual period. This extra exposure will only help these businesses grow their presence here in the county.

New businesses are vital to our future, but we must not forget about the ones who built our past and present.