Business owners, managers invited to talk

Ironton business owners and managers are invited to a meeting on Tuesday on how to improve business and improve the look of downtown Ironton.

The meeting is at 5:30 p.m. at the Ironton City Center and is being held by Ironton aLive, Mayor Katrina Keith and Ironton In Bloom.

“We are just trying to get everybody together and on the same page,” explained Ironton aLive executive director Sam Heighton, adding that the Ironton Business Association used to fill the role of boosting business in the city, but it has been gone for a long time. “We are trying to get all the businesses back together. We have about six businesses that have been here for a long time and they do good, and we have a couple of new businesses. I want to get everybody on the same page and talk about store hours, having everybody open and close at the same times. That type of thing.”

Heighton said that he would like to create events to bring people into Ironton to shop.

“I’m looking at weekly events to bring people to downtown,” he said. The goal is to emphasize the downtown but also to attract customers to all the stores in Ironton. “We have shops out at the mall, up and down Third Street and all over. We want to talk to them too.”

Heighton said he doesn’t know if they are forming a new business association or not.

“That is one of the things we will talk about at the meeting,” he said. “Ironton aLive is willing to sponsor the group and help them as we already do, if people are interested. It is easier if there is a group.”

Heighton is asking business owners and managers to bring ideas to the meeting.

“It should be an interesting meeting,” he said. “I hope something good comes out of this for our town.”