Importance of America’s Main Streets and Their Small Businesses Highlighted By COVID-19 Crisis
Furniture World News Desk on
4/27/2020
With more than 616,000 total votes cast for 160 entrants during the nomination phase of the 2020 America’s Main Streets contest, Independent We Stand is pleased to announce the quarterfinalists and the next phase of the contest. The goal of the contest is to draw attention to Main Streets throughout the country and their small businesses that not only provide a sense of place in our cities and towns but also play a large role in the lasting success of local economies. Ensuring the survival and vitality of our Main Streets is important now more than ever before, as the nation stays home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Rooted as a movement of independent business owners across the country, Independent We Stand invites the public to vote now to help one of these deserving quarterfinalists get another step closer to winning a $25,000 grand prize. The coronavirus crisis has highlighted the need for small businesses to survive, and the contest offers a simple way consumers and small business owners can support each other.
Semifinalist online voting begins April 27 and runs through May 24. The top 10 semifinalists will be announced May 25 and the winner of the “America’s Main Streets” contest will be announced June 2.
The 2020 quarterfinalists in alphabetical order are:
- Chattahoochee Main Street, Chattahoochee, Fla.
- Downtown Bedford, Bedford, Pa.
- Downtown Canton Georgia, Canton, Ga.
- Downtown Jeffersonville, Jeffersonville, Ind.
- Emporia Main Street, Inc., Emporia, Kan.
- Fernandina Beach Main Street, Fernandina Beach, Fla.
- Historic Downtown Hope, Hope, Ark.
- Historic Downtown Ripon, Ripon, Wis.
- Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, Snohomish, Wash.
- Jacksonville Main Street, Jacksonville, Ill.
- LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation, LaBelle, Fla.
- Larned Main Street, Larned, Kan.
- Main Street Altus, Altus, Okla.
- Main Street Fort Pierce, Inc., Fort Pierce, Fla.
- Main Street Hayward, Hayward, Wis.
- Main Street Homer, Homer, La.
- Minden, Louisiana, Minden, La.
- NewTown Macon, Macon, Ga.
- Osborne Main Street, Osborne, Kan.
- Pittsfield's Historic Courthouse Square, Pittsfield, Ill.
- Public Square, Columbia, Ky.
- Quincy Main Street, Quincy, Fla.
- Springhill Main Street, Springhill, La.
- Sweetwater Main Street, Sweetwater, Tenn.
- Sykesville Main Street, Sykesville, Md.
To vote online for quarterfinalists in “America’s Main Streets” contest, visit MainStreetContest.com.
Important dates:
- April 27 to May 24: “America’s Main Streets” semifinalist voting
- May 25: “America’s Main Streets” top 10 semifinalists announced
- June 2: “America’s Main Streets” winner announced
- July 4: “Main Streets Make Us Better” event; “America’s Main Streets” winner announces plans for $25,000 grand prize
Additional contest prizes include:
- STIHL Equipment Certificate for $1,000 worth of STIHL equipment good at any STIHL Dealer in the U.S.
- Do it Best Corp. $500 shopping spree
- Free One Day Downtown Assessment from Flip This Town
- Nationwide Marketing Group $500 shopping spree
- PPG Paints $500 shopping spree
- Public relations and social media recognition
- A special plaque for the winner to proudly display
Presenting Sponsor:
STIHL Inc., America’s number-one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment*, is the founding sponsor of Independent We Stand and the presenting sponsor of America’s Main Streets contest. The company follows a unique distribution strategy in the handheld outdoor power equipment industry, choosing never to sell products at big box stores, but instead remain loyal to its 9,000+ authorized local STIHL Dealers nationwide.
Supporting Sponsors:
About Independent We Stand: Independent We Stand is a nationwide movement of independent small business owners whose mission is to inspire other small business owners to better understand and celebrate their locally-owned status while educating consumers about the importance and strong economic benefits of supporting them. The Independent We Stand movement is sponsored by STIHL Inc. STIHL products are sold through more than 9,000 authorized local STIHL Dealers from coast to coast – not big box stores. Associate sponsors include Nationwide Marketing Group, PPG Paints and Do it Best Corp.
*"Number one selling brand" is based on
syndicated Irwin Broh Research as well as independent consumer research
of 2009-2019 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasoline-powered
handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers
and commercial landscapers.