When you’re running a business, you want all the support you can get.
That’s why it meant so much to us to have a team from the Charles County Economic Development Department and their partners drop by our La Plata office yesterday to celebrate Business Appreciation Week with us.
They got to meet members of our own team and learn a little more about what we do every day. They congratulated us on 120 years of business here in Charles County and presented us with certificates of appreciation.
It also gave us a prime opportunity to sing the praises of our incredible staff, all of whom are Southern Maryland residents who take pride in the community and work incredibly hard to take great care of our clients.
Our guests included Deputy Director of Economic Development Michelle DeSoto and Chief of Business Services Lucretia Freeman-Buster, as well as Charles County Commissioner Gilbert “B.J.” Bowling, the College of Southern Maryland’s Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives Gretchen Hardman and the Small Business Development Center’s Bill Hitte.
This week, the Economic Development team is visiting 24 local businesses to show their support and discuss the resources that the EDD and the SBDC have available for small businesses.
At each stop, they’re also striving to have an open dialogue about the experience of operating a business in the county. Our long history gives us a unique perspective to share.
“We are very fortunate to have loyal business clients who have been in the Southern Maryland area for a long time,” Chief Financial Officer and Agent Sara Payne said. “More and more, owners are retiring and moving out of state. It’s important to remember when planning for the county that there needs to be a healthy mix of the larger chain storefronts and small, locally owned businesses. Our business relies on these small business owners. In turn, we support those small businesses.”
When the conversation turned to infrastructure in the county and, in particular, here in La Plata, we stressed how important it is to continue to make improvements during this current period of residential growth.
We also talked curb appeal because when the town looks good, it’s always good for business.
E.L. Sanders Insurance Agency opened for business at 1 Washington Avenue back in 1903. In the early 1980s, we relocated a block away to 10 Washington Avenue. At that time, our current president, Larry Sanders, and his father, Edward L. Sanders Jr., took a dilapidated one-story building and turned it into the beautiful building it is today.
We still take great pride in our building and ensuring that it’s always well-kept and welcoming for every client who walks through our doors.