Tuesday afternoon, I had the pleasure of attending the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce’s 100th anniversary luncheon.

While I sat through the luncheon and listened to presentations about how local businesses have thrived in Niles for a full century, I was reminded of a sentiment I have found to be true over the last few years covering local news: business makes the community.

Of course, a community is more than its businesses, but business is a huge part of what keeps communities healthy and thriving. Without local businesses, our communities would cease to exist. Not only do businesses bring revenue and visitors to our towns, but they provide a unique charm that sets each of our cities apart.

Dowagiac would not be Dowagiac without the historic Judd Lumber welcoming visitors and Amtrak passengers to the city, nor would it have the same feel if we weren’t all able to greet each other with a pastry and a cup of coffee at Bakers Rhapsody. Niles would not be the same without Wonderland Cinema and Pizza Transit providing us all with weekend entertainment and snacks or without SLR Pilates offering us fun ways to get healthy come Monday morning.

In Niles and Dowagiac, it is heart-warming to attend chamber luncheons or business after hours events and see that our local business communities are dedicated to collaboration and networking to keep the momentum of our business community going.

Even more exciting is that when you attend one of these events, you see how many of our business leaders are local — people who live here and are dedicated to making our communities better.

During Tuesday’s event, SLR Pilates owner Stephanie Reno said in her acceptance speech for being named Business of the Year that she wants to see Niles become “unrecognizable.” She said she hopes to see the community grow and to see enterprises added to a point where the city becomes a whole new place where people love to live and work. 

I, for one, appreciate her vision. So, let’s all do our part to help make a reality. The next time you are downtown, frequent a local business — grab a latte at Niles’ Atomic Bean or shop for a unique at Dowagiac’s Deck the Halls. Try to shop small as often as you can because local business growth is how we will see our communities grow, but local businesses can only grow if we support them.