Chattanooga based company Buy it Local, LLC, parent company and creator of the local Buy it*Downtown shopping card program is expanding its program and services to Bradley County.

Buy it Local has licensed its turnkey, proprietary community card system to the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, who will direct the new card program in that market. The chamber is launching the program as an added benefit to chamber businesses.

The purpose of the new community card program is to provide more support to local businesses and to help support the local economy in a measurable, consumer friendly and easy way, officials said.

The new card program will be called Buy it Bradley. Buy it Bradley. will be operational by early fall (2010) and will include participation from Cleveland as well as Charleston merchants. Already the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber has merchant recruitment meetings underway.

Additional meetings are also being held with Bradley business and community leaders to ask their support for the local economy by committing to purchasing cards for corporate gifting and rewards. An estimated 50-75 merchants are expected to sign up by the 2010 holiday season.

Like Buy it*Downtown cards, Buy it Bradley cards will be sold in denominations from $20-$500 and can be used just like a prepaid gift card at multiple merchant locations. The Chamber will sell the cards to the general public and member businesses. Additional sales locations will also be announced.

Gary Farlow, president and CEO of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce said, “Our Chamber is using some of our recent capital campaign funds for our Buy it program. We had considered spending funds for new retail recruitment programs, but the Buy it community card program which can help support existing local businesses seemed to make more sense right now, given the current economy. We like the idea of being able to drive spending to merchants in our community through this program and the opportunity to provide our members an easy, tangible way to support local businesses and the local economy (by buying Buy it Bradley cards). We are also especially excited about the ability to monitor and track results of our efforts easily.”

Bernadette Douglas, executive vice president for the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce is serving as
Buy it Bradley project director. Aaron Weatherford, membership director, is coordinating merchant recruitment . Buy it Bradley plans to make more than a million dollar difference to the Bradley economy over the next several years, it was stated. The Chamber will be promoting the program to its members through its website, newsletters and member programs. The Chamber also expects to launch promotional and advertising campaigns aimed at the general public.

Amy Walker Cherry, CEO of Buy it Local, LLC., said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce to the Buy it* Cards program. Their management team is business minded and results-driven, which is a great match for our program. We are also excited and proud for our community card program to support the continued growth and success of the Bradley County area.”