FAIRMONT — A rejuvenated committee at the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce is tackling local business promotion head on.

“Our goal is to make people think of shopping in Fairmont first, before they go to Mankato or Albert Lea or before they shop on Amazon,” said John Kasper, who chairs the new Retail Business and Entertainment Committee or RBE.

“I think the natural inclination is to think beyond Fairmont, but I’m a zealot for this town. I think Fairmont is a hidden gem, and there are so many things here,” he said. “We’ve got sporting goods, appliances, electronics, jewelry, furniture. We’ve got lots of different places to eat. We’ve got bowling. We’ve got movies.”

Supporting local existing businesses will encourage their expansion as well as inspire other businesses to establish themselves in the Fairmont area, he says.

“When you think about Fairmont first, when you shop Fairmont first, when you make that choice to put Fairmont first, that’s kind of attitude goes a long way when businesses look to invest or expand here,” said Ned Koppen, president of the Fairmont Chamber.

Koppen credits Kasper with revitalizing the retail focus of the Chamber through the RBE.

“John’s done a really great job of keeping us on track and keeping us focused on what we’re trying to do,” Koppen said.

The Chamber has always had a retail committee, but it had not been very active in recent years.

“We felt there was more that a retail committee could do so we took a closer look,” Koppen said. “The first thing we did was define what retail means to business people and to our community right now. Retail has changed drastically, especially over the last 10 years with online shopping. Yet, there are great businesses, great business people and lots of options right here in the Fairmont area.”

“People would be surprised at what is available right here,” Kasper said. “We’ve got everything from antiques to boutiques, and the list goes on and on.

“The hurdle is changing people’s mindset that they automatically have to go somewhere else,” he said. “They don’t, but it’s a challenge for people in small communities to change that viewpoint.”

The work of the RBE will expand to include community events and strategically wrapping in more people to make those events bigger. Koppen pointed to Small Business Saturday and Holiday Delights, two separate retail promotions, that might be merged and enlarged for the entire holiday shopping season.

Kasper and Koppen admit changing perceptions and shopping habits won’t be an easy task, but they are confident of a groundswell of grassroots support from local shoppers.

Kasper mentioned the organizations like the Fairmont Economic Development Authority, Project 1590, the Chamber and the areas many services clubs who already are working for the betterment of the area.

“We need people in this community to be part of the solution,” he said. “You will be supporting your neighbor. You will be helping the local economy. You will be helping people get employed. You’re proud of where you live, and you’re making the community attractive to other businesses that want to come here.”

Although the RBE is a Fairmont Chamber committee, the benefits of supporting local businesses will go beyond its membership.

“There will be benefits for Chamber members, but it’s not going to be exclusive to Chamber members,” Koppen said. “We will work very hard for the community and for the area as a whole. What benefits one business will benefit all businesses.”

For more information on the RBE, contact the Chamber office at (507) 235-5547.