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By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer

The Merchants Association of Clanton is hosting a Service Fair on Aug. 17 to inform local businesses about the vast number of services at their disposal in the area.

The event is being held at 6th Street Warehouse from 8:30-11:30 a.m., and all local service-based companies, local business owners and the public are encouraged to come.

“It is a good thing to have all (the service-based businesses) to be in one place,” Maymay Helms, chairman of the MAC, said. “… Then invite the community in to see what is available, and we have a varied group of service providers (that will be there).”

At the fair, businesses that sign up will set up a table and provide visitors a one-minute, elevator style pitch on what services they offer.

The MAC was created to help bring the local business owners together to help form ideas that would benefit everyone involved. Helms has helped coordinate other events that have showcased a number of businesses in Clanton, and the group is planning fall events as well that will be finalized at an upcoming meeting.

“We have grown by leaps and bounds, and we are working really hard to encourage each other in business in different ways,” Helms said. “This is just another outlet for that.”

Helms said she hopes to hold the service fair at least once a year and possibly twice.

The fair became a reality because many of the businesses involved with the MAC have store fronts. However, there is a group of merchants in Clanton that sell a service that they bring to customers. This fair will prevent them from having to knock on doors to tell businesses what they have to offer.

The event is free to service-based companies looking to come and set up a table at the event and to anyone in the community that wishes to come by. Businesses interested in participating in the fair can sign up for a table at shannon@maymaymadeit.com.