“Ultimately, we feel the initiative will help to increase local sourcing and spending,” Vincent Basara, the city of Camden communications director, told TAPinto Camden in an email.
Basara, who said the city will formally kick off the program soon, noted that the “website and database will be used to help identify a listing of Camden-based businesses. The listing will also help to identify the capacity and services offered by each of the businesses.”
An explanation of the City Council resolution authorizing the spending noted that “the goal of this partnership is a welcoming and inclusive reason for businesses to register with BuyCamdenFirst.com .”
Besides promoting purchases from Camden-based businesses, the initiative will “also serve as a catalyst for job creation, small business expansion and new business startups in the city.”
A March proposal for the campaign from DiLorenzo Davis Consulting and the LAEDA stated the collection of businesses for the database will include those that are “Camden Verified” by the team. LAEDA would provide a full-time Camden Verified Coordinator under the city contract.
A purchasing event would be held that includes one-on-one meetings between small businesses and the purchasing personnel from corporations, according to the proposal.
LAEDA would develop the website pages translated into Spanish.
The city has promoted buying from Camden’s small and large businesses over the years.
A 2021 city law requires that at least 30% of the city of Camden’s spending on contracts for goods and services should be with local businesses, according to the ordinance .
The law defines a local business as one operating in the ZIP codes of 08101, 08102, 08103, 08104 or 08105.
To be considered local, a business must show that at least 60% of its employees either live in one of the ZIP codes or work at least 75% of their regular hours in the ZIP codes, the "Buy Camden" ordinance states.
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