County Council Passes Resolution Supporting Lowcountry Local First’s 10% Shift Campaign

Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone:  843.958.4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org

Release Number:  3023

Date:  June 17, 2009 

See Photo: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/newsimages/localfirst.htm

See Charleston County Council's Lowcountry Local First 10% Shift Resolution: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/pdfs/1097_001.pdf

On Tuesday, June 16, Charleston County Council passed a resolution supporting Lowcountry Local First's 10% Shift Campaign, which is a grassroots movement that encourages individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies to spend at least 10 percent of their purchases with local, independent businesses. 

In 2007, Charleston County Council approved a local preference option. The ordinance allows the lowest local bidder for goods or services that is within five percent, or $10,000 of the lowest non-local bidder, to match the bid amount submitted by the non-local bidder and get the contract. 

"This is a local, grass-roots stimulus plan," Charleston County Chairman Teddie E. Pryor said. "If we all spend at least 10 percent of our purchases with local, independent businesses, we could help create jobs and increase economic activity in our area." 

Based on a recent study of the Grand Rapids, Mich. area (similar in size to the Tri-county area) by Civic Economics, Lowcountry Local First estimates that a commitment to shift 10 percent of purchases to local, independent businesses in the Tri-county area could:

 Create 1,600 jobs, reducing unemployment by .5%

• Generate $50 million in new wages
• Create $140 million in new economic activity for the region

 Charleston County Council plans to participate in Lowcountry Local First's press conference, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 30, at Marion Square in downtown Charleston.

 SIDEBAR: Lowcountry Local First 

• Lowcountry Local First is an alliance that educates the public on the importance of supporting our local economy, and encourages business and consumers to be environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.
• It is one of over 50 chapters of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, www.livingeconomies.org.
• Lowcountry Local First has initiated two local programs: Buy Local, Be Local, which encourages to support local business; and Farm Fresh Food, which focuses on strengthening relationships between local farmers, producers and the community.
• Through improved awareness about personal and community benefits of choosing local, the organization seeks to shift 10% of the local market share to independent, locally-owned business by 2012.
• Lowcounty Local First's 10% Shift Web site is www.10percentshift.org/sc.
• The 10% Shift Committee consists of council members from Charleston North Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, local business owners, independent meda, a public relations professional, and a local bank representative.
• Lowcountry Local First publishes a Directory of Local Independent Businesses each year to ease the process of find local businesses to support.
• To learn more, visit the Lowcountry Local First Web site at http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.org.