By Andrew Wigger

awigger@civitasmedia.com

Caterpillar, located in the Newberry Industrial Park, will serve as the location for the Appreciation Day. The Appreciation Day will include food and the opportunity to get to know Newberry businesses.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_DSC_0475-4.jpgCaterpillar, located in the Newberry Industrial Park, will serve as the location for the Appreciation Day. The Appreciation Day will include food and the opportunity to get to know Newberry businesses.

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NEWBERRY — To honor the industries at the Newberry Industrial Park, the City of Newberry and the Newberry County Chamber of Commerce have partnered to sponsor the Industrial Park Appreciation Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 6

The Industrial Park is made up of six industries — Caterpillar, Big Gun Robotics, Doncaster Trucast, Kiswire, Komatsu and SWM. Every employee for each company will be invited to the Appreciation Day.

Michelle Long, executive director of the Chamber, is expecting 400 to 500 employees to attend the event.

The city held an Appreciation Day for the Industrial Park back in 2011 after Mayor Foster Senn was inspired to become more engaged with the industries at the Industrial Park.

“I was at a conference a few years ago for the Municipal Association. The presenter had everyone write down their cities assets, I wrote down for Newberry was that we had a good manufacturing base and a successful Industrial Park,” Senn said. “Her question was are you fully engaged with those assets. It struck me, the city provides utility service to different manufacturers, but I do not know if we were fully engaged. So the next question was what could you do about that. And we ended up having Industrial Park Appreciation Day.”

After the first Appreciation Day back in 2011 Foster said that it fell through the cracks, but now they are pulling it back out. He said with the Chamber’s help planning the event has become easier, and will make the event more successful.

“I think this is a good time for interaction and to let people who work their know that we are proud of made in Newberry County products,” Senn said.

The luncheon will take place outside of Caterpillar and the city will be providing pizza and Mac Bell of Sonic will be furnishing additional food.

During the Appreciation Day the city and Chamber will also be encouraging the employees to turn left to Newberry, rather than turn right to the interstate.

“A lot of people at the Industrial Park live in Newberry and Newberry County, but a good number live in other counties. We encourage all of them to give Newberry business an opportunity and shop in Newberry. Especially if they live outside of Newberry,” Senn said. “So turn left instead of turning right to go home.”

To help promote turning left vendors will be set up to promote their business or service. Long said this will showcase what the City of Newberry has to offer, and encourage them to turn left into town.

“We have different business and services available in the City of Newberry. Including health care, home decor, entertainment and food,” Long said. “So far we have 20 vendors signed up and I am expecting more.”

The vendors will have booths and will provide samples of their products or literature on their products. Some companies who provide services will have displays of those services. Long said an added bonus will be the vendors getting to know each other.

“They may be exposed to a business, or service, they are not aware is in town,” she said.

Long said there is no cost to be a vendor, all they have to do is take two hours out of their day to come and promote their business or service. Anyone wanting to be a vendor just needs to call Long at (803) 276-4274. The deadline is today by 4 p.m., but Long said she will take vendors after the deadline.

“If folks realize last minute that they can come out, they can still call,” she said.

Matt DeWitt, assistant city manager, said he thinks this will be a great opportunity to expose people at the Industrial Park to what the community has to offer. Adding that he is excited for the exposure so people can see the shops and restaurants the city has to offer.

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.