Communities all across the nation and the Upper Cumberland are joining together to celebrate the wonderful contributions made by small businesses to their communities. Suzanne Williams, Executive Director of the Smithville-DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce, was on-hand to witness the signing. Williams stated "Small businesses are the life-blood of our community and the chamber makes every effort possible to assist them in succeeding."

Williams and Stribling recently started a partnership with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Tennessee Tech University to encourage growth and development of the DeKalb county business community. John Woodard, Assistant Director of the center stated, "We are so excited to be working in DeKalb County! Our center believes we can bring a lot to the table to assist the local community and provide guidance to small business owners."

Woodard and his team are organizing the first annual Upper Cumberland Small Business Week, which is offering several events for small business owners throughout the Upper Cumberland and encouraging communities to shop local for Mother’s Day, graduations, etc. Mayor Stribling commented, "It is really great to see programs like these that are willing to support our communities and encourage growth of our local economies. I am really excited to see what all the TSBDC can offer our community in the future."

Individuals wishing to find out more information about and register for the events are encouraged to explore the event website: www.tsbdc.org/ucbizweek or contact the TSBDC’s TTU Center at 931-372-3648.