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Welcome to the Groton Board of Trade
P.O. Box 189
Groton, MA 01450
http://grotonboardoftrade.com
The Groton Board of Trade is an organization formed in the fall of 2010 to support
businesses and farmers within Groton, Massachusetts. The Board of Trade hopes to
demonstrate the value of membership to all businesses and farms in Groton, encouraging
them to become part of the team which will further the interests of all Groton businesses.
Next Scheduled Meeting (Last updated: April 26, 2013)
The next scheduled (monthly) meeting of the Groton Board of Trade is Wednesday,
May 22 at the Groton Pool and Golf Center (6:00 pm).
Unless something comes up, every monthly meeting is on the fourth Wednesday of the
Month (excluding July and August when there is no meeting). The annual kickoff meeting
is usually held at the Gibbet Hill Grill. The December meeting is usually a luncheon.
Business Database
For several months as we gathered information about businesses in Groton, the Groton
Board of Trade website allowed visibility of all known businesses in Groton. Going
forward, visibility of businesses was to be deteremined by membership in the Groton
Board of Trade, so if you wanted your business listed you must join the Board. We
have backed away from this idea and now display what we know about all businesses
in Groton.
We know that the businesses database has errors in it and we ask all people with
knowledge of businesses in Groton to help us make the database more accurate and
up-to-date. If you see any mistakes in the data you see, please use the Suggestions
button on the left to tell us about the problems. We would like phone numbers and
email addresses for all databases as well as accurate business names and addresses.
We appreciate any help you can give us.
Businesses that are GBOT members have details about their business displayed on
the website. Businesses that are not GBOT members have only their name listed. Member
business owners can log into the website to update the information about their business.
Membership
Membership is open to any business in Groton. "Business Representatives" for each
member business need not live in Groton. There are two kinds of membership in the
Board: corporate membership and individual membership. A corporate membership costs
$100 per year and includes 3 pre-paid individual memberships. Corporate membership
includes a business listing on the GBOT web site and eventually a monthly newsletter.
Individual memberships are for Groton residences who do not necessarily own or run
a business but are interested in participating on the Groton Board of Trade. Individual
memberships cost $50 per year.
Any business or individual that wants to join the GBOT may do so online by clicking
Apply Online
button on the left. Once payment has been received, the business or person will
be enabled as a member.
Why Join?
There are many potential benefits of membership:
- Increased Business – One of the principles upon which GBOT is founded is the idea
that people do business with others that they know and trust.
- Strength in Numbers – When issues arise that could affect the Groton business and
farming community (e.g., changes in the sign by-law), being part of a group gives
you a stronger voice.
- What’s Going On? – GBOT’s monthly meetings will provide a format that will inform
members about changes in the community: businesses that are coming or going, changes
in Town by-laws that affect business, significant events in town, etc. It will also
give you a chance to meet fellow business leaders in a casual, collegial setting.
- Common Cause – As a group, Groton businesses and farms will be able to identify
opportunities for one-time or recurring events that benefit the residents and businesses
(e.g., Shop Groton Days).
- Community Service – The GBOT will do a lot of positive things in the community (see
the examples of GBOT programs that follow). As a member, you’ll enjoy and participate
in the benefits of the equity that the GBOT builds with Groton residents. It’s a
lot easier to serve the community as part of a group than it is to do so individually.
Over time, giving back to the community is not only good karma, it is good business.
Who?
The Groton Board of Trade is an organization of local business owners, managers,
farmers, and residents. Its purpose is to advance the commercial, agricultural,
industrial, civic and general interests of the Town of Groton.
When & Where?
The GBOT meets the third Wednesday of each month, from September to June (on hiatus
for July and August). Most meetings are held in the evenings at a local restaurant
and feature an informative program. Our first meeting was held on November 17, 2010.
Why?
The primary goal of the Groton Board of Trade is to foster business and agricultural
growth that enhances both the cultural and economic qualities of life in the Town
of Groton. The Groton Board of Trade will play an active role in developing Groton,
expanding the tax base, and creating local jobs.
What Happened to the Groton Business Association (GBA)?
The Groton Board of Trade is not a new name for the Groton Business Association.
The GBA is no longer in existence and hasn’t had meetings for years. The GBOT is
certainly similar in some respects, but it represents a fresh start and acknowledges
the integral role of agriculture as a component of Groton commerce. At its creation,
the Groton Board of Trade had taken over Grotonfest, but is now no longer associated
with Grotonfest other than being a participant just like many others.
Organizational Structure
The leadership of the organization is made up of four officers: President, Vice
President, Secretary, and Treasurer (aka the Executive Committee). The Board of
Directors is made up of the four officers and five other at large members: total
of nine board members. The president only votes in case of a tie. The Board meets
monthly except July and August. Board terms are one year, two years or three years.
The officers will serve one or two terms, lasting twelve months each. The administrative
year begins in September and ends in June.
GBOT Programs (examples)
- Membership Committee - This GBOT committee will build up the membership in the Groton
Board of Trade.
- Business Development Committee - This GBOT committee will endeavor to foster business
growth and mentor incoming businesses to enhance the quality of life, both economic
and cultural, in the Town of Groton. The committee will meet with people interested
in opening a new business in Groton as well as existing businesses that want to
make changes/expand.
- Farm to Table Program - This effort will try to connect local (not just Groton)
farms with restaurants to provide adequate local produce for restaurants. This is
a regional effort that cannot fully by achieved when limited to just Groton businesses
and farms, so an outreach program to farms in the region is planned.
- Information for New and Changing Businesses - The Groton Board of Trade is working
with the Land Use Department in Town Hall to develop one or more documents intended
to help businesses understand the permitting process in town. These documents, once
complete, will be helpful for both businesses considering starting up in Town as
well as businesses considering changing certain characteristics. These documents
will help the Business Development Committee (above) work with new businesses.
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