Connections were being made today.
The Timmins Chamber of Commerce held its annual Meet the Purchasers event, featuring seven larger companies in the area, in the McIntyre Community Centre auditorium.
“All our members can access them, maybe they’ve been doing business but they may have been doing business virtually or on the phone and it’s an opportunity to meet face-to-face,” said Keitha Robson, Timmins Chamber of Commerce chief administrative officer.
She said the chamber is always trying to encourage buying local.
“It’s really about putting all of the right people in the room to have a conversation on how to make that possible."
McEwan Mining senior buyer John MacFarlane likes the face value of the event, which is set up like a trade show.
“There’s a lot of suppliers that I deal with, so you get to put a name to the face,” he said.
Ideally, he said they try to deal mostly with businesses in the Timmins area to buy supplies.
He said it comes down to price, and being able to get the product to their location near Matheson.
Julie Harrell of Porcupine Advance Printers was able to connect with a purchaser who she’d been emailing for weeks at the event.
“For me it’s nice to put that face to the name and build that rapport even more than you already have. People can relate to you a little bit better, and instead of it being so much about business it becomes a little bit more personal. It’s nice to have that,” she said.
Seeing customers that she already has a relationship has its benefits as well.
“Sometimes I get orders while I’m here. People forget until they see your face,” she said.
