By MARY LOU WILLIAMS / Guest Columnist

Montevallo residents are proud of their historic city. The University of Montevallo and the neighborhood around it boast many buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Beautiful churches and historic downtown buildings give Montevallo, and other Shelby County cities, valuable character. Shopping downtown in Montevallo offers a variety of shopping opportunities from art and books to yogurt! Many of the storefronts still display evidence of their past from 100 years ago. Downtown’s history is rich and it is important to Montevallo’s future!

Residents also need to remember that in Montevallo the Alabama 25 corridor is important to the city. Others of Shelby County’s small towns have similar “edge of town” highways that attract hometown and just-passing-by shoppers. Commerce is the feature that makes Alabama 25 so valuable to Montevallo citizens.

From the industrial park on the east, to Montevallo Building and Supply on the west, there are businesses that offer products customers need every day. Groceries, health supplies, automotive services, building materials, household items and more are on Alabama 25 in Montevallo.

Preparing a garden, repairing the lawn mower and feeding the family are possible with the help of an Alabama 25 business. These business owners and managers appreciate their customers and are hopeful that shopping local will always be part of the community’s objectives.

When you buy products and services from local businesses, you invest in your city. The budgets for libraries, street improvements, fire protection and police services are built on the taxes paid to cities. Every business in your community pays taxes based on their sales to customers. There are industries located near Alabama 25 in Montevallo whose employees live in Montevallo and communities in Shelby, Bibb and Chilton counties.

These employees depend on businesses close to their work for shopping that’s part of their weekly schedule. Highway located businesses can also welcome travelers to your community and encourage the occasional shopper to make a trip downtown, or to other attractions in your city.

Notice what is available in Montevallo’s downtown and its Alabama 25 corridor.

Shopping local makes sense in every city!

Mary Lou Williams is executive director of the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce. You can reach her at montevallocc@bellsouth.net.