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Be Local discount card offers deals to customers

Photo by Scott McCloskey The new Be Local discount card is now available and offering shoppers exclusive deals in the Ohio Valley.

The new Be Local discount card is now available and offering shoppers exclusive deals in the Ohio Valley and beyond.

The cards, which can be purchased for $20 at several locations in the valley, encourage people to shop locally by offering rotating discounts throughout 2020 at participating businesses.

There are nearly 100 businesses included in the Ohio Valley and Western Pennsylvania that are participating in the Be Local program, each offering exclusive discounts to card holders.

The benefits of the Be Local discount cards extend to both consumers and businesses, according to Pam Bennett, advertising director of The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register and Times Leader newspapers.

“What it offers a business is the opportunity not only to attract local customers to their door, but also potentially draw new customers from outside of the area who are card holders,” Bennett said. “Because the Be Local network is growing constantly, it offers the customer new places to shop with exclusive offers that only Be Local card holders will be able to enjoy.”

All of the participating businesses and their individual promotions can found at www.BeLocal.net.

An interactive map shows their locations and their monthly deals. Be Local ads in The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register and Times Leader also list the growing roster of member businesses.

The program began in Uniontown, Pa., about five years ago and expanded last year into other parts of Western Pennsylvania, said Robert Pinarski, who launched the Be Local initiative and now serves as general manager of the Observer-Reporter in Washington.

The network is dedicated to improving the climate of the local economy and to build a community of buyers that understands the importance of investing in local businesses and corporations, Pinarski said.

“Local businesses help communities become more prosperous, entrepreneurial and connected as well as giving it its unique character. They tailor their products, services and practices to best suit the local community,” Pinarski said. “Local stores serve as more than just places to shop, but as gathering places to catch up with neighbors, find out the latest news, and share stories about family and friends.”

Pinarski said he was happy to see the initiative move into the Ohio Valley, along with a similar expansion into Central Pennsylvania.

“The Be Local network has grown exponentially over the past year in Southwestern Pennsylvania and now we’re excited to add the network to the Ohio Valley and Central Pennsylvania,” Pinarski said.

There are nearly 100 local businesses in the tri-state area now participating in the Be Local Network.

The network includes Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler and Wetzel counties in West Virginia; Belmont, Harrison, Jefferson and Monroe counties in Ohio; and Allegheny, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties in Western Pennsylvania.

The Be Local discount cards, which also include a “key fob” for added customer convenience, are available for purchase and immediate use.

They can be purchased locally at Kirke’s Ice Cream, Miklas Meat Market, Porterfield’s Drive Thru Farm & Garden, The West Sports Bar and at The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register and Times Leader offices.

For information, contact Bennett at 304-233-0100 ext. 311 or by email at pbennett@theintelligencer.net, or Times Leader Advertising Manager Amy Butler at 740-633-1131 ext. 718 or abutler@timesleaderonline.com.

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