Forks Businesses Invited to May 9 Roundtable

The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce will host a roundtable for businesses in Forks Township on May 9.

Alison Miers, vice president of Easton initiatives for the chamber, said she is sending out invitations this week to all of Forks' 450 businesses inviting them to a roundtable discussion at the

The Chamber is partnering with the Forks Township Board of Supervisors and the Business and Commerce Association of Forks Township on the event.

The event will begin with registration at 7:30 a.m. with the breakfast program starting at 8 a.m.

"We'll discuss a variety of topics and how their relationships are with the township," Miers said. "With the township growing, this program is really important. Businesses will have another outlet to express their concerns."

Miers said she hopes to have at least 40 businesses on board with the chamber hoping to hold the event on a quarterly basis.

"It's pretty exciting," BCAF president Brian Lokitis said. "With these economic times, businesses are looking to better themselves, to promote their businesses and to identify the issues they're struggling with. This is even to let businesses know that there are people working for them."

Lokitis said he hopes that such roundtables will focus on specific topics like retail or how businesses work with law enforcement.

"This should help businesses know what's out there," Miers said. "There's a lot of perception and miscommunication. Businesses don't know what's at their fingertips."

Miers said that the idea came about from a BCAF planning session and that the city of Easton also holds similar roundtables with their businesses.

At the Forks meeting, supervisors and members of the police department will be on hand to provide input.

She said the roundtable invitation will be accompanied by a survey gauging how businesses feel about the township and what the chamber might be able to do to help them.

"We're hoping for a good turnout and it to be really successful," Miers said. "We hope people walk away and say that this was really beneficial."

Any Forks Township business interested in attending or learning more about the roundtable should contact Alison Miers at 610-739-1512.