The Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District will host a meet-and-greet with local lending institutions this Friday at Kenai River Brewing Company in Soldotna. The event will provide local businesses, and those looking to open a business, a chance to ask questions and discuss funding programs in an informal setting.
Representatives from First National Bank Alaska, NuVision Credit Union and Northrim Bank Soldotna will be present at the meet and greet. Economic Development District Executive Director Cassidi Cameron says it will help foster a relationship between lenders and local businesses, which she says are the backbone of the peninsula’s economy.
“We thought it’d be a good way for people to meet and see a few of our local lenders around here, and learn more in a place that is not so intimidating as going into a bank or having a meeting," she said. "It’s a real informal opportunity to meet your local lender.”
The event is the first in a three-part series of informal events the development organization is planning to help bridge the gap between small businesses and local financial resources. The organization will also host an April meet and greet with local accountants and a May meeting with regional economic development agencies.
“We have a lot of new families and new businesses coming up, and I want them to know what opportunities could be out there and could be nearby," Cameron said. "Just kind of knowing your neighborhood bank and lending situation, I think, would create opportunities that you may not have known were there.”
This Friday’s meet and greet event will run from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information about the Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District, visit their website.
