CANTON -- Buy Local Matchmaker will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Nov. 16, In SUNY Canton's Richard W. Miller Campus Center Room 212. It will be the third time the SUNY Canton Small Business Development Center has hosted a matchmaker event in St. Lawrence County.

Businesses sign up for 10-minute meetings with purchasing officers and have that short time to talk and share marketing materials. When time is up, the business moves to the next agency.

"In speaking with some of the larger businesses around the county, we realized that they are purchasing from neighboring cities or online - mostly because they don't know what is available locally," said Brooke Rouse, executive director of the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. "We certainly have a tremendous amount of skilled, hard-working businesses right here. This event shines a light on that and creates personal relationships, which is how we like to do business in St. Lawrence County."

Registration is free for purchasing officers, but signing up in advance is required.

"To attract a wide variety of local vendors it is necessary to have a full slate of purchasing officers committed to attend," explained SBDC Business Advisor Michelle Collins. "Signing up early not only assures you will get one of the limited slots for purchasing agents, but will also help to attract a good selection of local small businesses for the best possible outcome for purchasers."

For more information about the event, call the SBDC at 386-7312, email sbdc@canton.edu, or visit www.canton.edu/sbdc.