More than 80 Bartlett businesses, service providers and community organizations came out Thursday to the Bartlett Recreation Center for the 2022 Bartlett Business Health, Home and Garden Expo.
The Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, St. Francis Hospital-Bartlett and the City of Bartlett partnered to host the annual event, canceled the past two years due to the pandemic.
“We feel like we’re back strong this year,” Kathy Carl, the Bartlett chamber’s director of operations, said. “We sold out our vendor space, and there were a lot of people waiting in line to get in this morning.”
The expo began in 1982 and has become a great way for the area’s top companies and institutions, entrepreneurs and city officials to become acquainted with one another, tout their products and services and offer products for sale.
“After two years absence, I think all of the businesspeople are excited about meeting each other. Then for the citizens as they come in through the day, I think they’re just excited to have functions like this again,” said Bartlett Mayor A. Keith McDonald. “People have a pent-up desire to be around each other.”
The mayor cited the importance of the various sponsors in making the event happen.
“Not having this event has been a big void in our community for the last two years,” Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett CEO Chris Locke said. “We’re so excited to see the expo back open.”
A wide range of industries were represented, including banking, health care, information technology, food and beverage, landscaping, education, community services and more. First Horizon is an event sponsor.
“It’s all about supporting our customers and the Bartlett community,” Heather Nash, manager of the Bartlett Banking Center, said. “Our kids have grown up in Bartlett. We worship here, live here, shop here — so the city is near and dear to our hearts.”
Small business Bartlett Coffee owner Joseph Cavallo rented a booth at the expo, offering samples and selling fresh cups and bags of beans. His various coffee blends included the “Wake the Hell Up!” ultra-caffeinated.
Cavallo is a mobile vendor who sets up throughout the year at farmers markets and a variety of other events around the Mid-South. He also sells his coffee online and through social media.
“I don’t have a storefront, but there are stores that sell my coffee,” he said. “Coming to this event is about branding the product and the business. It helps promote.”
Early in the day, he had already picked up several new clients at the expo.
Dawn Barrom, owner of NexGen Testosterone & Weight Loss Clinic at 7424 U.S. 64, attended the event for the first time this year. Her walk-in clinic opened nearly three years ago. The expo offered an introduction for those unfamiliar with the business.
“It’s great for advertising and people networking, which I’d rather do face-to-face so I can really address questions,” Barrom said. “Plus, some people still don’t know about our clinic, or they might wonder what we do.”
Barrom set up a curtained area inside her booth where she administered private B12 and lipo injections.
Other event sponsors this year included Infiniti of Memphis, McDonald’s, First South, Teched2Go, ePayment, Memphis Funeral Home, Travel Leaders and Bartlett Express.