SHOREVIEW, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Deluxe Corporation today named five finalists in a nationwide search for one inspiring small town to receive a $500,000 transformation and to be featured in Season 3 of Deluxe’s hit show Small Business Revolution – Main Street.
Deluxe received thousands of nominations for Season 3. The public will now decide the winner, which will receive a $500,000 revitalization for its small businesses and downtown area and be featured in an eight-episode series that will stream on Hulu and SmallBusinessRevolution.org. Small business owners in the winning town will receive marketing support and business advice from a team of Deluxe small-business marketing experts, including Deluxe’s chief brand and communications officer Amanda Brinkman.
“After reviewing thousands of nominations and visiting 10 incredible communities, we have made the challenging decision of narrowing the list to five finalists. Now it is up to the public to decide,” Brinkman said. “The people in these unique communities represent everything that the Small Business Revolution is all about. And after receiving nearly 1 million votes for Season 2 finalists, we cannot wait to see how these amazing Season 3 finalists rally votes for their communities.”
Deluxe has also enlisted TV personality Ty Pennington, who will join Deluxe experts in the winning town and serve as celebrity spokesperson of the popular online series. Pennington will lend his expertise and will also support Deluxe in sharing the Small Business Revolution story.
After narrowing the Season 3 nominations to a short list of 10 towns, Deluxe visited each of the towns and identified five finalists:
- Alton, Illinois – A riverfront community separated from Missouri and the St. Louis metro area by the Mighty Mississippi, this bustling town once boasted more millionaires per capita than anywhere in the U.S. Now, Alton is transitioning out of its heavily industrial past and is in the midst of an entrepreneurial reinvention.
- Amesbury, Massachusetts – A historic New England town that was once famous for manufacturing everything from ships to carriages. Nestled on the Merrimack River, Amesbury now features a picturesque downtown that is filled with inspiring small businesses.
- Bastrop, Texas – A small community outside of Austin that has weathered challenges that include a massive forest fire. Its downtown, which feels plucked from a classic Western film, features everything from a moonshine distiller to an arts bazaar selling high-end Persian rugs.
- Martinez, California – The only town that can claim to be the home of both Joe DiMaggio and the martini, Martinez sits on the outskirts of San Francisco’s East Bay. Its downtown is experiencing a revival amid the renovation of beautiful historic buildings.
- Siloam Springs, Arkansas – Located in the northwestern corner of the state on the Oklahoma border, Siloam Springs blends a wealth of natural beauty with a youthful entrepreneurial enthusiasm and a robust Hispanic community. The passion their business owners have for the place they live and work is immediately evident.
From Feb. 13 to 20, the public can visit SmallBusinessRevolution.org to watch a brief video about each finalist and vote for their favorite. Once the winner is chosen, Brinkman, Pennington and the Deluxe Small Business Marketing team will head to the winning town to begin providing marketing services and other assistance to the community. And the town’s story will be told in Season 3 of Small Business Revolution – Main Street, which will air in the fall of 2018. The winner will be announced on Feb. 27.
Deluxe enlisted Pennington because of his proven track record of working on projects that help transform and improve lives, homes and communities, such as “Trading Spaces” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
“I have spent my career shining a spotlight on inspirational stories and helping people realize their dreams,” Pennington said. “Small Business Revolution – Main Street is an amazing opportunity to take my experience to a whole new level – helping an entire community, and its Main Street businesses, achieve their dreams.”
Deluxe debuted the Small Business Revolution in 2015 to celebrate a century of providing marketing and other services to small businesses and financial institutions. The campaign started by telling 100 stories of small businesses across the country. In doing so, Deluxe found a need to support and celebrate small towns that originally inspired the Small Business Revolution – Main Street and its $500,000 boost. The first two seasons of the show can be seen at SmallBusinessRevolution.org.
About Deluxe Corporation
Deluxe is a growth engine for small
businesses and financial institutions. 4.4 million small business
customers utilize Deluxe’s service and product solutions, including
website development and hosting, email marketing, social media, search
engine optimization and logo design, in addition to our industry-leading
checks and forms offerings. Deluxe serves approximately 5,600 financial
institutions with a diverse portfolio of financial technology solutions
that enable them to grow revenue and manage their customers’ throughout
their lifecycle, including our best-in-class check program solutions.
Deluxe is also a leading provider of checks and accessories sold
directly to consumers. For more information, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp or www.twitter.com/deluxecorp.
