A local business organization supporting independent businesses.
Our Mission
Buy Local’s mission is to support and empower independent, locally owned and operated businesses in Chatham County, Georgia. Buy Local is committed to preventing the displacement of local businesses by national and global entities and to providing opportunities for local businesses to connect, grow and thrive.
2026 Executive Committee
2026 Board of Directors
Somi Benson-Jaja | Shot by Somi
Mahogany Bowers | Blessings in a Bookbag
Matt Campbell | Georgia Matters
Kate Cremeans | Southern Marketing Team
Adam Fins | Friedman’s Framing
Keith Gay | Wingman Junk Removal
Rachelle Gregory | Carver State Bank
Heather Lanier | Audiology & Hearing Aid Services
Palmer Prescott | Bahama Joe’s
Phillip Scroggin | Sol Insights
How It All Began
Buy Local was founded in 1999 by three Savannah business leaders who agreed that area organizations should encourage shoppers to buy local: Rick Culbreth of Yates-Astro, Remer Lane of Remer Lane Insurance and Martin Sullivan of Sullivan Staffing. From these modest beginnings, the organization has grown to be recognized as Chatham County’s leading membership organization for independent, locally owned and operated businesses. Buy Local now comprises over 100 businesses that call Chatham County home.
Why Buy Local?
When you buy local, you support your neighbors, from the solo entrepreneurs passionately working on their innovative start up, to the beloved and established local companies employing dozens of employees. When these Chatham County companies in turn do business with other local companies, revenues and expenditures remain within the local economy, directly supporting and improving our community both economically and socially. Buying local is an act of advocacy that makes our community stronger.