For some, it was about the contacts. For others, it was about the information.
But everyone at the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council's Business Opportunity Expo at the Cobb Galleria Centre on Wednesday came looking for ways to help their company.
An estimated 500 individuals and businesses were expected, with one draw being matchmaking sessions in which supplier companies could "pitch" their products or services to potential buyer companies. Those more formal sessions took place along with more informal get-togethers.
Gene Carlton, president and CEO of GC Electrical Solutions, a Fayetteville electrical supplier, hoped to make connections with potential customers. He set up an informational display booth along with other small businesses, next to giants such as Home Depot, the Coca-Cola Co. and Delta Air Lines.
"This gives us an opportunity to get a little more face to face, to create a dialogue and to go a little more in depth about what we offer to our potential customers," he said. "We can't always get to the right person. Here, we have kind of a captive audience. That can create some opportunities to get to the right person."
Business owners also came to hear how to deal with issues confronting their companies. Several at a session about securing capital said they are having trouble obtaining financing to expand.
A panel including two bankers told them money is available, but that it's not easy to get in a tight market, an assessment that left them frustrated.
"It seems there's a reluctance to lend right now," said LeVar T. J. Fraiser, director of technical services for NeoGeneration Wireless Services in Alpharetta.
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