New Holland is a very good place to do business.

The New Holland area and its downtown shopping district offer a wide array of products and services. Local proprietors and merchants know their wares, engage in sound business practices and prioritize customer service.

"I think we have a very strong business community," said Steve Brightbill, who's been the president of the New Holland Business Association (NHBA) for six months. "There are a lot of great businesses which have been operating in New Holland for a very long time. The more of these people we can get involved, the better. What we want to know is, 'How can the business association further help the business community? How can we all work together and improve each year?' I believe it's a great place to run a business. We want to get the word out to people who feel the same way."

The goal, the mission and the purpose of NHBA is to promote and advocate for its members and the local business community in general. Overseen by a board of directors, NHBA does not maintain a brick-and-mortar office.

NHBA meets as an organization for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at Yoder's Family Restaurant, 14 S. Tower Road, New Holland. The association's executive team also conducts quarterly meetings throughout the year.

"We don't have a full-time staff. We all work as volunteers," said Brightbill. "Basically, we're trying to provide a service that benefits New Holland businesses, and we want to advocate for businesses. It's not a huge community here, but a strong one. I think there's a lot of potential that hasn't been reached."

More of an association than a chamber of commerce, NHBA engages in a number of activities throughout the year that are designed to draw visitors to businesses and make New Holland a better place to live. Among those activities are beautification projects; community celebrations; New Holland's version of National Night Out in August; and the popular Christmas on Main event, which is annually staged downtown on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

NHBA also regularly donates to five local nonprofits.

"I'm kind of the new guy coming in," said Brightbill, a Lititz resident and the general manager of Turner Buick GMC in New Holland. "(New Holland's) a tight-knit community. This area believes in community. It's a proud community. There are a lot of great people here and a lot of great businesses. It's a very dedicated group to the New Holland community. They appreciate what the New Holland community is. But at the end of the day, we're all here to make money."

Currently, NHBA's membership consists of about 45 local entrepreneurs. In line with his beliefs in the strength of numbers and the power of collaboration and cooperation, Brightbill is trying to increase NHBA's membership numbers.

"You have a wide variety of businesses in New Holland," said Brightbill. "It's a very diverse group. Everyone's needs are different. The more people we have involved, the stronger we become. Anyone who conducts business in New Holland can be a member of the business association. There are a lot of nonprofits who rely on businesses. The business community is a big part of the nonprofits."

"There are a lot of community leaders out there who aren't part of the business association," he added. "The businesses who are there are there to network with people. They're there to hear what other businesses are doing. I think business owners are trying to serve the community the best they can. But we're not trying to be something we're not."

At the beginning of this year, Brightbill distributed surveys to local businesses asking them about their needs and what they're looking for in a business association.

"The people who started (NHBA) had a mission, and they wanted to bring members of the business community together," said Brightbill. "Originally, the purpose of the organization was to revitalize business opportunities in New Holland. Business owners are our faces. There's been growth there, and there's still room for growth."

For additional information, go to http://www.newhollandbusiness.org.