Historic River Charm: Welcome to Alton
A charming, historic river city is the backdrop for season three of Small Business Revolution — Main Street. After thousands of nominations and hundreds of votes cast, Alton, Illinois, has been selected to get a $500,000 revitalization from Deluxe Corp. In the first episode, marketing expert Amanda Brinkman, co-host Ty Pennington and a crew of Deluxe pros meet with the city’s leaders to discuss plans to rejuvenate the downtown area. Then comes the hard part of choosing six businesses to kick-start the process.
The six lucky business owners will receive a marketing makeover, business advice and other support to help them take their businesses to the next level. Come along as their journey unfolds throughout the season.
Alton, Illinois is home to almost 30,000 people. It is by far the largest town featured on Small Business Revolution. Situated roughly 25 miles from St. Louis, on the confluence of the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri rivers, Alton is a town rich in history. It was the site of the last debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858, served a significant role during the civil war, with several homes acting as stops along the Underground Railroad, and is the birthplace of jazz musician Miles Davis and the World’s Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow.
Because the town grew through annexation and not urban planning, it has what look like multiple “main street” areas because each used to be their own separate city, making it more difficult to focus on one area. The town of Alton and all its business districts are energized and ready to move forward with an exciting new future.
Amanda Brinkman, chief brand and communications officer at Deluxe and her team of small business marketing professionals, along with new co-host and renovation icon, Ty Pennington, and an amazing team of female business experts, get to work to help bring new life and the community together in the town of Alton. The first episode provides a look into the history of this diverse community and shines a spotlight on the 12 businesses vying to be chosen as one of the six to be featured. Watch and fall in love with the amazing community of Alton.