In 1980 Laury Hammel founded The Longfellow Clubs, a group of health, tennis, and sports clubs located outside Boston and servicing over 10,000 members. The Longfellow Clubs has been a leader in the fitness and tennis industries and has won numerous awards. Laury has been inducted into the New England Tennis Hall of Fame, and his emphasis on growing local value has led Club Business International magazine to call him the “conscience of the industry.” His family was named the National Tennis Family of the Year in 2000, and he is currently the number one tennis player in New England in his age group.
Gun Denhart cofounded the Hanna Andersson children’s clothing company in 1983. Through her leadership, the company has become known for its high-quality clothing made from soft cot- ton materials as well as community involvement and family- friendly work practices.

Hanna Andersson founder Gun Denhart and successful entrepreneur Laury Hammel show how every aspect of a business (from product creation to employee recruitment to vendor selection) holds the dual promise of bigger profits and a stronger local community

With practical tools and real-life examples of the best practitioners and techniques of values-driven business, Growing Local Value provides a framework for the full spectrum of ways in which a business can contribute to its community, and the benefits a company receives when it does so.

Key features

Introduction

Chapter One: The Business/Community Connection

Chapter Two: Creating Products and Services that Meet Community Needs

Chapter Three: Providing Satisfying and Well-paying Jobs to Community Residents

Chapter Four: Building Strong Local Communities by Helping Preserve the Environment

Chapter Five: Building Strong Local Communities by Partnering with Nonprofits

Chapter Six: Building Strong Local Communities Through Responsible Business Partnerships

Chapter Seven: Raising Capital and Rewarding Investors in Ways that Build Strong Communities

Chapter Eight: Business and Community Self-Assessment

Chapter Nine: The Future of the Connection between Business and the Community

Resources