Bonifay’s business hub gets new name, branding
ByStaff ReportAugust 3, 2023
BONIFAY – The small business hub at the old Bonifay Middle School now has a name.
“Up until now, every- one referred to it as ‘the old middle school,’” said Lesley Hatfield, a marketing consultant for the Holmes County Development Commission (HCDC).
“Our plan is to rename it ‘Midtown Plaza’” — a name that “reflects what we’re seeing.”
The hub, located at 401 McLaughlin Ave., opened in the early part of last year, offering 13 spaces
for lease to small business owners with concepts that run the gamut – from legal services and tech firms to fitness centers and boutiques.
It is also home to Pennsylvania-based manufacturing company Probes Unlimited.
Although periodically revolving, Midtown Plaza leasing spaces are currently all filled.
“The development commission has been thrilled at how quickly the spaces have filled up with new
businesses,” Hatfield said. “What the tenants love most about it is where it is, how accessible it is, and the price point is very reasonable for entry-level businesses.”
To compliment the site’s success, the HCDC will launch a full-scale branding campaign in September which will include a new logo and messaging, social media presence and website, onsite and directional signage along
the state highway, among other marketing and promotional materials.
The effort to rebrand comes after years of multi- purpose use of the facility. When Bonifay K-8 opened, the property was used for whatever the community needed, such as a haunted house to raise public school dollars and training grounds for law enforcement. With the help of the Holmes County Sheriff Office and other local business owners, the HCDC cleaned up the property and repurposed it “to stimulate the local economy,” Hatfield said.
“The development commission really views this as a win-win-win,” she said. “It takes a space that was vacant, and through partnership, we’ve been able to bring this property to a functional condition.”
“This has been a great success and is in complete alignment with the development commission’s mission,” she added.