Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan noted that, “The entire recovery process has been about building stronger communities. Paramount to those efforts has been a focus on both the small and larger businesses that are part of the fabric of our community. Andover and the Merrimack Valley are strongest when both businesses and residents support each other. This campaign will be about supporting our businesses across the region and 100 percent consistent with our efforts to build stronger and more vibrant communities. Merrimack Valley is proud of its business community and this campaign will highlight the diverse composition of our businesses, the talents of their employees and the resilience and perseverance that has embodied their work since September 13.”

“In November 2018 the Town of North Andover had a gift card program for the local businesses which was a great success in helping them recover from the gas disaster,” said North Andover acting town manager Lyn Savage. “We hope to continue that success and bring the businesses back to the levels prior to the Sept. 13, 2018 disaster, through the Business Recovery Program’s ‘Rock the Register,’ as well as future initiatives.”

“We credit this comeback to the incredible team of people who care deeply about the recovery and sustainability of the Greater Lawrence business community,” said Stratton Lloyd, COO and vice president for community leadership at ECCF. “The collective work to help restore hundreds of businesses in the wake of the gas tragedy means that people have regained their jobs, livelihoods, and most of all, hope that we have reached a tipping point in the recovery of small businesses in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover.”

“We lacked heat for nearly two months and saw a huge drop in sales that are just now starting to come back,” said Kellee Twadelle, proprietor of Rose and Dove in North Andover.  “The confidence of our consumers was shattered, and the disruptions caused by construction on our streets made it nearly impossible to access our store. We are grateful for the various efforts to stabilize our business over the last nine months, but more work still lies ahead. Most importantly, we are still here and we want our customers to know that…and to continue to come back.  We are ready to Rock the Register.”