By Terri Wiebold

With a belief that strong businesses contribute to the stability and the well-being of a community, the Castle Pines North Master Association has been working to form a business association in Castle Pines North (CPN). With recent announcements of incorporation efforts, promoting an environment of communication, cooperation and support for local businesses is more important than ever.

As a result, Business in the Pines was developed in late December in an effort to promote and enhance future growth of CPN area businesses.

“The existence of a successful and vibrant business community is important to the future of Castle Pines North,” said Master Association Vice President Doug Gilbert. “We are pleased to see this first step in organizing a business-friendly organization to help achieve that goal.”

Business in the Pines welcomes Dr. Andrew Dunbar, owner of Castle Pines Orthodontics, Paul Arvidson,Vice President of Castle Rock Bank, Don Bobeda, owner/broker for Prudential Preferred Real Estate, and Doug Gilbert, Vice President of the Master Association to the newly-formed board of directors.

Benefits of belonging to Business in the Pines include: open communication with other CPN businesses; complete membership directory; free advertising in the business directory on the CPN website; access to website with membership links and internet cross-marketing; cooperative advertising and networking opportunities; corporate sponsorships; business workshops and community events; unified and strong voice in government matters, and much more.

Annual membership dues ranges from as low as $100 for an Associate Membership (non-voting member not working from a store front) to $300 for larger commercial businesses with six or more employees. There are many business sponsorship opportunities still available for 2007, and many ways to get involved in the Business in the Pines.

“We chose to call it a business association rather than a merchant’s association,” said Sharon Kollmar, Business in the Pines director and business relations manager for the CPN Master Association. “We have such a diverse commercial base which includes home-based businesses, realtors, and many others not working out of a retail office space that we did not want to limit membership to only store front merchants,” she said.

Information about memberships and upcoming events and activities can be found at a new website online in March - www.businessinthepines.com. For more information, contact Sharon Kollmar at 303-688-5656 or e-mail business@cpnhoa.org, or Carla Kenny at 303-663-9326 or e-mail carlakenny@mho.com.