Local business owners and Monroe County leaders gathered at the American Legion Hall in Columbia on Thursday to promote area enterprises at the second annual Mo Co Expo.

Local purveyors showcased their services and wares, which ranged from handcrafted jewelry to real estate services. The event, co-sponsored by the Monroe County Economic

Development Council and University of Illinois Extension, hosted approximately 46 booths over the course of almost three hours.

Visitors to the expo had the opportunity to peruse not only well-established businesses but also new additions to the local business scene.

In all, hundreds of local consumers spent the evening viewing a growing number of merchants, helping boost attendance among both business owners and potential customers, according to Nora Feuquay, community and economic educator with the U of I Extension.

“It looks like more people and vendors, and most of them seem to be smaller businesses,” she said.

Most of the merchants at the expo were independent retailers, realtors and restaurateurs, Feuquay said.

Feuquay helps organize the Mo Co Expo along with Jackie Hausmann, administrative assistant and event coordinator for the City of Columbia, and Steve Notheisen, Waterloo alderman and MCEDC treasurer.

The growth of local business is a positive sign for the economy in Monroe County, according to Sara Naumann of Strano & Associates Real Estate, which had a booth at the event.

“It’s definitely an uptick (in vendors) from last year,” she said.

The Monroe County Economic Development Council can be reached at 939-8681, ext. 309.