VALLEY — The 2nd annual Business Expo & Luncheon will be held this Friday at the Valley Community Center, presented by the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.

The event begins April 13 with the expo beginning at 10:30 a.m. to noon, followed by a luncheon for attending businesses.

Chamber executive director Ashley Crane has said the expo is a good opportunity to showcase products and services provided by local businesses.

Thirty-five individual, mostly local businesses have signed up to set up booths as part of the expo.

“Businesses can set up booths and share about themselves,” Crane said.

The expo will also feature the return of Fast Pitch, where businesses will be given the opportunity to present themselves for a few minutes.

Crane recalled how the chamber did Fast Pitch for three years before stopping after 2016.

“The first year was good but the second and third years were repetitive,” she said. “A lot of people liked it and we decided to incorporate it with the expo. People can hear a little about the businesses.”

Following the expo, attending businesses will take part in a luncheon with guest speakers Mack and Ria Story.

Mack and Ria have a story of professional growth, personal growth, and transformation.

Mack began his career working on the front lines of a machine shop while Ria started hers in healthcare administration, after overcoming years of abuse. Working in completely different industries, they both began to apply leadership principles to their respective careers with incredible results personally and professionally and developed a passion for leadership.

They founded Top Story Leadership, and offer motivational speaking, leadership development training, coaching, and consulting. Their clients include Chick-fil-A, Chevron, Auburn University, Koch Industries, and Kimberly-Clark.

“We hope over time we will continues to grow and have more sign up,” Crane said.

Everyone is invited to attend this year’s expo at no cost. It begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at noon.