Wilton’s Economic Development Commission (EDC) held its first meeting of 2025 on Wednesday, Jan 22. With the addition of two new members — Lana Giancarlo and Andrew Warren, who joined in December — the EDC now functions with nine members.
Commissioners are in the final stretch of completing their conclusions and recommendations from a satisfaction survey of Wilton business owners that was launched in August.
The EDC designed the survey to better understand the needs and challenges facing Wilton’s businesses, including home-based businesses.
“We want to know how well we are meeting the needs of local companies,” EDC Chair Joe Favarolo said in the survey’s planning stage.
Commissioners first began analyzing the survey data in October. In subsequent meetings, including their latest one, commissioners have reviewed the data and held lengthy discussions on potential implications. Although they did not finalize anything, they appear poised to do so at an upcoming special meeting (date to be announced).
Based on some mixed results among business owners in terms of their overall satisfaction and likelihood of recommending Wilton as a place do business, Favarolo sees opportunities the EDC or the Town can address.
“We have room for improvement,” Favarolo said. “This is what the survey is telling us, in terms of [the] main issues [and] some of the challenges.”
The emerging themes seem to pertain to improving “visibility” for businesses, addressing workforce needs, and focusing on Wilton’s many home-based and small businesses.
Whatever the specific action steps are, Favarolo says one thing is clear.
“We will be much more interactive with the business community. We’re going to be much more interactive with SCORE, with the [Wilton] Library, with the Town, and with businesses, and we’re going to be leveraging our social media significantly,” he said. “That’s very good. That’s what we should be doing.”
Social Media Update
EDC Commissioner Alison Smith, who leads the EDC’s social media effort, has transformed the EDC’s social media presence essentially singlehandedly.
Though she was not in attendance at the Jan. 22 meeting, Favarolo updated the commissioners on the EDC’s social media activity, citing the following statistics for 2024:
- The number of EDC Instagram followers was up 12% from 2023, to over 4,300 followers
- The EDC made 151 Instagram posts — a 57% increase
- The EDC had over 150,000 Instagram views — a 347% increase
” I think it’s great news, great progress, and I hope we continue doing that progress in 2025,” Favarolo said.