Quarterly award raises business profiles.
Historic Plant City Main Street has awarded a sign grant to UR Cabinets Central FL. UR Cabinets, owned by Dale and Ashley Long since 2019, specializes in custom cabinets and countertops. “There are a thousand people out there that sell cabinetry, specifically in the lower grade, which we call our builder grade. But they are ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinets,” Dale said. “Within this grade, people can get cabinets only of certain sizes and certain colors. With our expertise and backgrounds of being in cabinets since 1998, we are able to custom modify builder-grade cabinets in the field and do things most people say can’t be done. Then, we take it a step further as we actually do semi-custom and full-custom cabinets.”
The UR Cabinets showroom allows customers to visualize their dream kitchens and bathrooms. UR Cabinets caters to Central Florida and offers design consultations and estimates. The business will soon proudly display its new sign above its new location at 104 W. Reynolds St.
“This is another example of a really great community business that is in downtown that gives so much to the community in so many different ways, so we are blessed to have them here,” Dawn Hyatt, Historic Plant City Main Street Executive Director, said.
“The sign grant that Historic Plant City Main Street puts on is phenomenal, and we are blessed to have it,” Dale said. “It’s definitely a big help here in downtown. It helps a lot of small business partners. We love keeping business in the community. That’s what we’re about. It’s a small town and we’re faith-based, Christian-raised, and family-owned and operated.”
“It takes a lot to get a business going, so every dollar counts,” Ashley added. She would know from life experience, because her father owned Simon’s Equipment Repair in Plant City.
Lizette Saria, Historic Downtown Plant City Main Street Design Chair and Board Vice Chair, is the driving force behind the program. “This was her baby, her brainchild that she wanted to put in as our Design Chair, and our Vice President of Main Street,” Hyatt said. “We won the state award because of her.”
“For me, it’s all about helping the businesses downtown,” Saria said. “Every little penny counts. At the time, people were looking for grants that the city had. There wasn’t really anything tailored for something small, and signs are a big deal for our community. So, it’s part of the Main Street program, and how to get involved with the merchants and the building owners, and be part of the economic vitality and design component. Instead of putting just a plastic, vinyl banner, let’s spruce it up. It improves the way all the downtown looks, and makes you feel better about your business. It makes your business look better. It is a winning strategy.”
“It hits all four points of our organization, what we structure it under with our four-point approach: the design, the organization, the promotion, and the economic vitality of downtown,” Hyatt said. “This is a perfect example of that promotion.”
Main Street is a national non-profit organization that began in the 1980s. Historic Plant City Main Street is one of the first five chapters in Florida. It offers business owners resources and workshops to give them the knowledge and resources to thrive in a competitive marketplace.
Currently, Historic Plant City Main Street awards one sign grant a quarter. The amount is between $100 and $1000. The criteria to win the award are: 1. Be a Plant City Main Street Partner; 2. Have an approved city permit for signage; 3. Have a receipt or invoice; 4. Have a rendering or a picture of the sign. 5. Complete and submit an application on the website at https://www.plantcitymainstreet.org.
Individuals, businesses, or organizations can give to support the sign grant fund by navigating to this web site and selecting the “Donate to our Efforts” button on the right side of the page.
