About Us

Mission & History

The Laurel Board of Trade, Inc. is a local non-profit membership organization that has been bringing together Laurel merchants since the early 1960s. When it was first founded, The Laurel Board of Trade was known as The Main Street Merchants Association, and it represented small business owners throughout the Main Street and Laurel area. Over the years, the need for a bigger organization that worked with all Laurel businesses developed. The Board of Directors expanded membership to include all Laurel small businesses, and The Main Street Merchants Association became The Laurel Board of Trade.

The Laurel Board of Trade today includes over 100 small business members including retail merchants, restaurant owners and professional and B2B service providers. We work in direct partnership with the City of Laurel, Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland to help our local merchants work towards the common goal of keeping Laurel a hub of commerce.

Mission & Purpose Statements

To create and promote better understanding and open relationships among the business community, citizens and government agencies and to help facilitate the interchange of business concerns, issues and potential solutions.

To help local businesses, the City of Laurel and other government agencies in the interchange of business concerns, issues and potential solutions.
To promote pride, esteem and self-respect in the Laurel Business community and to encourage and promote business, civic and community involvement in these areas to promote educational, civic, patriotic and social work in the community.

Join The Laurel Board of Trade

Over the years, our basic mission has not changed; to help members be their best through connections to knowledge, ideas, relationships with other small businesses in the area and educating the community on the importance of buying local and supporting your local small businesses.

We aim to provide programs to meet the business and professional needs of our members and contribute to the success of our small business community. We are in constant contact with our local officials and congressional delegates to ensure that the concerns of our members are heard. We take commitment to the quality of life within the Laurel area very seriously. By mixing small business and pleasure in many of its events, LBOT is involved in community improvement, civic support and public education as part of its business mission.