Martinsville's Chamber of Commerce is looking to roll out the city's welcome mat to one and all.

The chamber took a step toward that goal by inviting Jeff Harlig, a diversity expert from Bloomington, to speak at the chamber's monthly luncheon Friday about how the city can become a more welcoming community.

Harlig serves on the Diversity Committee of the Human Resources Association of Central Indiana. In 1998, he founded Words@Work, a consulting firm.

"I have to admit, for a long time Morgan County was a shortcut to the airport for me," he said. "It was a place that had a reputation."

Harlig recalled supervising some census workers in the summer of 2000 and canvassing on the back roads of the county.

"That was quite an eye-opener, especially when I was told that I'd have a shotgun aimed at me if I went down certain roads," he said.

He cited the economic benefits to having a more welcoming community. For instance, census figures placed the number of Latinos in the state at 215,000, he said. Their buying power is growing, he said.

"Every group needs to buy things regardless of their economic status," Harlig said. "One obvious message I can give is, if minorities won't stop in your town, you can't benefit from their buying power."

It's essential to get the word out that anybody can eat, shop, fill up or stay overnight at the motels in Martinsville, Harlig said.

Martinsville is an obvious stopping point between Bloomington and Indianapolis, he said.

Having a welcoming community is also a plus when trying to lure a large industry or business, Harlig said. Corporate executives want to be able to praise their selection for a new industrial site, he said.

Under no circumstances would it work if, when a company announced a new plan for a headquarters, people said, "You are locating where?" Harlig said.

He suggested Martinsville businesses have diversity policies and provide training.

"It shows you care to have a written policy regarding equal treatment of all customers, clients, equal opportunity in hiring and promotion of employees," Harlig said.

Harlig asked the audience to explain "What is the true character of Martinsville?"

One man called Martinsville, "a great all-American town."

Harlig said Martinsville has more than one face.

"What should concern you as business people is what is the face the outside world sees," he said. "Does the outside world see the face of the great all-American town or does it see something else? If that's true, why is that?"

Martinsville will be defined by the people who are the most noticeable, he said. People like those in the audience need to speak out for the community, he said.

Call Jerry Graff at 1-317-865-4906.