HYANNIS – A new report from small business advocacy group Love Live Local is drawing attention to Cape Cod’s service providers and the impact they have on the local economy.
The “Local Matters” report found the services employ almost ten percent of the Cape’s workforce, and have accounted for 66 percent of all employment growth over the last 25 years.
CEO Amanda Converse said this year’s focus on services instead of retail or restaurants was to help raise awareness that local establishments like dentists and insurance providers are also at risk of being pushed out by larger, off-Cape companies.
“The reason there aren’t a lot of independent pharmacies anymore is because of corporate consolidation and appropriation, and corporations controlling that industry,” said Converse.
Converse said that Whole Health Pharmacy in Hyannis is the only remaining independently owned pharmacy on Cape in an industry that used to be an almost exclusively mom-and-pop service.
“Veterinary practices are being bought up by private equity firms. So are dentists offices. Real estate offices are starting to consolidate and funeral homes have very few players in the field at this point,” said Converse.
The full report can be found on Love Live Local’s website here.
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