The merchants of Chaumont became partners of the 61st artillery regiment. This Monday, July 1, they were welcomed into the military base. President of the Union of Traders, Nelly Georgemel encourages her colleagues to join this partnership.
On Monday, July 1, the merchants of the city of Chaumont and surrounding towns were welcomed into the 61st Artillery Regiment by the corps commander, Colonel Le Viavant. A moment of conviviality was organized as part of a partnership. “Since the fall of 2023, the regiment has restarted the process of partnerships with merchants from Chaumont and nearby towns, notably Châteauvillain and Villiers-le-Sec.” The City of Chaumont and the urban area have been supporting the soldiers of Semoutiers since 2022.
46 partner merchants
“Today, we have 46 partner merchants. These may be international brands, local businesses or independent sellers. Thanks to an agreement, military personnel and their families can benefit from a preferential offer in partner businesses, namely 10% reduction. Our objective is to consolidate our links with businesses in the Chaumont area and to develop partnerships with those in Langres.” The relaunch of local army-commerce partnerships coincides with the strengthening of the “human environment” office which aims to improve the living conditions of soldiers in their garrison.
Colonel Le Viavant demonstrated the importance of the military in Haute-Marne at the economic and demographic level: “There are 850 people working in the regiment. If we count reservists and military families, we reach 1,500 people directly or indirectly linked to the Semoutiers regiment. The number of military children represents the equivalent of thirteen school classes. A well-established soldier is a happy soldier who will consume locally in the majority of cases.”
Work until 2030
For some time now, rumors of the regiment moving have been circulating. The corps commander wanted to respond: “This year, we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the regiment’s presence in Semoutiers. For a long time, it suffered from a lack of infrastructure. Since 2018, several tens of millions of euros have been invested in the rehabilitation of the buildings. Work is planned until 2030. You can rest assured about the future of this base.”
Mayor Christine Guillemy recalled “the work of one of my predecessors, Luc Chatel, who fought body and soul to maintain this military base here.” The councilor continues: “Civilians have difficulty mobilizing to keep their soldiers. Châlons-en-Champagne is, for me, the most striking example. I had warned my colleague that the departure of the regiment from his town would have terrible repercussions for his territory. Local elected officials mobilized too late. We all know the economic consequences of this departure. We have the gendarmerie school and the regiment. The military represents 10% of our territory’s GDP.” The elected official calls for developing relations between the Union of Traders, the city and the regiment.
A win-win partnership
Partners of the 61st artillery regiment for 4 years, the managers of the Le Parisien café, Sylvain and Céline Baumann explain how they came to forge links with the military: “It was through a customer from Chaumont who worked at the regiment that we learned about this system. We already had a regular clientele of military personnel. With this partnership agreement, we have strengthened our links with them. On weekends, they come with their families to enjoy the terraces of our café.”
President of the Union of Traders and manager of Créa Coutellerie Nogent, Nelly Georgemel is delighted with the development of partnerships: “We know the economic weight of this regiment. More than 1,000 people, that’s not insignificant. They provide work for traders, craftsmen and real estate. I encourage my fellow traders to develop this partnership with the regiment.”
C.G
