The Two Images Tell a Story

By T.W. Shortt, Co-Founder of the Radcliff Small Business Alliance, Former Radcliff City Councilman, and Local Business Owner

Image #1 shows the original billboard on the south end of Radcliff welcoming people to stop, shop, eat, stay, and play in our community. It was a simple message, but it reflected something important: pride in Radcliff and a commitment to supporting local businesses.

Image #2 shows that same billboard today—faded, overgrown, and neglected.

A sign like this is more than an eyesore. It can become a symbol of a larger problem. In this case, it reflects what many of us believe has happened to the Radcliff Small Business Alliance itself: a loss of focus, a loss of initiative, and a gradual drift away from the mission for which the organization was created.

The RSBA was formed to give Radcliff businesses a strong local voice. It was supposed to promote commerce in Radcliff, encourage networking among local business owners, support entrepreneurs, and keep attention focused on the northern end of Hardin County.

But here we are in 2026, and the organization appears to have experienced serious mission creep. Instead of functioning as a strong advocate for Radcliff businesses, it increasingly resembles a smaller extension of the broader countywide business establishment centered in Elizabethtown. That is not what many people in Radcliff expected when the RSBA was created.

Radcliff businesses and residents should ask a simple question: Is the RSBA still fulfilling the mission it was created to serve?

If the answer is no, then something must change.

Our preference is for the existing organization to correct course, return to its original purpose, rebuild its connection with Radcliff businesses, and once again become an active voice for this community. But if that does not happen, we intend to move forward within the coming months with the development of a new organization focused squarely on Radcliff businesses, economic activity, community pride, and local advocacy.

The faded billboard can be restored.

So can the mission.

But someone has to decide that Radcliff is worth the effort.

Tags: business, digital-marketing, education, marketing, writing