Erin Calvo-Bacci, owner of the chocolate manufacturer Bacci Chocolate Design, Swampscott, MA, and its retail division The Chocolate Truffle of Reading, recently attended the National Retail Federation Leadership Conference in Washington along with the president and board members of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

Calvo-Bacci was appointed to the RAM board last December. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts, or RAM, is a 3,500-member trade association that promotes the retail industry, providing legislative advocacy and services for local businesses.

This was an opportunity to meet with members of Congress to discuss the impact of decisions on issues such as sales tax fairness, healthcare reform mandates and tax reform. On the table were such issues as:

How Main Street retailers support communities through employment and charitable giving.
How sales tax, healthcare reform mandates, and tax reform affects small businesses, which do not qualify for tax breaks.

Calvo-Bacci is member of the RAM Legislative Committee, and serves on the Buy Local task force of the Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce. Currently serving her second year as a Town Meeting member in Reading, she was a member of the Historical Demo Delay Bylaw Working Group, which crafted a local bylaw that passed last fall.

Calvo-Bacci has more than 20 years experience in the retail industry; as a student often working in multiple retail jobs to pay for college. She has owned The Chocolate Truffle since 2003, and in 2006, launched Bacci Chocolate Design with her husband Carlo Bacci. Bacci Chocolate Design, located in Swampscott, sells its CB Stuffer line of Peanut Butter Cups, Gourmet Bars, Chocolate Pizzas and slices in to retail stores nationally. Prior to owning Bacci Chocolate Design, Inc., Calvo-Bacci spent five years in retail management, eight years in business development, and the last two years as a marketing communications consultant working for political campaigns, non-profit organizations and a talent acquisition consulting firm.

Calvo-Bacci said, “Working in retail, especially for companies such as Banana Republic, Haven’s Confections in Portland, Maine and Fanny Farmer taught me a lot in regards to marketing, sales, customer service, loss prevention and management, but it is still very different when you own your own business. At the end of a shift I could go home, but owning our own business means our “shift” is 24/7. With fewer legislative hurdles, we can have a strong retail industry which is necessary for the economic growth our country needs.”