MEMBERSHIP   Testimonials

“I had the opportunity to present an important economic development issue to Government Relations Task Force, the committee of member volunteers who serve as the York County Regional Chamber’s study group on government decisions and business issues.  As the chair of the Partners in Tourism group, I was requesting that the Chamber consider supporting a new visitor center in the Riverwalk area.  As a Chamber member myself, I was so impressed with the way the group addressed the issue and am proud of how dynamic and effective the Chamber actually is in carrying out its mission.  If each local business owner, as I am, could have seen what I saw in a short period of time, every business in the area would join and remain a member of the Chamber of Commerce!”               

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Pam Morrell, Keller Williams Realty
 

Pam had a few kind words about the Annual Meeting and Awards Program in February 2013:

"What a wonderful evening at Baxter Hood!!!! …from selecting the recipients, to setting up the room, to the Chamber Staff doing their thing, this annual feat is huge and you all make it run like a well oiled machine THANK YOU!!!!"



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Jeffery Brown, Outback Steakhouse

Jeffery Brown has been with Outback Steakhouse, located at 1319 River Run Court in Rock Hill, SC, for twelve of the seventeen years of operation. The company provides food and service to York County as well as charity work for various organizations. When asked why he joined the Chamber, Jeffery stated, "To get to know the business community that I was new to. Also to get my name out and to meet new contacts and get involved in some political issues that concerned me. I have become one of the busiest Outbacks in North and South Carolina and the Chamber has been huge in helping me achieve this. Their effort to get Sunday Sales before the voter is one of the main reasons I am as busy as I am. This was a controversial issue at the time but the Chamber took the stance that it was good for business and the right thing to do to let the people decide. What you get out of the Chamber depends on what you put into it. If you pay your membership and put the sticker on your door and do nothing else, then the Chamber is not going to help you as much as you would like. If you take advantage of the many things that they have to offer, like the various meetings and groups, your business will almost surely benefit."

He believes that the Buy Local program is important to our community because it keeps money right here in the community. "The tips you give my servers will be spent in this community. The money I pay my employees, because of the business I have here, will stay in the community. The more successful businesses we have the better off we are. Once again this is another great program that the Chamber has instituted that helps out the local businesses". His final comment about the Chamber was, "I can say one of the best things I ever did was join the Chamber. Not only has it helped me professionally but it has also helped me personally. I met my wife at the Annual Meeting back in 2002."
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Edie Dille, York Technical College

Is Chamber of Commerce membership worth the price? (Taken from Edie's blog "Grabbing the Ring" available here.)

If networking should be about developing relationships with others, is there any value in spending the money on local chamber of commerce memberships? I believe the answer to that question is “YES.” Chambers tend to provide many opportunities for you to get to know others. They host seminars, ribbon cuttings for new businesses, after-hours events, and more. And, they have many committees where you can likely plug in to add some value AND get to know your co-committee members.

Chambers also advocate for small business through the local political and state legislative process, monitor what’s going on, and will help keep members aware of topics that apply to them. So, plug in to your chamber of commerce. Just keep in mind that you can’t just join and display the membership plaque. You have to work it by attending events and getting involved. The leads will follow. Too busy to get involved? What a great problem to have! However, whether you own your own business or work for someone else, one of the keys to success is getting out there and building your network so don’t seek excuses not to get involved. You can pick and choose which events to attend but you should be attending some. Work the events into your schedule a few times a month. While it may take some time, in the long run, your chamber membership will pay off.

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