Joe Max Higgins isn’t the biggest man in Lowndes County, but he does cast the biggest shadow.
Tuesday, the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce held a luncheon for its members at Lion Hills Center, which served as sort of a coming out party for the organization.
For the past 12 years, the Chamber has been under the umbrella of what is now known as the Golden Triangle Regional Development LINK and Higgins, its charismatic CEO.
When the LINK was established in 2003, it served a much more narrow focus than it does today. Then, it was focused solely on bringing business and industry – especially industry – to Lowndes County.
Under those circumstances, combining Chamber and the LINK appeared to be a natural fit.
But almost three years ago, the LINK expanded to include Oktibbeha and Clay counties and its focus since has turned more and more toward industrial development.
Last November, the decision was made to remove the Chamber and its counterparts in Starkville and West Point from the LINK. The theory was that each entity could then focus on what it does best: For the Chamber, that means recruiting new retail and non-industrial businesses and supporting those already here.
During its Tuesday luncheon, the Chamber provided its members with an update on all of the programs it offers. For the most part, these were not new programs. They’ve existed all along. Tuesday, then, was a reminder that those programs, which have long been closely associated with the LINK, are Chamber programs.
Chamber President Joey Bragg used the opportunity to “re-brand” the Chamber by making sure members and potential members realize all the Chamber has to offer.
We believe raising the profile of the Chamber will ultimately be a shot in the arm for the city and its business community because its removes the ambiguity about the Chamber’s mission.
A more sharply-focused Chamber operating out from under the massive shadow cast by its association with the LINK has the potential to rally the business community to its basic mission. The Chamber hopes to grow its members from the current 470 to 575 by year’s end.
We hope to see the Chamber become a more visible presence throughout the city and that it will strengthen its relationship with our existing business while aggressively pursuing new ones.
It is our hope that Tuesday’s luncheon will not be simply a coming out party, but a launching point.
A sharply-focused, revitalized Chamber can be a tremendous boost to our city.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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