Helping members launch business and celebrate success

Two of the Chamber’s stated goals are to help area businesses and organizations create growth and get connected – so when we’re able to help do both, it’s a double win.

That’s why we’re so proud of the ribbon cuttings and ground breakings we help facilitate for our members. This free service is offered to any member that has built a new facility, undergone a major renovation or is announcing the beginning of a major new facility project.

Many of our members take advantage of this service – our Membership department has coordinated 45 ribbon cuttings and ground breaking events so far in 2017. And we love the fact that so many businesses are choosing to let us help them celebrate these momentous occasions!

But the summer has been especially busy, with 20 events in June and July alone.

The organizations represented run the gamut, from established businesses in the community to up-and-coming entrepreneurs and not-for-profits looking to make their mark helping the community grow and thrive.

Most of our ribbon cutting events celebrate new businesses in our community – like The Bank of Sullivan, which cut the ribbon July 26 on its new Springfield branch.

“For us, it’s about name recognition. We’ve only been in the market for two years, so the more the community sees our name and logo, the more credibility we have,” said bank Vice President Cyndi Crews, who also serves as a Chamber Ambassador. “The president, CFO and COO drove in from Sullivan for the event, and they were very impressed with the excitement and attendance from the Chamber!”

Not all the ribbon cuttings the Chamber helps to facilitate fall into the traditional category. A June 28 event north of downtown commemorated the new Chamber membership of the Commercial Street Community Improvement District. CID Board Member Gregg Johnson says the idea of the event was to connect Chamber representatives with C-Street merchants.

“The benefit to our CID board joining the Chamber is that the small businesses in our district can reap some of the benefits of membership, until they can grow enough to join on their own,” Johnson said. “The response was very good! Anything we can do to get people from south Springfield to visit our district is a good thing.”

Even some well-established businesses get in on the ribbon cutting action. MaMa Jean’s Natural Market held a June 22 ribbon cutting for the expansion of its store on East Republic Road. For co-owner Diana Hicks, the idea was a no-brainer after the company held a similar event in 2016 to commemorate the opening of MJ’s Market and Deli. She said the response to both events was great—from chamber ambassadors and from customers and vendors.

“I think it's always good to be involved in the Chamber,” Hicks added. “They give the support and tools small businesses and non-profits need to enhance your business and your events.”

And Parkcrest Dental Group held a ribbon cutting to celebrate completion of the two-year expansion and remodeling project for its 40-year-old building.

“We received excellent responses from Chamber attendees, business community members, patients, guests, past employees and our current staff members on how our ribbon cutting event went and how impressed they were with the attendance,” said Administrator Tiffani Killingsworth.

Killingsworth summarized why events such as theirs are so important and beneficial, both for the business and for the community:

“We are proud to be still serving the Springfield community after all these years, and we felt like the Chamber was the perfect group to help us celebrate serving the community we love!”