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Wednesday, Jul. 01, 2009

Chamber hopes to score top honor

It’s a good sign for Warner Robins.

The city has one of the top three chambers of commerce in the nation, and it’s up for the honor of being named No. 1, says a panel of judges for the American Chamber of Commerce Executives.

The Warner Robins Area Chamber is one of three finalists in its budget division for the ACCE’s annual Chamber of the Year award.

“We did a lot of high-fiving when we found out the good news,” said chamber president Ed Rodriguez.

The chamber submitted a four-page application and more than 500 pages of documentation to qualify for the award, Rodriguez said. The award is based on the chamber’s membership numbers and participation in its events.

Warner Robins is nominated in the third of four divisions, determined by the size of the chamber budget. The two other cities vying for the award in its division are Columbus, Ind., and Southern Pines, N.C.

Rodriguez said he’s confident that Warner Robins has a good chance of taking home the award.

He said he’s worked with many chambers in the past, “but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that had as much involvement as Warner Robins does,” he said.

In 2009 alone, the Warner Robins chamber has had more than 40 ribbon cuttings for new businesses, said administrative assistant Donna Scott. In total, the chamber has at least 1,200 members, with new businesses joining every day.

If the chamber wins the award, it could do a great deal for local business.

Eddie McBride, president of the chamber of commerce in Lubbock, Texas — the city that won the award last year — said the recognition has not only increased the chamber membership there, but has also attracted new retailers to the area.

“People from across the nation heard about us and how great our commerce was doing when we won the award, and we’ve seen a solid boost in business,” McBride said.

The winner of the award will be announced July 31 at ACCE’s national convention.

In the meantime, Rodriguez said the chamber will continue to work on its regional branding campaign.

“Recently, Warner Robins was named the No. 1 place to live and raise a family. That’s great, and we’re proud of that, but we’re also trying to think of something else that makes the area stand out. We’re trying to give it a brand for businesses,” he said

To contact writer Carl Lewis, call 744-4347.