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Vidalia, Ferriday Chambers of Commerce consider consolidating
Published Wednesday, November 11, 2009
VIDALIA — Vidalia has a chamber of commerce. Ferriday has a chamber of commerce. But local business leaders are asking — should there be a Concordia Parish chamber of commerce?
At the Vidalia Chamber of Commerce’s meeting Tuesday, members were handed a survey asking if the Vidalia and Ferriday chambers should join together to form a parish-wide chamber.
“We look better, we do things better if we do things together,” Vidalia Chamber President Sam Jones said.
The survey, which will also be distributed at the Ferriday chamber’s meeting next week, asks what the positive and negative aspects of merging the two chambers would be, and if members thought businesses from the Clayton, Monterey and Ridgecrest areas would join a Concordia Parish chamber.
Ferriday Chamber of Commerce President Liz Brooking said the purpose of the surveys is not necessarily to form a plan of action.
“We just want people to start thinking and let them know that a group of people within the parish are working hard on this, and we want to see something improved if we can,” Brooking said. “We are looking for ways we can come together and work toward our common goals instead of doing our own thing and not knowing what our next door neighbors are doing.”
One idea that has already been floated is to allow the existing chambers to continue to exist while having an umbrella organization.
“We are hoping to keep things like they are, two separate organizations but with an umbrella organization, but if it works out and the community feels it would be better to join as one and form one chamber, then that door would be open as well,” Vidalia Chamber of Commerce Director Jamie Burley said.
A concern that prompted the idea of the formation of a Concordia Parish chamber was the fact that Clayton, Monterey and Ridgecrest don’t have an organization like the chamber with which to work, Burley said.
“We are hoping that, if nothing else because of the distance, within (the communities of Clayton, Monterey and Ridgecrest), they will set up their own informal organization where they may get together once a month and talk things over and then have a representative of their group join the Concordia Parish chamber,” Brooking said.
Another concern is that some businesses, such as local banks, have memberships in both the Vidalia, Ferriday and Natchez chambers of commerce, Burley said.
“It is more costly for them,” she said.
Once the surveys are collected, if the two groups are to move forward, the next likely step will be to take the proposal to the Miss-Lou steering committee, Burley said.
The Miss-Lou steering committee is a group of local business and civic leaders exploring possible regional development efforts.
Chamber members can pick up a copy of the surveys at the Ferriday and Vidalia chamber offices.
For more information, contact the Vidalia chamber at 318-336-8223 or the Ferriday chamber at 318-757-4297, or to contact the chambers through the Internet, go to www.vidaliala.com or www.ferridaychamber.org.
Comments
Posted by SniperX (anonymous) on November 11, 2009 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like a good way to start a fight!
Posted by geauxtigers (anonymous) on November 11, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Or "CHAMBERS of Commerce"...whatever.
Posted by batsnapper (Allen Richard) on November 11, 2009 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
@geauxtigers: You're right. It should be "Chambers of Commerce".
Posted by jammin1 (anonymous) on November 11, 2009 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like a good start to promote the region. The only ones that would fight it are those that want to control what goes on here for their own benefit and not that of the entire area!
Posted by FadedGlory (anonymous) on November 12, 2009 at 12:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the businesses of this region could join forces and pool resources they could make the politicians get off of their collective rear ends and do something positive for the entire area. With all of the businesses under the same umbrella, standing united, they could make a difference in what the politicians do.
Including making our schools more appealing!
I am a member of both Vidalia's and Ferriday's Chamber, I own no businesses, nor do I work for anyone. I am retired. I am a consumer however and as such I can recognize the strength and power the private sector can wield if they could just join together.
We the consumers can help by backing our business owners. Even if you don't join a Chamber in your area, you are still welcome to come to the regular meetings. Go and see what they do. Check out how they operate in our community. Just call your local Chamber of Commerce and they will be more than happy to tell the time and place of the next meeting.
Together we can bring more businesses into the area! That would mean more jobs. Which would mean people would have money to spend locally and improve the tax base. Which in turn helps the consumer by keeping prices lower and property taxes lower too since they won't have to be raised to offset the deficit that loss of population and businesses cause.
By joining forces the region would have more money to reach out there and advertise and promote the area. This can be done by ads on TV, in magazines, and internet.
For now if we can just get Vidalia and Ferriday to join together, then when others see the results they will want to join too.
If places in North and South Carolina can do it, we can too!
Posted by juju (anonymous) on November 12, 2009 at 9:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Next thing you know, they'll be sharing schools, utilities and water, and everything like they're all actually part of the same parish. What do they mean!
Posted by bayoulady (anonymous) on November 12, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If someone can tell me anything that Vidalia has benefited from Ferriday, I would love to know it. This is a "big mistake". I can understand the "good" it will do Ferriday, but what will Vidalia gain?
Posted by FadedGlory (anonymous) on November 12, 2009 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Look ahead at the big picture bayoulady. Once Ferriday gets its water situated it will be a prime spot for large businesses. That will mean jobs, not just for Ferriday but the area as a whole!
This will also help in training the workforces needed to attract those businesses.
Vidalia is a great place, but it can only hold so much.
This is a rural area. The closest large city is almost 2 hours away in any direction, so it makes sense to join forces and try to grow our area!
Posted by bayoulady (anonymous) on November 12, 2009 at 6:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I do respect your opinion FadedGlory, but nothing good will come from this. I hope I am wrong, but I honestly do not think that Ferriday has anything to offer to Vidalia or the surrounding area.
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