The Portage Chamber of Commerce hosted the Portage Economic Development Corporation (PEDCO) meet up to work in an effort to provide promotion to outside businesses interested in coming to Portage, as well as allowing support for businesses presently in the community.
Rick Francis, owner of Francis Photography, believed heavily in the networking opportunity, stating, "The biggest thing about PEDCO is getting to meet people. I love finding out what people are doing in the community. This is a great organization, because they're trying to get new businesses into the area."
The improvement of this effort in largely thanks to the new director, Burt Cook, the new director for PEDCO. "Burt, who is new to the organization, is great. He's got a lot of innovative ideas, and he's moving forward. He wants to make a great impression for Portage," Rick said.
The chamber is a network of individuals who support organizations like PEDCO in order that the community can continue to grow and improve, both in business and community efforts, "I think the chamber, a lot of times, is the first contact if you're coming into town," said Terry Hufford, executive director of the Chamber of Portage, "It's not one-stop shopping, but the chamber is a great place to find out what's happening in Portage and why it's important to go to certain events."
Stressing the importance of the chamber as well, Terry D. Hardin, president of Human Resources Solutions, Inc., said, "There are so many benefits to being a member of the chamber - not just business reasons, but as a citizen as well," stating that involvement and education on the goings on of the community are all part of citizenry.
"Whenever I contact a business in town, first question I ask them is 'Are you a chamber member?' because that tells me something about the business," he said, acknowledging that chamber membership speaks volumes about the character and integrity of a citizen."
This joint effort between PEDCO and the Portage Chamber of Commerce shows the need for personal and organizational work in bringing new businesses to the community as well as supporting those who are already an integral piece of the local workforce.