top of page

Pulling the Same Rope

Pulling the Same Rope

 

Charles Romans

 

The Ashland Beacon

 

 



  Northeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President Scott Martin spoke Wednesday, May 29, to a group of chamber members and interested parties at Pappy’s Cookin’ in Flatwoods. Martin plans to have these small meetings all across the region and bring businesses together. “The reason we’re doing this is so that everyone can see what everything is all about,” Martin said. “Because the conversation and the narrative about what we do really needed to change.”

 

Martin continued, “The Chamber of Commerce for Boyd and Greenup Counties has been a regional Chamber of Commerce since 1887. The name has changed several times, and the focus has changed at times, but we have been together that long.”

 



According to Martin, the Chamber of Commerce is all about bringing businesses together and communicating between the chamber and its business members in the most beneficial way possible for all parties concerned. And right now, Martin said that give and take, the mutual support, is beginning to pay off in numerous ways. “And now, there is this feeling that we are all pulling the same rope in the same direction,” Martin remarked.

 

Martin’s goal is to keep doing these types of events until they become the norm. The dialogue isn’t about this city or that city, but rather what makes the region better as a whole. Martin commented, “As the Chamber of Commerce, we are in business for business. Every business. It doesn’t matter what size business it is. To do this the best way possible, we needed to change the narrative.” There had to be a movement away from the old narrative of simply letting businesses know what the chamber expected of them and toward a more beneficial narrative that focused on what the chamber could do to support its members and ultimately the community at large.

 

That change in thought quickly led to considering what programs the chamber could bring to the businesses that would help both the businesses and their employees. This will help the continued growth of relationships with businesses and help them with growth and retention. Martin stated, “The economic piece of the puzzle has changed, but we as a chamber are still a very vital part of economic development by virtue of what we do. There are a lot of exciting things happening, and the chamber can be a key part of that. We want our office to be a place where all the tourism directors and city administrators all sit in one room and figure these things out.”

 

The key for Martin is working together with the realization that the events and plans of each county and city within the region can support other counties and cities within the region to the ultimate benefit of everyone. “That’s how this thing can work and what this is all about,” Martin said. “Working together helps everyone not only reach their goals but also reach them better and faster.”

 

Anyone interested in learning more about the Northeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce can call 606.324.5111 or email at info@nekychamber.com. Martin encourages everyone to come visit their offices at 1730 Winchester Avenue in Ashland, Kentucky.

 

32 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page