Business Retention and Expansion Success Stories
The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce's
Success Stories 2013
The #1 goal of a Business Retention & Expansion program is to grow and retain the existing base of business and jobs in Dare County and the surrounding area. This program will give businesses a single point of contact, the Outer Banks Chamber, to the areas entire tool box of economic development resources and assistance including: SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), SBC (Small Business Center at the College of the Albemarle), SBTDC (Small Business & Technology Development Center at Elizabeth City State University), the Northeast Workforce Development Board, the North Carolina Rural Center, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Dare County government and more.
How will the area benefit from having a Business Retention & Expansion program? A better business climate! There is no job as important as the one already here. Over time, the data collected from the surveys and interviews will help us identify the long-term trends in our local business climate. The program will provide the business community with a single point of contact for all their business needs. It will allow us to learn more about our business community and identify resources to help them succeed in today’s competitive environment.
Joe’s Marine Expands Service as Yamaha Full Line Dealer
October 2013
After 12 years of determination, Joe’s Marine Service of Wanchese is now a Yamaha Full Line Dealer. On October 22, 2013, Manager Steve Brickhouse offered members of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Economic Affairs Committee and staff a tour of the facility and an update on new services his company can now provide. Pictured left to right: Bob Peele, Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Vice Chair of Economic Affairs; Melissa Cox, Chamber Program Manager; Richard Bunch, Regional Marketing Manager, NC Northeast Commission; Karen Brown, Chamber President & CEO; Brewster Brown, Chamber Economic Affairs Committee; Jenny Gray, Joe’s Marine; Lee Nettles, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau; Steve Brickhouse, Manager, Joe’s Marine; Paul Manning, Chamber Economic Affairs Committee; Thomas Beacham and Joe Bowling, Joe’s Marine.
After 12 years of determination, Joe’s Marine Service is a Yamaha Full Line Dealer.
On Tuesday, October 22, the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce Economic Affairs committee had the pleasure of meeting with Steve Brickhouse, owner of Joe’s Marine Service in Wanchese.
Steve said that when he needed advice on promoting his business, he called the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce for guidance. The Chamber staff put him in touch with Gena Martin with Small Business Technology Development Center (SBTDC), who helped him construct a business plan.
Steve says that Joe’s Marine Service’s status as a Yamaha Full Line Dealer has increased their bottom line and that the Outer Banks Chamber played a vital role this enhancement: “If it wasn’t for the Chamber,” said Steve, “we wouldn’t have it right now.”
Joe’s Marine Service’s new 5 Star status as a Yamaha dealer also resulted in new training and education opportunities for their technicians, including annual training and update school. Steve introduced the committee to Thomas Beacham, who has over thirty years of experience with Yamaha products. Thomas is one of only seven Certified Outboard Master Technicians in North Carolina, which is the highest level of Yamaha outboard service technician training available. Steve is extremely proud of the highly educated and qualified staff at Joe’s Marine Service.
Outer Banks Chamber President and CEO Karen Brown, who oversees the Economic Affairs Committee and the Business Retention an Expansion program, was very pleased to learn of Joe’s Marine Services attainment of Yamaha’s full line. Karen says, “The primary goal of our Business Retention & Expansion program is to grow and retain the existing base of business and jobs in Dare County and the surrounding area. The Chamber works as a connector between business owners and the services they need to be competitive and successful.”
Resources available range from assistance with writing a business plan to loan applications, import/export guidelines, researching available commercial space, disaster preparedness and recovery, marketing, and more.
“Small businesses do not have to face these challenges alone,” added Brown. “I hope that more of our members will take advantage of what we have to offer at the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce.”
The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit business membership organization with over 1,030 business members in Dare, Currituck and Hyde Counties. For more information about the Business Retention and Expansion Program or to join the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, visit www.outerbankschamber.com or call (252) 441-8144.
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Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce to Kick-Off Business Retention Program,
Announces Grant Award to Local Business Venture
January 2013
In an effort to better serve our members and the business community the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is undertaking a Business Retention & Expansion program that will kick-off in early February 2013. This endeavor will begin with the Chamber surveying the business community to learn of their individual issues, challenges, and successes as they continue to do business in the Outer Banks community.
The purpose of this program is to gather demographics of our existing business community and identify areas where the business or organization may benefit from being connected with resources available through our network. These resources include, SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), SBC (Small Business Center at the College of the Albemarle), SBTDC (Small Business & Technology Development Center at Elizabeth City State University), the Northeast Workforce Development Board, the North Carolina Rural Center, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Dare County government and more. These resources have programs and services as well as possible grant and loan programs that businesses can take advantage of.
One such resource is the Reuse and Restoration Grant program available through the NC Rural Center. The purpose of this program is “to spur business activity and job creation by maximizing the economic potential of existing structures.”
The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that a grant in the amount of $48,000 has been awarded to a local business owner whose plans include reusing and developing a vacant building in Dare County to house a new business venture. This grant application and successful award was the result of the Chamber and Dare County government working together with the business to help the pieces fall into place.
“We are proud of the role the Chamber played in securing this grant opportunity for this start-up business,” said Chamber President & CEO, Karen Brown. “We see this as the beginning of a new role for the Chamber in the business community; to act as an advocate and partner for new and existing businesses in our community by connecting those business to resources and programs that can help them grow and prosper.”
The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce represents 1,000+ businesses and organization in the Dare, Currituck and Hyde County area. The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization supporting and advocating on behalf of our members businesses. For more information on the Chamber or the available programs, please contact the Chamber at (252) 441-8144.
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Please Contact Me For More Information About This Program:
Karen Brown, President & CEO
(252)441-8144, ext. 225
