Chamber grows, keeps focus over time

In 1980 the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce was front-page news in the first edition of the Springfield Business Journal, then called TOP's Executive Journal. At that time, the chamber had just dedicated its new building at 320 N. Jefferson and unveiled a new logo.

The chamber moved again four and a half years ago to a new location at 202 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy., but it is still focused on community betterment and community involvement, which is what chamber President Jim Anderson said the organization is all about.

"Our mission statement, when you boil it down, talks about economic development and quality of life, and I think they're inseparable," Anderson said.

Anderson, who's been with the chamber for 12 years, said one change the organization has experienced during the last 20 years is an increase in its community involvement, which he said is a result of the community itself is being more involved in different efforts and projects.

"It may sound self-serving or egotistical, but I honestly believe there's not much that happens in Springfield today that we don't have some involvement in, either directly or indirectly," Anderson said. He said what the chamber is able to offer its members has also evolved in the past 20 years, particularly with technology.

"Let me just use this facility as an example. With this facility that we've now been in four and a half years, we have video conferencing for our members. We have satellite conferencing. We have technology that obviously didn't exist (20 years ago)," Anderson said.

Bonus Frost, vice president of membership, said chamber membership has grown significantly is the biggest change, in terms of memberships, since 1980. One such benefit, Frost said, is free advertising that's available only to new chamber members. The chamber offers seminars and professional development opportunities, ribbon-cuttings, referral service and access to statistics and other demographic information through its Business Solutions Center.

Anderson said Springfield has a national reputation as a Good Chamber Town, recognizing that the community is very supportive of the chamber and its efforts.

"Our membership base, for our size of community, is one of the largest in the United States. We have a very large, strong, diverse membership base. We're a solid chamber, and we were 20 years ago, too." he said. Anderson said small business has always been prevalent in the Springfield area, and many large national companies , such as Bass Pro Shops, O'Reilly and Springfield ReManufacturing Corp., all started as small businesses in Springfield.

"I think that relates to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Ozarks," he said.

Frost said anyone in the community, not just businesses or professionals, can become chamber members.

"I think the biggest challenge that we face in membership is that ... most individuals ... really don't understand what this organization is all about," Frost said.