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Optimist football
The sixth annual Belmont Optimist Red Raider Football camp is coming up. It will be held at Davis Park, July 28-31, 6-8 p.m. The camp is open to all kids, 5-12 years of age. To learn more, consult the Web site, www.belmontoptimist.com, for access to the registration form. You may also call Hunter Armstrong at (704)829-7420, Kirk at (704)825-0446 or Scott at (704)747-5660.
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Chambers of commerce go regional
By DIANE TURBYFILL
- Thu, Feb 14, 2008
BELMONT—Thinking regionally appears to be the trend for area chambers of commerce.
On Jan. 17, the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce announced a name change to the Gaston Regional Chamber. One week later, the Belmont Chamber of Commerce revealed its new title at its annual banquet—the Montcross Area Chamber of Commerce.
The local announcement met with mixed reviews.
“Even though e-mails were sent and newspaper articles were published announcing we were considering a name change, we realize some members were caught off-guard by the news and more explanation is in order,” Chamber President Ted Hall and Chairman Titus Workman said in an e-mail sent out to the membership Jan. 31.
The chamber, once focused solely on Belmont, now takes a regional approach providing services for the surrounding towns of Mount Holly, Lowell, Stanley and Cramerton.
“I think we can broaden our focus and also be more involved in this area of county,” Hall said.
Part of the broadening of focus will be satellite offices in other communities, Hall said. A timetable for expansion has yet to be determined, but the organization does plan to have a presence in surrounding cities. But they’re not the only ones. The Gaston Regional Chamber also intends to set up shop in various locations.
“Our desire is to offer satellite office concepts to bring Chamber programs and services to communities with large or growing volumes of business,” President/CEO Elyse Hillegass said in an online announcement Jan. 17.
Neither chambers have released a list of which towns will be targeted although the Gaston Regional Chamber’s online announcement states that it will “offer merger partnering opportunities with all other Chambers in Gaston County, providing one collective voice for business across the county, and to offer more substantial business services without duplication of efforts.”
There are four chambers of commerce in Gaston County. The two other organizations are in Bessemer City and Cherryville.
No meetings between the organizations have taken place thus far, Hall said.
“It’s not something that we’ve been talking about,” he said.
And no collaborations took place prior to the announcements of name changes.
The local chamber’s redirection is a reflection of growth and interest by business owners outside of Belmont, Hall said. Membership has grown to more than 300 with 40 percent coming from other towns and cities.
“I think it’s important that we continue moving in that direction and recognize the new profile of the chamber,” Hall said.
Murmurings around town and on local blogs question the name Montcross for the Belmont Chamber. The release written by Hall and Workman offers the following explanation:
“Combine the economic component with the geographic (Montcross touches five of the six eastern Gaston towns), and our board decided that’s the kind of innovative, progressive enterprise with which a Chamber of Commerce should be identified.”
Still in the beginning stages of development, Montcross stands for BelMONT CROSSroads.
The sign in front of the local office still reads Belmont Chamber of Commerce, but a quick phone call is answered by announcing the organization’s new name and focus. The recently created Web site will see changes and stationary still needs to be printed. But changes are coming.
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