Chairmans Article - October

Yes, We're on the Move!
By David Collin, Busy Bees Embroidery

The Kirkwood-Des Peres Area Chamber of Commerce is on the move in many different ways. Yes, we are still the best at creating networking opportunities. We're still the best chamber at providing educational opportunities to help you grow your business and to actually run your business. The Chamber has always been out there trying to improve the business community and deal with many things, which try to thwart business, but you may not have known about it. That is changing. Thanks to the strength of your president, Jim Wright, your board of directors, ambassadors and some other hard-working volunteers we are stepping out and getting the job done on a bigger scale.

In September, Jim and a few members of the Chamber attended a Kirkwood City Council meeting to let them know what we think about plans to regulate electronic signs in the "Green Tree City." In a kind way, Jim let them know the Chamber was not pleased that the council should consider regulations on business without inviting business to the table.

We're getting to be more visible. For this year's Greentree Festival a bunch of businesses sponsored grocery carts in the Greetree Festival Parade. The parade theme was "Travel the World." All the carts suggested, "Travel the World, But Shop Chamber First." Your fellow Chamber members dazzled the crowd with fancy footwork and pirouettes that could have made the World Famous June Taylor Dancers proud. (Maybe not.) But we were proud of the group and the crowd along the parade route was pleased. Hopefully, next year we'll have another stellar performance in the Greentree Parade and have our own booth at the festival so more people and business owners will get the message that this chamber is up to the task of helping businesses do business and fight (if we need to) for the rights and needs of our local business owners.

Next up is the Chamber's "Happy Holidays Boutique" on November 2 at the Holiday Inn Southwest Viking from 11am till 8pm. Get your own booth or be sure to support fellow Chamber members helping Santa get just the right gifts under the tree this year; or the right gifts, no matter the holiday. You did know that Santa does "Shop Chamber First!" Ho, ho, ho!