From the President

By Tom Edd Wilson
Chamber President and CEO

As the new year begins, it seems appropriate to look back and think forward. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing at the Chattanooga Chamber as we put the finishing touches on our new strategic plan.

On the one hand, it’s clear that we’ve achieved substantial results. In 2003, we set out to "Tell the World" about Chattanooga. In 2007, we built on those efforts by continuing to communicate the Chattanooga CAN DO business brand.

Most people associate those efforts with the recruitment of Volkswagen, SIAG Aerisyn, T-Mobile and other new companies. In reality, our job creation strategy has always been comprehensive with significant resources devoted to incubating new businesses, expanding and retaining existing companies, and workforce development.

The comparative results of our direct engagement since 2003 with both recruited and existing companies illustrates our comprehensive approach:

• 13 new companies investing $1.1 billion to create 3,800 new jobs.

• 53 existing companies investing $1.1 billion to create 5,600 new jobs.

Another example of our comprehensive approach is the Chamber’s Volkswagen Team, which we launched last year thanks to additional support from our CAN DO investors. The team has played a key role in working with Volkswagen to maximize the use of local vendors, while also taking the lead on the recruitment of additional automotive suppliers.

So what can you expect from the Chamber going forward? We’ll be publicizing the complete details of our new strategic plan in the weeks to come, but I can say that the new initiative will maintain our recruitment efforts while further emphasizing support for start-ups, small businesses and existing industries.

The recruitment of Volkswagen, along with expansions by Alstom, Westinghouse, and SIAG Aerisyn, has positioned us to recruit both automotive and energy sector companies. At the same time, we’re taking the planned renovation of the Business Development Center as an opportunity to restructure our incubation program into a community-wide resource for small businesses at all stages of development. We’re also planning ways to enhance our existing industry efforts.

In recent years, Chattanoogans have created a community that can attract world-class companies, but truly securing our future prospects means increasing the rate at which we launch and grow our own ventures. With that in mind, the Chamber will continue its recruitment efforts while re-doubling our support for homegrown enterprises.

Tom Edd Wilson is president and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information, please contact him at 423.756.2121 or tewilson@chattanoogachamber.com.