For over 75 years, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce has acted as an advisor, distributor of information, community organizer and advocate for businesses in Boone.
“They’ve really made themselves kind of indispensable to the local community,” said Seth Sullivan, co-owner of The Cardinal. “I feel like the Boone chamber has a really strong cachet in the community.”
Boone businesses can become members of the chamber and receive various benefits, including discounts, useful information about business grants or loans, networking opportunities and a seat at the table for important community conversations, said the chamber’s president and CEO, David Jackson.
The chamber is not a government organization and receives all its revenue from member dues, advertising, sponsorships and donations. However, it does work closely with the local government. Jackson said it has developed itself into a true business advocacy organization over the years.
“We are listening to the needs of business and trying to either connect people with the answer that they need or bring attention to specific things that are beneficial for the business community and quality of life in general,” he said.
The chamber advocates for community development, accessible housing and child care, proper working conditions and transportation.
Child care was a focus for the chamber this year and was highlighted at Spirit of Boone, their 76th annual membership gathering. Jackson said Spirit of Boone is “chamber prom in a way” and celebrates what the group and its members have accomplished.”
Talia Freeman, director of marketing at Beech Mountain Resort and one of the chamber’s community award recipients, spoke on the issue of child care at Spirit of Boone.
“It’s normal for our staff to leave for school pickup or have a child at work,” Freeman said. “That’s part of supporting your team, but it also just shows how much child care shapes hiring and also retention.”
Freeman said the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation has committed funds to various endeavors, such as giving $200,000 to cover child care tuition in local centers.
Samantha Cole, the child care business liaison for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, highlighted the chamber’s emphasis on child care after Hurricane Helene.
“This organization understood that child care access is going to be critical to helping small businesses reopen, to helping people get back to work, to helping families fully recover,” Cole said.
When it came to Helene recovery, Jackson said there was little the chamber wasn’t doing. They facilitated communication both in and out of the community to get resources where they needed to be. Jackson said they were deputized by Watauga County to run a resource shelter out of The Summit Pickleball’s facility.
“We also were an early conduit for resource providers, so we helped get SBA and FEMA here,” Jackson said. “None of them can deploy until they have accommodation, so we were arranging hotel rooms for FEMA staff and SBA staff.”
Through their foundation, the chamber was able to distribute grants to businesses affected by Helene. Lily’s Snack Bar was a recipient of a grant, said owner Trevor Moody, and the money went toward their rent.
“It’s not enough to cover a lot of things, or almost anything in the world of businesses, but every little bit adds up,” Moody said.
Jackson said the other biggest draw of the chamber is the networking opportunities, which is what drove Emily Roberts, co-owner of The Pottery Lot, to join. Roberts said she was hoping to learn about Boone from other business owners.
“It’s a different market, you know. You’ve got a mix of tourism, the college, the regular locals,” Roberts said. “I would say, other places, you probably just have your local community, but this is a little bit different.”
One way the chamber supports new businesses is ribbon cuttings, which are organized by the chamber’s staff. Although The Pottery Lot’s had to be rescheduled, Roberts said a lot of people still showed up in support.
“I mean, they were so supportive that a lot of them don’t usually go to all the ribbon cuttings and they came to ours. They brought some of their kids that are the same age as our child,” Roberts said.
In addition to co-owning The Cardinal, Sullivan is the board chair elect for the chamber’s executive committee. He said he took on the role for the same reason The Cardinal first joined the chamber — community.
“The chamber is our community, you know; it’s our way to join with our fellow businesses and advocate for each other and also support each other,” Sullivan said. “So that’s why I do this every week.”
“The chamber is our community, you know; it’s our way to join with our fellow businesses and advocate for each other and also support each other,” Sullivan said. “So that’s why I do this every week.”
