Wichita Metro Chamber Strives to Make Member Business More Profitable
Published Aug 17, 2009
Left to right: Bernie Koch, vice president of Government Relations, Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce; Patrick French, president Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition; Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; and Bryan Derreberry, president and CEO, Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce
It doesn’t matter if a corporation has 1‚000 employees‚ or a company has a staff of two. The mission of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce is to find ways for all its 2‚000 member businesses to become more profitable.
“If every business is more suc cessful‚ it benefits the entire south-central Kansas region‚” says Bryan Derreberry‚ president and CEO of the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce.
To work toward that effort‚ the chamber has a full-time economic development staff. Their job is to help retain current businesses and assist them in expansion projects‚ in addition to recruiting new employers to the community.
“We provide businesses with impor tant information‚ such as state and local financing incentives to help their companies grow‚” Derreberry says. “The chamber also has a full-time lobbyist at the Topeka state capital who works solely for the overall betterment of chamber member businesses.”
In addition‚ the chamber has introduced a Young Professionals of Wichita Program‚ whose goal is to recruit and support young business people in the community.
“With baby boomers facing retire ment‚ one of the biggest challenges of our region is promoting and then keeping young professionals in leadership roles‚” Derreberry says. “This program educates these rising leaders about the most pressing issues that the Wichita community is facing‚ as well as advises them about why they should stay in Wichita‚ and engages them in worthwhile projects such as the revitalization of our downtown area.”
The chamber schedules meetings on a frequent basis so that these young professionals can meet and mingle with one another.
“Our goal was to eventually have 500 young professionals to sign up for this informative and networking program‚ and we already have 1‚700 professionals on board from 50 area businesses‚” Derreberry says.
The chamber is also involved with a Visioneering Wichita project to help plan the city’s direction over the next 20 years. It utilizes input from businesses‚ individuals‚ governments and nonprofits that are all working toward the same goals.
In addition‚ the chamber has been a vocal advocate for a state-sponsored lower airfares initiative for all Kansas travelers‚ and is working toward the eventual development of a tech nical training campus to be located at one of the airports in the metropolitan area.
“We are also supporting the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition program‚ which is a five-year effort to create or retain 1‚600 jobs a year‚” Derreberry says. “So far‚ half way into the program‚ there have been 6‚430 new jobs created or retained – with the average wage at nearly $37‚000. That is another success story we are proud of.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
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