Lima/Allen County Chamber President and CEO Jed Metzger addresses the Lima Rotarians.
LIMA — The Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce has been around since 1887. There have been a number of name changes through the years, but the mission has basically remained the same.
“Our mission is to serve, represent and enhance business growth and success,” current chamber president and CEO Jed Metzger told the Lima Rotary Club Monday. “That’s what we do. How do we do that? There’s probably five different areas: small business development, membership development, workforce development, legislative advocacy and then community development with economic impact.”
In his 25 years with the chamber, which now boasts 885 members, Metzger has seen some changes. “I think the biggest changes are in the membership itself. Before, everybody became a member of the chamber because it was the right thing to do. Today you have to have a return on investment. People want to know what they’re going to get out of that return. We have a lot more entrepreneurs today. In fact, I think we’ve increased [entrepreneurs] like 36 percent last year.”
Adapting to meet membership demands is why the Lima/Allen County Small Business Advocacy Board was developed. As future demands change, the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce adapts.
The chamber has been strong for 135 years and Metzger hopes to see it remain a strong force for business well into the future.
“So what happens in the future when the Baby Boomers are retiring and you have the Millennials and Zoomers coming aboard then? They look at things a lot differently. A lot of businesses are going to be at home or they’re not going to be brick and mortar. So how do you skate toward what they need and what their needs are? How do you embrace them? That’s going to be our biggest challenge going into the future,” Metzger said.
One area that Metzger sees as helping with future business growth is creating a more inclusive business environment in the community and encouraging community engagement and involvement.
“The whole thing’s about value,” he said. “So different people have different values. If we can find that value and show them that we can deliver and it’s a wise investment for them to be involved with the chamber with all those contacts. I think that’s how you win them over. That’s how you build your base and your chamber to keep it sustainable.”
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409.
