Here's the narrative submitted by the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce that convinced judges to make the award:

Since 1970, the Greater Smithfield-Selma Area Chamber of Commerce (GSSAC) has been a strong economic force with a big-picture outlook for Smithfield, Selma, and our neighboring communities. During 2018, the GSSAC’s Board of Directors put their vision for a strong region into action and reached out to area towns. The towns of Kenly, Princeton, and Wilson’s Mills all responded with enthusiasm. Together, the five communities became a unified brand: Triangle East. As we are located in the eastern section of the Triangle Region of North Carolina, this choice of identity has invigorated connections to the thriving economic environment to which we belong.

This new brand is one of inclusive partnerships working toward a strong and thriving future for the region. On January 28, 2019, the GSSAC began its 49th year as the new Triangle East Chamber of Commerce (TEC). To propel the region’s growth and to promote the area, our Economic Development Council (EDC) transitioned from a report-out committee to an action-oriented group focused on developing the region’s brand, attracting new businesses, and drawing new industries. A website for this purpose, including property listings available for development, is in progress and set to launch in the fall of 2019.

In efforts to educate and inspire business development, we hosted Smart Growth Summits during the last 18 months on topics such as Capitalizing on Industry Expansions, Maximizing Opportunity Zones (featuring NC Secretary of Commerce Anthony Copeland), and Commuter Rail.

The TEC has continued to lead a nonpartisan conversation about the positive impacts of commuter rail on the area’s economy. A collaboration with NC Rail, Go Triangle, and Johnston County officials resulted in a rail study and further efforts to improve options for public transportation, which will lead to better connections between the workforce and job opportunities.

We also led an on-going collaborative effort with five regional chambers to form a common legislative agenda highlighting commonalities and issues important to the work of commerce.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Workforce development remains a focus of the TEC. In addition to transitioning from an annual Business Expo to a regional Job Fair, we have introduced a vision for a long-term solution to the rising need for workforce readiness in our county. We led a collaboration between all of the Johnston County chambers, public and charter school systems, Johnston Community College, and local industry leaders to debut JoCo Works in November 2019. Over 3,000 eighth graders in our county will participate in interactive, real-world simulations of available career options represented by the top employers in our region. This curriculum and experienced-based career expo will showcase 10 Worlds of Work and teach students how to begin building a meaningful career at the beginning of high school, offering a solution to the county’s workforce needs of the future.

Along with long-term impact on the workforce, the TEC’s efforts over the past months have resulted in immediate economic impact. The Southern National Motorsports Park, a local racing venue, was in danger of going out of business due to the costs of their electricity. The Chamber jumped into action, bringing the right people to the table with the power provider and local authorities to have the rates reduced -- amounting to a savings of $22,000 per year. This is a savings which the owner will pass along to our community and his customers.

Another local company, Global Skyware, was on the brink of relocating out of our area, taking over 200 jobs and an $8.5-million payroll with them. After the TEC facilitated a meeting with the business and local officials to open lines of communication and tap incentives, the company decided to stay in their current facilities and in our community.

We are consistently looking for ways to improve our communities and their futures. For our towns that are working hard to overcome economic hardship, we brought in outside consultants and found funding to re-energize downtown areas. We helped pave the way for these communities to begin downtown revitalization.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Recognizing that leadership is key in areas of business, economic, and community development, we led the effort to preserve and promote our county-wide Leadership Johnston program. We also opened our nominations for our ATHENA International Leadership Award to the entire county, not just chamber members. The 11 nominees brought residents from all parts of the region together to honor women in leadership.

The past 18 months have been a proactive and transformational time for our chamber. We have strategically brought our towns and partners together in unprecedented ways to strengthen our region. As we serve our members, our residents, and our neighbors, we are excited to see the Triangle East Region of North Carolina continue to develop into a nationally diverse, relevant, and collaborative community. Moving forward into our 50th year of service, the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce will keep pursuing innovative programs and ideas to help our communities connect, grow, and prosper.

The Triangle East Chamber of Commerce has moved forward with new branding and a regionally inclusive mindset, while adding value to every facet of membership. Our members are the heartbeat of our chamber. Through weekly videos to complement our newsletter and social media posts, we have streamlined our communications to best engage our audience.

Eliminating parasitic programs that cost our members more money, we increased return-on-investment with local member affinity partners and increased on-line exposure to our market through adding enhanced profiles as a benefit. Member Services has focused on diversity and reaching out to an underserved industry in our region through the Chamber Women’s Business Network and Chamber Retail Support Network.

GROWTH IN MEMBERSHIP

These improvements have shown fruitful, as 116 new members have joined the TEC in the last 18 months. These members were not gained through a membership drive, but organically through our efforts to optimize benefits. We are instilling membership into the DNA of our organization, asking that each board member provide at least one warm prospect lead each quarter. Our retention rate has risen to 95%, showing that we are achieving our mission.

Our programs are making short and long-term impacts on our region. We revived our Economic Development Foundation (501c3) to leverage opportunities to support economic growth and programs such as JoCo Works (Workforce Readiness), Leadership Johnston (Leadership Development), and Flame For Learning (Education).

We are progressing through a 5-Year Strategic Plan. Pieces of this (such as revitalizing board training and extending leadership terms to improve continuity) are already in place. Our Economic Development Council will use our brand at trade shows to promote the region and build partnerships outside of our county. Our Education Committee is transitioning to Workforce Readiness to meet needs that a thriving economy creates!

Responsible stewardship of our funds allows us to continue investing in our membership benefits and our communities. We are moving away from fundraisers to focus on non-dues revenue (such as travel programs, marketing opportunities, and program management). Our dues revenue has increased by $41,000 annually. We currently have 481 members and our goal is to reach 600+ members by the end of 2021.

We strive to serve our communities and our members with excellence in all aspects of our work as a Chamber. We are pursuing sustainable growth and a pro-business climate in Triangle East as we build the foundation for the future of our region!

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