Please join the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce as we celebrate the year and recognize several valuable members of our community. This year’s banquet will be held Jan. 24 at the Petal Civic Center. The buffet serving line begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program and entertainment.
Our Presenting Sponsor, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for nearly 187,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state.
Staying true to the company’s motto of delivering world-class value to its customers and communities every day, Mississippi Power continues to answer the call of community leadership, servant-hood and dependable service.
During the banquet, the 2018 Policeman of the Year, the Firefighter of the Year and the Bobby Runnels Leadership Award winner will be recognized. This year’s Bobby Runnels Award will be presented by Deborah Reynolds, the 2017 award winner.
The Bobby Runnels Leadership Award began in 1994 with honorees as follows:
1994 – W.H. “Bud” Clearman
1995 – Demaris Lee
1996 – R. Allen Flynt
1997 – Dr. William Lewis
1998 – Dr. Barbara Mauldin
1999 – Jessie Rowell
2000 – Ulmer Byrd
2001 – Valerie Wilson
2002 – Jack Gay
2003 – Marcus Ware
2004 – Lynn Cartlidge
2005 – Nadine Coleman
2006 – Dr. Chuck Harrell
2007 – Rachel McKenzie
2008 – Dr. James Hutto
2009 – The Rev. Leland Hogan
2010 – Willie Ratliff
2011 - Jim Smith
2012 – Tom King
2013 – Tommy Fairley
2014 – Leahne Lightsey
2015 - Doug King \
2016 - Ken Ribelin
2017 - Deborah Reynolds
Entertainment will be presented by Marty Simpson visiting from his home in South Carolina.
Simpson is an All-American football player, a sports radio talk show host and a national touring comedian. Today, he has a rare form of comedy that makes both young and old, tall and short…. laugh. Visit the Petal Area Chamber of Commerce website to purchase tickets online.
IMPORTANCE OF JOINING CHAMBER
Is it really beneficial to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce?
Advocates of chambers of commerce have long believed that when a company is active in its local chamber, it is doing the right thing not only for the community, but for its own success as well. While there is plenty of evidence to show the impact of chambers of commerce on their communities, it is much harder to find data that quantify the impact of belonging to a chamber. A study, commissioned by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives with support from Small Business Network, Inc., was designed to determine the real value to businesses in terms of the benefits of joining and being active in their local chamber of commerce. Do consumers really support businesses because they are chamber members?
The results of this study yielded powerful results. Here is just a sampling.
• If a company shows that it is highly involved in its local chamber (e.g., sits on the chamber board), consumers are 12 percent more likely to think that its products stack up better against its competition.
• When a consumer thinks that a company’s products stack up better against the competition because the company is highly involved in its local chamber of commerce; it is because he or she infers that the company is trustworthy, involved in the community, and is an industry leader.
• When consumers know that a restaurant franchise is a member of the chamber of commerce, they are 40 percent more likely to eat at the franchise in the next few months.
• When consumers know that an insurance company is a member of the chamber of commerce, they are 43 percent more likely to consider buying insurance from it.
• When consumers know that a small business is a member of the chamber of commerce, they are 44 percent more likely to think favorably of it and 63 percent more likely to purchase goods or services from the company in the future.
The caveat here is very important: consumers need to be aware that your business is involved with the chamber in order for the benefits to emerge.
Petal Chamber members will be receiving new window decals this month. Display them proudly and prominently. It helps your business.
