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 The Spring-Ford area is seeing a great deal of economic growth, and the Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce hopes to grow with the area.
New chamber president Tim Canfield spoke on the state of the chamber and outlined the vision for the year during the chamber’s February networking luncheon, held recently at Cutillo’s Restaurant, Sanatoga.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to serve as president,” said Canfield, who is assistant vice president and manager of the Royersford store of Commerce Bank. Canfield has been at the five-year-old branch for two years.
He previously worked for Harleysville National Bank for 19 years, serving as senior vice president of branch administration for the bank’s western region. He worked out of Pottstown for 10 years.
Canfield is no stranger to chambers of commerce. He has previous experience with both TriCounty Chamber of Commerce and Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce. He joined the board of the Spring-Ford Chamber in April 2006 and served as treasurer from June to December, before taking the helm as the new president in January.
One of the largest undertakings facing the Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce in 2007 is developing a five-year strategic plan. The plan will provide a “roadmap to grow the chamber,” Canfield said.
Canfield noted the chamber currently stands around the 225-member mark. The goal is to reach 300 members by the end of 2008, he said, requiring a net growth of three members per month for the next two years.
The chamber also hopes to be more active in “taking a stand for the betterment of business,” Canfield said. An example is the proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro, initially offered as a light rail line linking Reading to Philadelphia, and connecting the towns between, such as Pottstown, Royersford, Oaks and King of Prussia.
The Spring-Ford Chamber recently joined a coalition of chambers of commerce to promote a new proposal for the Schuylkill Valley Metro. The new rail route would run from Reading to Norristown on existing Norfolk Southern track. A much less costly plan, Canfield said the new proposal is “a viable option that really needs to be considered seriously.”
The chamber hopes to “promote more regional thinking about business issues,” such as the Schuylkill Valley Metro, he noted. “It makes sense to look at things on a regional level, even if we’re a local chamber.”
The Spring-Ford Chamber plans to partner with surrounding chambers more than ever before, Canfield said. Noting the difference between smaller chambers such as Spring-Ford, Perkiomen Valley and Phoenixville, as compared to large organizations like TriCounty, Canfield remarked, “There’s certainly a place for chambers of all sizes.”
The chamber has also aligned itself closely with the Limerick Economic Development Council, of which Canfield is the membership chairman. He explained to those attending the luncheon that the LEDC’s goal is to attract businesses to the township, and the chamber’s function would then be to provide services to those new businesses.
A constant goal of the chamber is to provide tangible benefits to its members, Canfield said, including events and networking opportunities, the directory, the web site and its links, advertising, member to member discounts, health insurance, flu shots at the chamber office, the chamber mailing list and a forum for input on regional growth issues and business issues.
Also in 2007, the Spring-Ford Chamber is committed to taking a close look at the events it hosts. The chamber is looking for member feedbacks about events, so those that work can be retained and made even stronger, while those that don’t can be changed or removed.
One of the most successful events for the chamber is the Limerick Community Day, which will again feature a business expo organized by the chamber. The event was attended by about 5,000 people last year.
The Spring-Ford Chamber also hopes to help members, especially new members, realize more value from their membership. The chamber is implementing an ambassador program and a more structured new member orientation, Canfield said.
The chamber also hopes to get more people involved in its working committees, providing more ideas and also more depth to the committees. The committees include events, marketing, finance, government affairs, business-education and membership. Members who wish to get involved can contact chamber executive director Marie Erlandson at the chamber office.
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