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The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization of citizens who are investing their time and money in a community development program working together to improve the economic, civic and cultural well-being of the area. Your Chamber is composed of committee workers, directors and officers who serve without pay. The Chamber President and Staff who devote their full-time to the chamber are the only paid employees.
 
Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce		  

The 2008 Board of Directors of the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce (pictured) include, left to right front row, Board Chair Deborah Wright, Jackie Thornton; Linda Henton; second row (l to r) Sandi Wallace, Susan Lennon, Linda Bennett, Karen McMahan; third row, (l to r) Tammy Olague, Steve Rutherford, Chair-elect Bob Weaver, Bobby McDonald; back row Terry Wright and Lynn Luttrell. Not pictured: Joseph Crouch, Helen McDaniel, Carolyn McKinney,

What does the Chamber do?

• Provides exposure for businesses: through the membership directory, the "Buyers Guide", the Chamber "Members Report" newsletter, and other publications, buyers are exposed to member businesses.

• Buyers Guides are mailed to all inquiries for tourism or relocation information.

• The Chamber provides information on area demographics to individuals or businesses considering locating in our area.

• The Chamber provides literally thousands of referrals each year to our member businesses and services.

• The Chamber provides professional development through seminars and workshops, which can help keep employers and employees up-to-date.

• Through the various ribbon cuttings, Chamber mixers and other Chamber events, members have the opportunity to network with other influential business people with like interests.

• The Chamber works closely with the EDC to promote industrial and commercial growth, in a manner that is consistent with community goals.

• The Chamber supports many worthwhile local causes such as crime prevention, education, public health and cultural events, which benefit the overall community and quality of life.

• The Chamber supports the agricultural community through such avenues as the highly successful N.E.T.B.I.O. organization, and the development of the Northeast Texas equine committee, which is dedicated to promoting our community and county to equine breeders across the country.

• The Chamber works with the Ark-Tex Council of Governments Chapman Revolving Loan Committee and the Northeast Texas Economic Development district, insuring a ready supply of funding for area high-risk business and industrial development.

• The Chamber, through Paris Junior College Small Business Development Center, provides frequent seminars on various subjects pertinent to the operation of small businesses, and provides a free weekly counseling service to local entrepreneurs to help them with problems associated with start-up, operation, financial advice and tax problems.

• The Chamber works with surrounding counties on a regular basis to promote projects, which are beneficial to the entire four-county area.

• The Chamber promotes tourism to the area through local effort plus a combined effort in cooperation with other Northeast Texas area Chambers and the entire state through representation on various boards and state advisory committees.

• Additionally, the Chamber sponsors the annual Adult Leadership Sulphur Springs classes, annual High School Leadership classes which benefit students from Sulphur Springs and the county schools. The Chamber works in cooperation with the city, county, the hospital, civic center and school districts on projects common to all. Close contact is maintained with local, state and federal officials on a host of situations which affect our local economic environment, including membership in the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce. Prospective physicians who are looking to relocate to our area are provided tours of the community by the Chamber to encourage them to locate their practice in our town.

•  Provides ribbon cuttings and/or grand openings for new members, including a free publicity photo in the local newspaper courtesy of the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram.

• We also maintain a "members only" business card file in the lobby of the Chamber of Commerce which is widely used by "established" locals and new citizens alike.

• The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is also a participant in several consortiums with area Chambers and county governments, including the South Sulphur Regional Development Association, who are pursuing the construction of an amphitheater on the south edge of Cooper Lake State Park; and the Northeast Texas Mobility Council, a group of four counties promoting our four-county area with common transportation needs. We are also members of the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce, the United States Chamber of Commerce, Texas Leadership Association, North East Texas Tourism Council and the Texas Tourism Industry Association.

• The Chamber provides, for minimal charge, mailing labels of the entire Chamber membership, to our members and the Chamber Boardroom is available to Chamber members for meetings of 20 or less, again, free of charge.    The  Chamber serves as a clearing house of information for the entire community handling literally thousands of business referrals each year, and always referring callers, first, to those businesses which are members of the Chamber of Commerce.  Several relocation packets are mailed to prospective residents each week, as well as to prospective commercial business prospects.

The following is a list of committees with which the Chamber volunteers are involved:

 
Hopkins Co. Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Club		  


•The Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Club is an elite group of 20-25 Chamber volunteers committed to hosting and attending Chamber-related events such as new member ribbon cuttings, grand openings, helping with the Chamber banquet, golf tournament, Texas State Champion Ice Cream Freezeoff, and World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest and other events. The Ambassadors meet monthly and serve as the "goodwill Ambassadors" of the Chamber

• Leadership Committee: Purpose is to motivate, stimulate and develop Hopkins County leadership potential for the future.

• Governmental Committee: Monitors issues and laws that affect business; provide a non-partisan forum; serve as a catalyst for community planning between the city, county and chamber.

• Tourism Committee: Promotes Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County as a destination for tourists.

• Membership Development Committee: Coordinates efforts to recruit new members and involve existing members through the Ambassador Club and regional involvement.

• Education Committee: Coordinate the efforts of the education community with the business and professional community. Also promotes the Texas Scholars program.

• Workforce Development and Small Business Committee: Work with the Sulphur Springs Technical Center and business leaders to develop and initiate training and education; provide guidance and programs to support small business and local retailers.

• Agriculture Committee: Promotes and enhances agriculture in Sulphur Springs and Hopkins County .

• Transportation Committee: Monitors issues and activities that impact our community and its transportation needs.

• Special Events Committee: Involved with the annual special events of the Chamber. I.e. Annual Chamber Banquet, Annual Golf Tournament, Annual Texas State Champion Homemade Ice cream Freezeoff, World Champion Hopkins County Stew Contest.

Why join the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce?

Business and professional men and women join the Chamber for various reasons. There are over 600 members in the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce, so there are probably 600 reasons for joining.

What are some of the reasons?

1. Joining hands with your fellow business and professional partners in attacking the persistent problems presenting every industrial area.

2.  You are a citizen doing business in this area and sharing in its prosperity. As Hopkins County grows, so will you grow.

3.  You owe something to your community besides taxes and donations - give a little of yourself.

4.  Display a membership plaque to tell everyone you believe in action, not just words.

5.  United effort is required to cause an entire area to prosper.

6.  Exchange of ideas and methods by associating with other business leaders. Talents you could not afford to pay for alone are yours to share.

7.  Promote the civic and economic well-being of your entire community.

8.  At under 50 cents a day, you cannot afford not to be a member.

9.  Each business and professional person reaps benefits through the concerted planning, counsel and action that is best obtained through the work of the Hopkins County Chamber.

10.  By joining the Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce, business and professional people join a partnership of progress in which their investment of money, minds, and manpower make a world of difference.

11. Responsibility for the free enterprise and profit motive system is not a responsibility limited to a few. It is an obligation and a privilege shared by every responsible, forward-looking citizen.

12. Responsibility for community and area progress is not a responsibility limited to a handful of volunteers. It is a responsibility shared by all members and of particular concern to each business and professional man or woman in the community. Industrial or commercial expansion and needed public facility improvements must be planned and worked for just as diligently as each business person works for the success of his/her own business.
 
© Copyright 2004-2008 Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce. All Rights Reserved.