Main Street, Chamber merging


Thursday, July 5, 2012
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Main Street, Chamber merging

By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer

The merger of the Holly Springs Main Street Association and the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce has been approved by the boards of each organization.

August 1 is set as the day for the two organizations to become one, according to Andy McMillon, Main Street board president, and Greg Campbell, president of the Chamber board.

Both organizations have worked closely together and once shared office buildings. When the merger is complete, the new organization will primarily function as a Main Street-type organization but keep the activities and roots of the Chamber, McMillon said.

Reasons for the merger primarily are to help the community and businesses by charging one membership fee and to streamline the organizations to save operational costs and duplication of efforts of the two organizations, McMillon said.

“There are only positives to us merging,” he said. “We live in a small community with limited resources. By combining, we can eliminate duplication and maximize our resources and assets. There will be no longer a Main Street, no longer a Chamber. There will be a Main Street Chamber.”

A new board of 15 directors will be set in two weeks and formation of the bylaws will be done after that. Then officers will be elected. All current memberships in both organizations will expire December 31. January 1, 2013, members will pay dues to the new organization only.

“We are very excited about reorganizing Main Street and will try to do the exact same things as before but on a larger scale,” McMillon said. “We want to offer members the benefits that will ultimately pay for their membership dues.”

The value of memberships will increase, he said.

The merger is also to bring the community closer through the merger and to bring the Holly Springs community closer to the region and state through its Main Street connections.

“We are going to reach out to try to bring as many people together to achieve our goals as we can,” McMillon said. “The structure of the organization will be Main Street, modified and adapted to both organizations’ goals, objectives and activities. We hope to expand and to keep Main Street events.”

Campbell said, “Everything that has been happening is going to continue to happen and then some.”

McMillon added, “Hopefully, it will bring more excitement to the organization.”

The logo will keep the Chamber’s courthouse steeple and clock image with the wording Holly Springs Main Street Chamber underneath. The branding and motto developed by Main Street will stay the same.

A new mission statement will be drawn up to reflect the common mission of both entities.

McMillon said the community will focus on one purpose and move forward on one turf.

“We have put away individual turfs,” he said. “You step out of the limelight to let somebody else shine.”

Campbell said, “We are pooling our resources to better serve the people and businesses of Holly Springs and Marshall County.”

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