Welcome to the Tri-Community.

The following reflects the region’s focus. We invite you to Team with us going forward together.

Regional Economic Goals:

The formation of the Valley Partnership Joint Development Authority (VPJDA) and the contracting of the chamber Economic Development (ED) department to maintain a focus on growing not only the Tri-Community, but the VPJDA region as well have expanded Economic Development into a Regional scope. We have had announcements during 2006 from our VPJDA Region that provides for over 2,900 new jobs and approximately $1,230,000,000 in capital investment. Currently the VPJDA consists of six surrounding counties (Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Talbot, and Taylor) as well as three cities (Manchester and West Point in Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama). The Tri-Community Region enjoyed the largest job announcement in Georgia in 2005 with 2,000 jobs for a new AFLAC Campus (remember the duck on TV). In 2006 the growth continues as West Point, a member of the Valley Partnership that the ED staff for the chamber coordinates their ED effort, announced a new KIA Automobile Plant with 2,800 new jobs and over $1 billion in capital investment.

Support the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Decision by developing and implementing a long range Regional Growth Management Plan (RGMP) that supports growth at Fort Benning and the region:

Fort Benning will grow in excess of 30,000 personnel when you consider families, Department of Defense Civilians and Department of Defense Contract Companies. In addition Fort Benning well invests over $1,300,000,000 on the post of which local companies will compete for the construction effort. This does not include the $1,400,000,000 going into housing development that local contractors can compete for as a sub-contractor.

Enhance growth opportunities; so Technology, Small, and Minority owned Businesses will reap the benefit of pro-business conditions:

Our focus is we all want to grow and grow together; never forgetting small business makes up 80% of our chamber team. The following committees promotes the cultural, economic and technology efforts being made available: Columbus Cultural Arts Alliance Committee (advocating the growth, development, and financial stability of the arts community), Advisory board Task Force, Black Business Outreach, Drugs Don’t Work, Business Ione Stop Shop (BOSS), Capital Access & Management Assistance (CAMA) Mentoring Program, Drug Free You and me, Hispanic Business Outreach, Asiatic Business Outreach, Minority Business Development, Professional Consultants Program, Small Business Development Committee, and an Electronic Commerce / Information Technology Committee providing Chamber members with a competitive edge by helping them incorporate technology in their growing businesses.

The latest program is our Incubator Without Walls Program (iWOW) is being offered through the chamber in conjunction with the University of Georgia Small Business Development.

Cultural Growth:

The Tri-Community Columbus Cultural Arts Alliance has focused on the distribution of funding among the arts and they now speak with one voice. Examples of such growth resulting from speaking as one is a public private partnership entitled “Columbus Challenge” which raised over $100 million, to pay for the newly refurbished Springer Opera House known as the State Theater of Georgia; River Center for the Performing Arts, a combination of the Schwab School of Music, Coke Cola Space Science Center; Ma Raney House “mother of the blues being enhanced as well as the creation of a Columbus Community Foundation that received special funding to be allocated to multiple cultural and community supporting organizations in our region.

This very supportive community and partnerships have supported the moving forward as the key promoter for most of the community cultural initiatives completed. What we do is focus on having a positive impact on the lives of the men, women and their families in our region. We believe as a Team we see this challenge and opportunity as a calling to serve our region.