BENEFITTING
T
ANSON COUNTY’S RESIDENTS
he local Chamber of Commerce is
the heart and soul of every business
community, especially in small
towns. The Anson County Chamber of
Commerce has been serving Wadesboro and
the surrounding areas since 1963.
“Our role is to do what’s best for the citizen
of Anson County as a whole. We want to do
things that benefit the citizens and all the
businesses in the county,” explains Chamber
President/CEO Shelby Emrich.
The Chamber of Commerce is a
membership-driven organization governed
by a Board of Directors who work to serve
and advance the business community. “We
try to do things, such as lunch and learns,
or breakfast seminars, that benefits those
members. We make it where they’re visible,”
said Emrich.
Credibility is another service the Chamber
provides it’s members, “Most people who
see that you’re a business of a Chamber
of Commerce feel that you are a credible
company and believe that they can do
business with you,” said Emrich.
“As a chamber, one thing that we have
tried to provide is being advocates for our
members,” said Emrich, “We know that our
members maybe can’t go to Washington or
Raleigh because they’re trying to run their
business.”
“We are your voice and we will go on your
behalf. If you’re having issues. If you’re
having problems. Whether it’s health care or
taxes. Some of our industries may be facing
tariffs. No matter the problem, we want you
to let us know so we can go and represent
you because that’s what the Chamber is
about,” Emrich said.
One program sponsored by the Chamber
is Young Professional Anson. It is designed
to provide an environment for individuals
between the ages of 21 and 39 to meet and
develop, both socially and professionally.
“It’s not just a social get together, but it’s a
way for them to interact professionally and
make those connections. We know in the
business community that is so important,”
said Emrich.
“We tell them, and it’s true, that they are the
voice of Anson County. They are the future
94 • PROGRESS 2020
for us so we want them to be heard in ways
to make the county better and make it grow.
We want them to be heard,” said Emrich.
Young Professional Anson will have their
next meeting on Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. upstairs
at Oliver’s Restaurant. Young Professional
Anson also strives to give back to the
community through fundraisers and events
like Read Across America.
The Chamber has recently joined forces
with Speckled Paw Coffee, Anson Economic
Development (AnsonEDP), Uptown
Wadesboro, Anson County Tourism
Development Authority, and the Town of
Wadesboro to undertake a forward-thinking
project called REV Uptown.
Located within the old Roses building at
114 West Wade Street, the REV Uptown
facility houses the Chamber, of Commerce,
an attractive and informative visitor center,
Speckled Paw Coffee, as well as a business
incubator and co-working space. REV
Uptown held it’s Grand Opening and
Ribbon Cutting on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
“It came about as a collaboration between
us and AnsonEDP,” explains Emrich. “They
were in the old office with us. We saw
the trends that chambers and economic
development are coming back together
as a partnership. For us, it made sense for
the organizations to be together. It made
it easier for visitors to come find us and
our citizens to come find us, instead of us
all being scattered. This has been a true
community project. We all came together to
make it happen. It was not one organization,
it was multiple organizations and board.
The Chamber’s old office was at 107 East
Wade Street, which was formerly the home
of Scarborough hardware. “Mr. Scarborough
was very supportive of our move. He saw the
big picture of what this would become with
the organizations being together, the coffee
shop being here, and having the co-worker
incubator space in the back of the building,”
said Emrich.
The businesses incubation is one of the
most exciting aspects of REV Uptown and
is quickly becoming a topic of discussion
among Chamber of Commerces across
North Carolina. Private and semi-private
workstations and offices will be available
to professionals who may not require
a full-time office, but need a space for
administrative work and meet with clients.
The Anson County Chamber of Commerce
strives to help make the community a better
place to live and work by providing services,
support, and resources to it’s members.
“It’s about all of the county, not just one
town, but it’s for everybody. We want to do
things that benefit the citizens and all the
businesses in Anson County” said Emrich.