The Houston Chamber of Commerce is seeking a three-year contract and a slight increase in funding.
Troy Reitsma, President of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, presented to council at a meeting last Tuesday, requesting a contract longer then one or two years.
“We want to provide stability for our staff. Staff are on a contract basis so as long as we have a contract with the District, we get to maintain staffing levels we have,” Reitsma said.
“We currently have a fantastic team and we would really like to keep them together.”
The Chamber of Commerce leads the economic development efforts of the District and tourism.
Part of the economic development is the merchant gift certificates, which Reitsma says brought in over $70,000 in 2013.
“That’s $70,000 that did not leave our community; it’s spread amongst the merchants in town,” he said.
A new brand was developed for Houston this year and the Chamber is still working on the marketing strategy and rebranding print ads, Reitsma said.
Small Town Love also launched this year, promoting 32 local businesses through their website “LoveHoustonBC.com.”
The Chamber partnered with Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDI) twice to run Supplier Boot Camp and Grant Writing workshops in Houston, which Reitsma says were all well-attended and greatly received.
As part of the Economic Development contract, the Chamber helped out with the mill transition pillars.
“It was a huge amount of work, and it was an honour to be a part of it,” Reitsma said.
The Chamber will continue working with the District to put their Economic Action plan in place.
