The East Parker County Chamber began with a vision in the mind of one man —The Community News Publisher Randy Keck. It was an idea he shared with Judge Graham Quisenberry and insurance agent Roy Ray.
Both Ray and Quisenberry were quick to embrace the concept.
“We recognized that there was no end in sight to the growth of the east part of the county,” Quisenberry said. “We knew we needed to have a support system in place to back the growth. There really wasn’t a hub for business at the time.”
The three forward thinkers knew there had been chambers formed before in the same area, and some of them had failed. But they also realized almost everything in business hinges on timing, and they felt the time had come for establishing the East Parker County Chamber. Being men of action, they moved ahead rapidly.
First, they approached the two chambers that had been operating in the east portion of Parker County. They arranged for the new chamber to acquire both the assets and the charters of the Aledo Chamber ($2,000) and the Willow Park Chamber ($11,172).
Glenn Wilson offered his services to write the bylaws.
Next, they planned to hold meetings and needed a venue. They looked for a place that would be affordable for the chamber. They wound up holding the first meetings at the function room of an RV park located near Aledo.
When they held the first meeting of the East Parker County Chamber of Commerce, Keck was listed as the chamber’s “temporary president.”
The meetings were held at noon. For the lunch-time meetings they were fed via potluck or someone would order sandwiches from a local restaurant.
In1996, the EPCCC had 50 members who paid $50 each in dues. From its first month, there was an amazing energy in the air — a vitality about the EPCCC that you could almost see.
From day one, the chamber grew at a steady pace.
That first year the chamber brought in $850 in revenue.
Because the meetings were informal, friendly, and comfortable they attracted more and more business owners. More members meant the chamber needed to set up an office. The first chamber office was in Aledo, which it soon outgrew. Then the chamber moved to Hudson Oaks, where growth continued.
By 2005 it was clear that the chamber would soon need a permanent home.
It wasn’t until after Lyn Walsh, founder and president of Careity Foundation, became chairman of the board that a permanent home was found.
Walsh told her fellow board members about a property her friend was selling, and the board gave her approval to negotiate a purchase. The chamber acquired the building in April, 2008.
The chamber has come a long way in the past 27 years — from three men trading ideas about how to encourage business to the handful of business leaders who were meeting over potluck casseroles in a function room of an RV park.
Today, it’s a 5-Star Accredited Chamber recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and in the top 3% of chambers across the world. With 550-plus members, theEast Parker County Chamber is a dynamic force for promoting commerce in Parker County.
EPCCC is Parker County's conduit for connectivity.
The chamber is happy to report its total assets are $589,392.20 and the building note of $250,000 has been paid off.
This chamber is now 100% debt free.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here