Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce sponsors Ninth Annual Branch Business Expo

by Minnie Payne

FARMERS BRANCH — Friday, Oct. 10 was a perfect fall day for the Ninth Annual Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce Expo held at Holiday Inn Select North Dallas in Farmers Branch.

"The chamber wanted to focus this year on our business leaders and allow them to network," said Laura Orlic, Director of Chamber Relations. "Last year's event, held at the Double Tree Hotel Dallas-Farmers Branch, was more of a forum which featured Farmers Branch as a site location, concentrating on the attractiveness of the city and the concerns of businesses coming into the area."

The Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce was established in 1979 and is staffed by Chamber President Fred Ferguson, Director of Chamber Relations Laura Orlic, and Office Coordinator Anne Acuna.

Richard Brown, 2008 Chamber Chairman, said that the chamber is privileged to have quality people staffing the organization.

"We're just so blessed to have Fred Ferguson, past president of Town North Bank, because he not only knows the business and city government, but he's good with working with people," Brown said. "Anne Acuna is absolutely wonderful with working with companies and organizations in that she is so detailed in following up."

"Laura Orlic has helped a lot in technology areas."

Brown added that he joined the Farmers Branch Chamber in 1989, because he felt it would help him grow professionally as he started his own business.

"Not only have I grown professionally, but I have learned to give back to the community in many ways," he said. "This is what the Farmers Branch Chamber is known for in the metroplex."

The mission of the chamber is to provide economic development, promote civic activity, foster leadership training, advance sound entrepreneurial policy and effectively monitor legislation by uniting the business community and its citizens.

Admission to the Branch Business Expo was free and members could choose between a gold sponsorship, silver sponsorship, and bronze sponsorship. The gold and silver sponsorships offered more perks than the bronze sponsorship, but each of the 27 companies represented was afforded one six-foot draped and skirted display table on which to display their commodities.

Small companies as well as large companies participated.

Phyllis Smith, owner of Senior Moving Company, has been in business 15 years and employs 13 people. She has been a member of the chamber for two months and said that she belonged to another chamber of commerce for a year, but left because she wanted to be with neighborhood companies.

"We are well informed at the meetings and feel closeness to the other companies, because we're in the same community," Smith said.

John McGuire, regional manager for all North Texas stores for Clampitt Paper, which employs about 300 people, said that his company was the first Texas-based distributor to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an organization whose intent is to shift the market to eliminate habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous peoples and violence against people and wildlife that often accompanies logging.

"We have six warehouses throughout Texas and one in Oklahoma City," McGuire said. "Twelve stores, including FasClampitt in Farmers Branch, exist throughout Texas.

"We're very excited about participating in the Ninth Annual Branch Business Expo and feel very strongly about supporting other businesses in the community."