Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Tri-County Chamber marks 90 years in biz
Chamber continues to mark 90 years of service to area small businesses
Tri-County Chamber marks 90 years with an event in which 9 tips to business success are given.
LIMERICK >> The TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce continued its celebration of nine decades of service to the community with a membership breakfast it titled “9-cubed.”
Chamber President Eileen Dautrich said she had seen something similar done at another event, and it resonated with her. The event was called “9-cubed” because it was to celebrate 9 decades of the chamber, with 9 business leaders offering 9 tips.
“The purpose is to give you an opportunity to hear from some community leaders and walk away with a tip or two that you can put in place in your company,” Dautrich told the group of more than 100.
The breakfast had originally been scheduled for Feb. 9, but was postponed because of snow. Offering tips last week were: Terese Brittingham, operating principal, Keller Williams Realty Group; Scott McDevitt, founder and CEO, Translogics Inc.; David Kraybill, presi-
dent of the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation; Megan Bauer, Coventry Corners; April Barkasi, president and CEO of CEDARVILLE Engineering Group; Heather Chandler, president of Sealstrip Corp.; and Rich Newell, CEO of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. Two additional speakers — Rich Libra, site vice president of Exelon Generation’s Limerick Generating Station; and David DiMattio, Division Dean to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the Health Sciences division at Montgomery County Community College — were unable to attend the rescheduled date.
The tips included having a clear mission and vision; building a culture of trust; employee recognition; growth; and staying true to your own ethics and beliefs.
Brittingham said that one thing she has learned over the years is the importance of having a clear mission and vision for the organization.
“Every time I look at mistakes that have been made or missteps that we’ve had, or misunderstandings, it always comes down to a confusion on what that is — and it always comes back to the leadership. As a leader, the buck always stops with you,” she said.
Kraybill stressed the importance of getting to know your customers — understanding their strategic goals and how your organization fits in. He said that when nonprofit organization leaders retire or move to a different position — he sits down with them to ask what is going on in the community and how the foundation can do better.
“Sometimes you think that lost customer is the last person you want to talk to, but they may be the first person you want to talk to in the whole scheme of things,” he said.
Bauer said that her organization’s top priority is making customers feel like they are number one.
“The only way I can get that feeling across is through our wonderful team,” she said, adding that Conventry Corners has had many employees work for the company for more than 20 years. “We like to — in any way we can — show our appreciation. We show them appreciation and make them view the store as their store — and a place they want to stay.”
One thing that Bauer does is something her mother did from day one of the family business — she writes a personal note on employees’ paychecks.
Barkasi’s business has been experiencing a growth pattern since it opened 7 years ago — growing from one employee in 2010 to 30 at the end of 2016, with plans to add another 10 employees this year. She stressed the importance of clarity when it comes to expanding staff, and that it is important to choose the right employees.
“Don’t settle for an employee. I have learned the team will vet out who is not doing their job. If you listen to the low hum in the room, you’ll get the message from the team,” she said.
Chandler shared the importance of building a culture of trust in an organization.
“If you’re coming to work wondering if you’re going to be stabbed in the back as opposed to someone having your back — it makes a big, big difference,” she said. “Having trust and trusting the team lets me work ON the business and not IN the business.”
McDevitt’s tip dealt with the importance of having an advisory board — no matter the size of the business.
“They hold you accountable. You may not always have people who really come forward to share. Having an advisory board will bring you what you want and need to hear,” he said, adding that the benefits lie in meeting with the board both as a group and in one-on-one situations.
Newell stressed the importance of never losing sight of or compromising personal ethics — something that can be challenged as leaders move up.
He shared an example from earlier in his career when he was asked to provide names for a restructuring when he felt the layoffs might send the wrong message.
“The easy thing to do would have been to provide the names. But my dad taught me — make decisions that allow you to sleep at night. As a leader, it gets harder to do that, because you have the entire organization to be responsible for,” he said.
Newell’s final tip was to cultivate relationships with leaders from other industries.
“When the buck stops with you — it’s good to have someone you can bounce ideas off of,” he added.