Lemoore Chamber of Commerce takes significant step as it expands to 'Greater Kings County Chamber of Commerce'

Chamber officials say that nearly half of the current Lemoore businesses come from surrounding communities, and they say it has become clear that expansion should be the local chamber’s next step.

Like every other business currently out there, the Lemoore Chamber had to work to find ways to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing business climate. “This has actually been a conversation in the last year or so,” said Lemoore Chamber of Commerce CEO Amy Ward.

“The last few months have provided many examples of how critical it is that businesses and organizations think outside of the box to ensure that their businesses remain in operation. The expansion of our chamber is largely due to our dedication to our current and future members,” said Ward.

The Lemoore Chamber currently has about 300 members and hopes to reach out to businesses and organizations throughout Kings County – and more. “We are open to everybody,” said Ward, who added that the local board of directors approved the regional approach. “This was something we’ve been working on for a year solid. We did our research. We put in a lot of work on this,” she said.

The Lemoore Chamber is currently housed in the old Lemoore City Hall building on Fox Street. However, due to the pandemic, chamber officials are presently working from home.

She said that as the membership grows outside of Lemoore, it becomes even more imperative that the local businesses get the representation they deserve at their city levels and, even more critical, now at the county level. Ward said the chamber’s decision comes after months of conversations with local businesses throughout the county, community leaders, and other chambers across the country, some of which are also moving to a more regional chamber model.

According to Ward, a county-wide chamber offers benefits not traditionally seen in a city chamber. Chambers are no longer seen as just event planners or tourists stops. The new, more effective chambers are working harder than ever to be a leader in the community and give a voice to the businesses that they represent. This effort includes addressing the needs of businesses through advocacy work, business collaboration, and workforce development.

As laws and regulations increase across the state, the need for a strong voice for business becomes more necessary. And as the COVID-19 situation becomes even more impactful to the local economy, it has become critical that a robust regional chamber presence exists to help navigate and lead the way. Now more than ever, our local businesses need professional experience and support, and the Lemoore Chamber has provided that consistently for the last several years.

“We as an organization owe it to our members to also be proactive and flexible and ensure that we are adapting our business model to the changing environment so that we can continue to support the businesses here in Lemoore and throughout the entire county,” continued Ward.  

“Our county needs a pro-business voice, and our chamber has already been providing that. The name change is just one step in the process to ensure that our local businesses are getting the representation that they deserve.”

For additional information or to join the newly formed Greater Kings County Chamber of Commerce, contact Amy Ward, President & CEO. Contact. She can be reached at amy@lemoorechamber.org or called at (559)772-9625.