A 23-year era will come to an end at the conclusion of 2015 when Janet Coleman will step down as executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce. Coleman recently announced her intended retirement, and the Board of Directors has just begun the process of replacing the veteran Chamber head.
The local business community has been witness to significant change over more than two decades with Coleman at the helm, not the least of which has been renovating the old hat factory building on Market Street which now houses the Chamber offices, Three Rivers Community College, Bootheel Pediatric Therapy and others.
From the start, Coleman has worked with the succession of board members to pay off existing debts and restructure some of the Chamber's holdings within the city.
"When I came on board, the Chamber was faced with paying off a $100,000 clean-up loan on the property they owned on Arvin Road, and selling a rusting three-sided building originally purchased for a North Carolina company which was laying on the ground behind the Hickory House Motel. Additionally, the income generated from the Elders Manufacturing building, which was owned by the Chamber, barely covered the interest payment on the property, and the roof on the building -- as every flat roof I have dealt with over the years -- needed constant patching."
One of the first orders of business in the 1990s was to sell the structures that were not viewed as profitable and to pay off the clean-up balance that was owed. With that accomplished, Coleman went to work renegotiating the lease on the Elders building. The building was eventually sold for a profit.
"This was also the period of time when the chamber combined the positions of executive director and economic development coordinator and with the purchase of better data processing equipment and a more efficient copy machine the staff went from two full-time and one part-time to just two full-time where it has remained," the retiring director noted.
Coleman has spearheaded countless projects over the past 23 years, and she has seen businesses come and go, but through diligent efforts to acquire grants and working hand-in-hand with local business, civic, and government leaders, the City of Dexter has not only sustained major industries such as Faurecia (formerly Arvin Automotive), Specialty Engineering, Tyson Foods, Inc., Republic Services and US Poly, but has welcomed many new industries to the area including Bootheel Recycling and J&L Manufacturing and others. Numerous restaurants have flourished in the city over the past 23 years, and the downtown area has seen several renovations including The Metro Gallery, Trinkets and Treasures, The Powder Room, The Loft and The French Market -- unique businesses that are drawing visitors from all over the state.
Other highlights during Coleman's tenure include:
* establishing a $1.50 per ton tipping fee for the local landfill. As a result, the IDASC created the Million Dollar Grant Program, awarding grants to cities within Stoddard County. Coleman has served on the campaign committee which promoted the passage of the fee and has served on the board since 1995.
* working closely with the Community Betterment Assn. On the creation of the West Welcome Sign Project.
* working on the Florida Marine Tank expansion, adding 15 jobs to the area at the time.
* coordinating the Missouri State Championship Racking Horse Show from 1983 through 2011. In 2002, Dexter was chosen by the Professional Racking Horse Trainers' Association as the best one-day show of the year.
* working closely with Faurecia in coordinating then Arvin's participation needed for securing state and federal funding of the AD Project, whereby a third Highway 60 exit was created on the west side of Dexter.
* beginning the process of securing a $1,000,000 Federal EDA Grant to supplement the purchase of the Purolator facility on North Harris Drive. With the purchase, the chamber leased the facility to Arvin as an after-market production location and has continued the lease through two extensions.
* coordinating the purchase and renovations in 2001 of the old Paramount Headwear building on Market Street to accommodate two new industries, spaces for five start-up manufacturers, two start-up offices, a conference/training room, and new chamber offices, along with a large reception area.
* having an instrumental role in bringing Three Rivers Community College to Dexter. The college currently is completing their first five-year contract for the portion of the building on Market Street dedicated to their classrooms and have committed to a second five-year contract effective mid-December of this year. There is space set aside for their future growth.
* expanding Industrial Appreciation Week's activities from a two-day event to a six-day event, and this year will be the 30th year.
* working closely with the Cotton Boll Girl Scout Council to locate property in Dexter for their new central headquarters.
* coordinating the 100-Mile Yard Sale, which continues to expand each year since its beginning. The year 2015 marked the 17th year for the event.
* promoting the "buy local" campaign and introducing the "December Doe" incentive.
* selling property to a pair of local businessmen, thus providing a direct link to the city limits and subsequently resulting in the addition of over 100 acres to the city. This was the first major expansion of the city in over 30 years.
* maintaining an informational website about the community - www.dexterchamber.com; a website for visitors - www.visitdexter,com; and a web site for the Hundred Mile Yard Sale -- www.25yardsale.com.
* sponsoring the Annual Awards Banquet at which a local educator, local industry, a local business, local small business and a local organization are honored for their contributions to the community.
* purchasing and storing the pole holiday decorations downtown and along Walnut Street. Another Holiday project has been the Snowflake Display at the City Pond.
The Dexter Chamber of Commerce currently operates with a $110,000 budget, two-thirds of which comes from the city under a contract for economic development and community promotion. The funds from the city cover approximately 60 percent of the ED department expenses and the balance of the funding is assigned to the chamber's community promotions, events, Christmas decorations and other such items. The total membership is 285 and the basic investment by most members is $90 per year. The Development Board has an operating budget of $320,000 and is funded through leasehold income.
The chamber pursues promoting Dexter's history by supporting the efforts of the Welcome Center/Museum; retaining its current industry base; promoting the retail community; and continuing efforts to recruit additional industries our local workforce can support.