A couple weeks ago out at the Indianapolis Executive Airport the Westfield and Zionsville Chamber hosted a monthly luncheon. There were 200 people in attendance and businesses from both communities heard from Congresswoman Susan Brooks. The Mayors from both communities attended as well.
Tracey Phillips, Executive Director of the Zionsville Chamber, and I were amazed by the interaction between the two communities, but one thing we both could see was collaboration and connections being made. At the end of our luncheons, I always enjoy thanking everyone for attending and telling our businesses to go out and connect. While standing up there I could truly see that businesses have no borders.
We in Hamilton County have similarities and differences with the other counties that surround us, but those things only make each community stronger. Our businesses do not just sell what they do to one place; they sell all across the county, region, state and country!
We too as communities need to begin to look at issues not just from a Westfield or Noblesville standpoint, but as a region. One of the top issues I can think of is workforce. Our county has an unemployment rate 3.2 percent, which makes it hard sometimes to find workers, but if we look at areas like Madison, Marion, Boone, and Tipton counties that number becomes great and provides more opportunities for businesses and people in the region.
Workforce is just one issue. There are many more things that we share with the counties around us that can make each community stronger. So we can learn from our business community by understanding collaboration is key and that businesses do not have borders.
I enjoy visiting chambers around the area because it only gives us a better understanding of the region we live. As chambers, we play a vital part in supporting and connecting our business community. I am a big believer in strength in numbers.
If we can extend our borders as businesses, chambers and government and learn more about how all of us can be impacted by each other, we can begin to create new ideas and instead of competition, we create collaboration!