
Chambers Unite for Online Web Promotion
EAST LIVERPOOL — A new Web site designed to showcase the area and its resources was unveiled before the group initiating the program.
Members of the Columbiana County Area Chambers of Commerce gathered to see a new Web site now online which will help augment the efforts of various chambers of commerce organizations in both Columbiana and Hancock counties.
“It’s something we felt would be good for our area and try to tie the whole county together for economic progress,” Alfred Fricano, president of the East Liverpool area Chamber of Commerce, said.
Pam Hoppel, CEO of the East Liverpool Chamber, said the Web site will prove to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to relocate to the area, and the Web site launch comes at an opportune time.
In 2007, at the request of the East Liverpool Chamber, the County COC group embarked on a new mission to support and assist the Baard Energy LLC coal-to-liquid fuel project proposed for Wellsville.
“We contracted with a company to create a Web site to assist the contractors and future employees of the project in locating housing, restaurants, entertainment — anything and everything related to living and working in the area — to ease their re-location and make known commodities available here with the intention of them using county businesses,” Hoppel said.
Upon completion of the $5 billion plant, 400 new jobs are expected to come to the area with up to 1,500 spin-off jobs created, Hoppel added. “These dollars and workers will be a significant boon for our economy,” she added.
The Web site was created by Robert Guy, head of Titan Network Security. Guy was on hand to unveil the new site and to field questions.
Hoppel said the Columbiana County Port Authority provided $2,500 to assist in creating the Web site, and a state grant was approved and administered through the Columbiana County Commission for another $2,500.
The various Chamber of Commerce boards in the county met on several occasions to determine the content of the Web site.
Hoppel said since the group was a “crucial piece of the project,” the Web site will only contain links and information to the Columbiana County Area Chambers of Commerce members with the exception of schools, churches, museums and parks.
‘The money for the project has enabled our group to accomplish our mission — that is to focus on the assets of our area,” Hoppel said.
The new Web site can be viewed at www.columbianacountyareachambers.com
Membership
Members of the Columbiana County Area Chambers of Commerce include the:
- East Liverpool Area Chamber of Commerce
- Calcutta Area Chamber of Commerce
- Columbiana Area Chamber of Commerce
- Chester/Newell Area Chamber of Commerce
- Leetonia/Washingtonville Chamber of Commerce
- Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce
- Salem Area Chamber of Commerce
- Wellsville Area Chamber of Commerce
- East Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce