Business alliance grows, changes name
A regional business alliance that hopes to improve the climate for small companies and large corporations alike announced Tuesday that it has added three key organizations, which members say will help the group speak with a stronger voice.
The Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp., the Pueblo Economic Development Corp. and the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce have joined the Pikes Peak Regional Business Partnership, bringing the group’s membership to 11.
The addition of the Pueblo organizations prompted a name change for the alliance, which now will be known as the Southern Colorado Business Partnership. The nonprofit group seeks to act as a representative for business interests — gathering and sharing information with the more than 4,000 businesses represented by its member organizations, working with state and federal elected officials and generally promoting healthier conditions to help businesses prosper.
Adding the Pueblo groups and the Colorado Springs Regional Economic Development Corp. might seem like the partnership is working against itself; Pueblo and the Springs sometimes compete to lure the same employers to town and each city has its own business interests.
However, officials from both cities say they’ve also worked together many times to attract employers or to assist on tourism events. Joining the partnership will strengthen that collegiality, they said.
“As we’ve looked around, we all have diminishing resources,” said Rod Slyhoff, Pueblo chamber president. “What we lack maybe in Pueblo, you have more of in Colorado Springs or in Woodland Park or in Monument. It makes good business sense for us to parlay those resources to help us grow here in southern Colorado.”
In addition to adding members, partnership officials say they planning a summit at some point to discuss issues affecting area businesses. The group also named Randy Scott as its executive director; a business consultant, Scott had helped launch the partnership.
Other partnership members include the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce; the Colorado Springs Black Chamber of Commerce; the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce; the Eastern Plains Chamber of Commerce; the Fountain Valley Chamber of Commerce; the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce; the Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce; and Experience Colorado Springs, the area’s convention and visitors bureau.
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