Chris McDonald has been named chief executive officer of the Bryan County Chamber of Commerce, taking the organization's top leadership role during a period of continued economic growth in the county. A familiar face in the community, McDonald previously served as director of United Way, overseeing operations and partnerships before taking this role with the chamber.
"I'm so excited," said McDonald. "People want to come to Bryan County to do business, and we want to ensure that it's easy to do business in Bryan County because it's lucrative."
As a former business owner, McDonald said he recognizes the struggles but also the successes that come with entrepreneurship. That experience and leadership was also recognized by the leaders in the community.
“Chris stood out among dozens of candidates as the clear choice to lead our organization as business growth and development continue to accelerate in Bryan County,” Buck Holly, Chair of the Bryan County Chamber of Commerce and CEO and Founder of C&H Family of Companies, said in a press release. “He brings a member-focused mindset, strong community relationships and the strategic vision needed to position the Chamber for the future.”
Here are three key areas McDonald wants to focus on in his new position.
Exposure and Engagement
Bryan County was named one of the nation's fastest growing regions in 2021, according to U.S. Census data but despite the surge in newcomers to the area, McDonald said smaller businesses need more opportunities to be seen.
He also wants to address what he describes as "leakage" - when Bryan County residents spend money outside the county rather than at local businesses.
"Oftentimes people are working elsewhere in Bryan County, so sometimes they're shopping elsewhere," said McDonald. "We want to encourage them to stay here in Bryan County. We want to highlight the businesses that are here and be attractive enough for new businesses to come in and complementary businesses to come in."
His main priority right now is to listen but also implement tactics he feels could accelerate revenue such as creating a network of entrepreneurs that rely on one another.
"I want to encourage business to business integration, so they're really kind of working with each other and selling to each other - there is an untapped market between them," said McDonald.
He went on to say Bryan County's business community is more diverse than many people realize and has advantages that distinguish it from neighboring counties.
Workforce
The Georgia Department of Labor announced Sept. 17 that the state's unemployment rate fell to 3.2% and is 0.9% lower than the national average. McDonald pointed to how business owners can build a strong workforce by doing more diverse skill sets.
Revenue
LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schultz said on the company's website that a number of businesses go under due to burning through their funding "in a flash." Lending Tree also says that 24.9% of businesses in Georgia fail within the first year.
McDonald said all businesses in general are facing an uphill battle, whether it be from the increase in costs through goods or general overhead but that government officials and the chamber stand ready to assist.
"[We need] to be more business-proactive and ensure we're doing everything we can to support these businesses, especially the ones that are just starting up, assisting them and fast-tracking to get their permitting and all of the regulations that need to happen," said McDonald. "That [needs] to be the efficacy of the Chamber of Commerce, so these businesses [can] open their doors today and they're not waiting months and months to open their doors because they either don't understand what the regulations or requirements are."
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: New Chamber CEO aims to help Bryan County businesses
