About the Chamber

Business Resources

Lone Star College System Small Business Development Center

Counseling available in the EMCID building. Call 281-312-1770

Do you have questions about how to start your own business or buying a franchise? The Small Business Development Center can help.
The Small Business Development Center can help your established business with expansion efforts.

The Lone Star College System SBDC offers free one-on-one confidential business management consulting services in the Houston area that are customized to meet the needs of each client. Highly trained consultants with experience as business owners, professionals and executives help you solve problems, grow your business, start your business and make good, sound business decisions.  

Areas of counseling include:
  • Confidential Experienced Business Consultants
  • Business Plan Assistance
  • Market Research, Analysis and Strategy
  • Sales and Marketing Plan Development
  • SBA and Conventional Loan Assistance
  • Business Check-Up and Analysis
  • Cash Management and Budgeting
  • Turnaround Assistance
  • Workshops and Seminars
  • Professional Referral Service
  • Marketing to the Government
  • International Trade Program
  • Business Resource Library

 

The Business Resource Guide, A Guide to Starting and Growing a Business in the East Montgomery County Area

  • Published by Lone Star Collge-Kingwood, formally North Harris Montgomery Community College District, Small Business Development Center
  • 1.1 MB pdf file - Download File

 

East Montgomery County, The Future is Now!

  • Published by the Community Chamber of Commerce of EMC, July 2009
  • 78 kb pdf file - Download File
 

Join the Chamber - Member Application

Dear Prospective Member: 

Founded in 1990 the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County serves the communities of Porter, New Caney, Splendora, Roman Forest, Patton Village, Woodbranch Village, Grangerland and much of Kingwood as well as the unincorporated areas either side of U.S. Highway 59.  This area is often referred to as “East County”. 

The Chamber is located at 21575 Hwy 59 N, Suite 100, New Caney, Texas 77357.  Our office is located in the East Montgomery County Improvement District building. 

The Chamber is proud to have support from throughout Texas by members who have a vested interest in the East Montgomery County area. The mission of the Chamber is “To promote the economic well being and quality of life of East Montgomery County.” 

Our program of work is centered on this mission and we invite you to join the Chamber and help us make East Montgomery County the best place in Texas to live, work, and play. 

Sincerely,

Andy Dill
President

We invite you to complete the online membership application and review the Benefits of Membership

Please call Delilah Lewis, Director of Membership & Special Events at 281-354-0051 with any questions, we will be happy to assist you.

 

Committees

Committees & Program of Work

AMBASSADORS

Members serve as Chamber Ambassadors taking a leading role in our networking events including; luncheons, breakfasts, ribbon cuttings, ground breakings and other such events.

BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE

This active committee works hard to improve the overall appearance of the area through its beautification award presented to area businesses, plantings at Lake Houston Park and other local facilities, as well as actively encouraging area citizens to take pride in our area and its beauty.

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Provide local support for area public schools by staying abreast of issues facing public schools and the community college. Host the annual Teacher of the Year Luncheon, Principal of the Day Program and annual Corporate Spelling Bee.

EMC COMMUNITY PLANNING

Plan and coordinate the bi-annual East Montgomery County Community Planning Summit in partnership with Entergy Texas's Team City economic development program. Seek input from Chamber members and area citizens on what is important for them for our community and assists the Chamber Board in the development and implementation of the annual Program of Work.

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Stay abreast of local, state, and national issues that could impact East Montgomery County and Chamber members.

Build relationships with elected officials through regular interaction. Prepare position papers as required to submit to the Chamber Board and various governmental entities. Lead local delegation to Austin during Texas Legislature's sessions on the biannual Montgomery County Day at the Capital.

LEADERSHIP EAST MONTGOMERY COUNTY

is an educational program for local business owners/managers and area citizens. The program provides detailed information on what is happening in the area and why it happens. Leadership EMC is a three hour program one night per month for eight months. The Chamber also participates in Leadership Montgomery County and Leadership North Houston. Both of these programs are full-day programs and cover similar topics as Leadership EMC.

Small Business Seminars are held periodically during the year. The seminars are designed to provide the small business owner valuable information to assist them in the growth of their business. These seminars are held in partnership with the East Montgomery County Improvement District and the Small Business Development Center of the Lone Star College System.

Visitor Center - The Chamber also serves as a center for information for both residents and visitors. Conveniently located along Highway 59 the Chamber is a central point for items such as demographic information, visitor's guides, maps of the area, and information on our members. This information directory is an important part of the service we provide.

In the spring of 2009 the Chamber launched its Shop Locally program and introduced www.shopemctx.com which will take visitors to that address directly to the membership page on the Chamber website (www.communitychamberemc.com).

 

Board of Directors

2011 Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Gary Gardner, First Bank & Trust of East Texas -Splendora…...........Chairman of the Board

Angela Allen, Allied Power Mart………........................Chair-Elect

Liz Segrest, Segrest HomeLand Realty….........……..........Secretary

Gary Southard, RISING STAR People Concepts…..........Treasurer

Jody Binnion, Porter Fire Dept.………........Immediate Past-Chair

THREE YEAR TERM (Expires 2013)

Rob Burgess………………….Community Copy & Printing

Megan Marietta……………...Kingwood Medical Center

Leonard Rogers………………Let’s Mechanical

Scott Brady..............................Joiner Partnership

TWO YEAR TERM (Expires 2012)

Angela Allen…………………Allied Power Mart

Gary Southard…………........ RISING STAR People Concepts

Gary Gardner………………..First Bank & Trust East Texas-Splendora

Mike Harris………………….Long Term Care Partners

ONE YEAR TERM (Terms Expire 2011)

Barbara Egan………………...Individual Member

Susanne Kite………………...Mary Kay Cosmetics

Teri Kropik ……....................Rhino Financial Mortgage

Liz Segrest…………………...Segrest HomeLand Realty

ONE YEAR APPOINTED TERM (2011)

Gary Hayes..............................HLH Landscaping

Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden........Pct 4 Constable

Juanita Popowitz.........Yellow Rose Reception Hall

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Frank McCrady…………………..EMCID

Ed Rinehart………………………Montgomery County Pct 4

Kenn Franklin……………………New Caney ISD

Dr. Thomas Price…………….......Splendora ISD

Vikki Munoz……………………..City of Patton Village

Floyd Jackson, Jr………………....City of Roman Forest

Dorothy Welch…………………..City of Splendora

Chuck Cardoza………………......City of Woodbranch Village

Brandon Creighton………………State Representative District 16

John Otto………………………..State Representative District 18

Tommy Williams…………………State Senator District 4

Kevin Brady……………………...U S Congress District 8

Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 June 2011 12:25

 

Distinguished Investors

East Montgomery County Improvement District ...... Platinum

Yellow Rose Reception Hall ......Platinum

Hallett Materials ......Diamond

Walmart - Supercenter ......Diamond

Backyard Paradise Pools ......Gold

Commissioner Ed Rinehart ......Gold

Entergy Texas Inc ......Gold

Kingwood Medical Center ......Gold

Memorial Hermann Northeast ......Gold

The Signorelli Company ......Gold

Alamo Hydraulics of Houston, Inc. ......Silver

Coca Cola Refreshments: Conroe /Bryan/ Brenham Distribution Center ......Silver

Friendswood Development Co. ......Silver

Hearst Media Services ......Silver

Rosewood Funeral Home ......Silver 

Allied Power Mart Inc. ......Bronze

Amegy Bank of Texas ......Bronze

American Fixtures Cabinet Co., Inc. ......Bronze

ATC Home Health, LLC ......Bronze

Buster Brown Propane ......Bronze

CenturyLink ......Bronze

Champion Rentals ......Bronze

Comerica ......Bronze

Costello, Inc. ......Bronze

EGA Printing ......Bronze

First Bank & Trust East Texas - Splendora ......Bronze

Flagship Car Wash & Lube Center ......Bronze

Fred Haas Toyota World ......Bronze

FWM Tubular & Equipment Corporation ......Bronze

Harley Davidson - Kingwood ......Bronze

Hydra Tan ......Bronze

Joiner Partnership, Inc. ......Bronze

Joslin Texas ......Bronze

Living Earth ......Bronze

LJA Engineering, Inc ......Bronze

Lone Star College-Kingwood ......Bronze

Marks Richardson PC, Attorneys at Law ......Bronze

Mike Harris, CLTC,CSA ......Bronze

My Fit Foods-Kingwood ......Bronze

Observer Newspapers ......Bronze

Pace Stancil Funeral Home ......Bronze

Plains State Bank ......Bronze

Porter Kwik Kar ......Bronze

Republic Waste ......Bronze

Riverside Waste Service ......Bronze

Shank Wealth Management ......Bronze

Spirit Exposition Service, LLC ......Bronze

Starplex Cinemas ......Bronze

Wells Fargo Bank of Texas ......Bronze

 

Community Chamber Facts

Service Area

The Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery Chamber serves approximately 200 square miles in the east Montgomery County area east and west of the Highway 59 corridor, as well as the areas of Humble and Kingwood in Harris County. Nearly 30 percent of our members have either a Humble or Kingwood address. The Chamber is a 501c6 Non-Profit corporation.

Funding

The Chamber is funded through membership investments, special events, and a community development grant from the East Montgomery County Improvement District.

Purpose

The Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County is a voluntary organization of professional business men and women who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic and commercial progress of our area.

There are two primary purposes of the Chamber –

  • To act as the spokesperson for the business community and translate into action the group thinking of its membership; and
  • To provide specific services of a type that can be most effectively rendered by a community organization, both to its members and the community as a whole.  

Mission

To promote the economic well-being and quality of life of East Montgomery County.

 

What Does the Chamber Do?

The Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County was founded in 1990 and recently celebrated its 17th anniversary. Governed by a 14-member board of directors, the Chamber’s mission is to promote the economic well being and quality of life of East Montgomery County.

Donnie Click receives the Small Business of the Year Award at the 2008 annual banquet.The Chamber kicks off each year honoring members who have helped further the goals of the Chamber at the Annual Banquet. The highlight of the evening recognizes our Hometown Heroes, and the Small and Large Businesses of the Year. These honorees are nominated from the entire membership and represent the best of the best. The banquet also recognizes the services of our outgoing board chair and retiring board members, as well as the Board Member of the Year and the Volunteer of the Year.

The Business Expo and Total Women’s Expo, held for the first time in 2008, provides opportunities for local businesses to promote their products and services in an expo setting that attracts hundreds of area citizens.

The annual Taste of East Montgomery County is held in the spring and features the best cooks of the area. Chamber members are encouraged to participate and network with the community.

The annual Spring into Wellness Expo gives health and wellness providers opportunities to meet with citizens and share their expertise. The second annual expo was held in the spring of 2008.

The Texas Sawmill Festival was enjoyed for the first time in April 2007 by a crowd of over 3,000. Held this year in mid-June, this FREE community event takes citizens and visitors back to the early days of East Montgomery County through visits to the “old sawmill town” display, historical displays, and reenactments from that era. The goal for the festival is for it to continue as an annual event and expand to a full weekend event. The festival committee will continue to work year round to critique and enhance the festival to achieve its long-term goal.

Our annual Golf Tournament and Dinner is held each October at the beautiful Golfers are ready to hit the links at annual Chamber Golf Tournament at Oakhurst Golf Club.Oakhurst Golf Club. Featuring an afternoon of golf followed by a steak and lobster dinner, this event is an excellent marketing and networking opportunity for our members. A Ladies Mixer was held proceeding the dinner for the first time in 2008.

Small Business Seminars are held periodically during the year. The seminars are designed to provide small business owners valuable information to assist them in the growth of their business. These seminars are held in partnership with the East Montgomery County Improvement District and the Small Business Development Center of the Lone Star College System.

The Chamber also serves as a center for information for both residents and visitors. Conveniently located along Highway 59, the Chamber is a central point for items such as demographic information, visitor’s guides, maps of the area, and information on our members.

The Chamber represents 400 members, all interested in making East Montgomery County a better, more vital place to live, work and play. The Chamber is a non-profit community service organization that operates on membership dues and dollars generated from the various special events.

Ribbon Cutting ceremony for JP James Mett's.Through Ribbon Cuttings, Grand Openings, and Ground Breakings, the Chamber welcomes the opportunity to assist you with events celebrating your business opening, expansion, relocation or anniversary. The Chamber staff and volunteers are available weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm to emcee your ribbon cutting, grand opening, ground breaking, or other special event. We will help you spread the word about your event through our newsletter Chamber Connections, email update via E-Connections, and calendar postings on the Chamber website at http://www.communitychamberemc.com/. There is no charge for this MEMBER ONLY service.

Throughout the year the Chamber hosts several networking opportunities. The Monthly Luncheon is held on the first Wednesday of each month. The luncheon is open to all members and guests and features recognition of new members, an interesting and informative speaker, networking between attendees, and door prizes. The Chamber also partners with The Observer newspaper on the second Wednesday of each month for The Observer Networking Luncheon. This luncheon is all about networking between attendees and does not include a speaker. The monthly Networking Breakfast is held on the last Friday of each month at 7 am and is jointly hosted by Kingwood Medical Center. The breakfast is held in the Plaza Room at the Medical Center and is free to all attendees. The Chamber’s quarterly After Hours Networking events, held at varying member’s locations, are great opportunities to meet fellow members and business leaders in our area.

The Chamber’s website at http://www.communitychamberemc.com/ provides easy access to people from around the world. One of the site’s primary features is the Membership Roster. Visitors to the site easily find information either by name or by category listing. Advertising opportunities for members are also available on the site.

The Chamber’s semi-monthly newsletter Chamber Connections is mailed the last week of the month to all members. This semi-monthly publication provides information pertinent to the Chamber, as well as a calendar of events for the coming month.

The Chamber also distributes E-Connections, a weekly electronic update that provides up-to-date information on the latest happenings in the Chamber and the community.

In partnership with The Observer newspaper, a new monthly feature, Community Connections, is now being sent to all the citizens where the East Montgomery County Observer is distributed. This new outlet provides Chamber members opportunities to get information to the general public in the area. The Observer gives Chamber members a special members only rate for their ads on this page.

Leadership East Montgomery County is an educational program for local business owners/managers and area citizens. The program provides detailed information on what is happening in the area and why it happens. Leadership EMC is a three-hour program held one night per month for eight months. The Chamber also participates in Leadership Montgomery County and Leadership North Houston. Both of these programs are full-day programs and cover similar topics.

The Chamber participates in several organizations designed to assist the staff and board in making good decisions for its members. These organizations include the Montgomery County Council of Chambers that includes all six Chambers in the county; the Alliance of North Houston Chambers (that includes six Chambers from the north Houston area and Harris County; the North Houston Association; the Gulf Coast Chamber Executives (which includes some 60 Chambers from across southeast Texas); and finally the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives (that includes Chambers from across the entire state). Each of these groups meet to share ideas, work on common issues, and to help each participating organization achieve its goals.

The Chamber is currently governed by a 15-member Board of Directors. Twelve members are elected from the membership and three are selected by the incoming Chair of the Board to serve a one-year term. The board governs and the staff manages. Volunteer leaders are responsible for the direction of the Chamber. The board governs, develops policy and sets a course for the future, maintaining focus on the mission and strategic goals. Board functions include governance, policy and position development, visionary or future focus, and fiduciary.

 

Chairman's Welcome

Welcome to East Montgomery County

The Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County would like to welcome you to our area.  This community guide andgary_gardner membership directory is provided to you by the members advertising in it.  Please call upon them for the goods and services you need. This is an exciting time to be involved in the growth in East Montgomery County.  Over 440 members are working together to enhance the economic growth and stability of the area.  The rapid growth over the last few years shows no signs of letting up – in fact it is increasing.  Our schools and community college are experiencing record enrollment increases and housing starts and completions continue to be strong.  All of these factors are having a positive impact on our local economy. The Chamber, through its board members, committees and volunteers, works closely with our three local school districts and community college to provide the highest quality education possible.  New workforce training opportunities have been developed that provide meaningful training for area citizens, thus improving these individuals quality of life. The East Montgomery County Improvement District provides economic and community development programs through revenues generated from the local sales tax.  Our local elected officials are also strong supporters of the area and its programs. All of us working together is what makes East Montgomery County strong.  Sharing the responsibility of building a strong community is critically important to our success. We invite you to visit the Chamber at 21575 Hwy 59 North, Suite 100 in New Caney or our website at www.communitychamberemc.com

We are here to serve and anxious to meet you! 

Sincerely, 

 

Gary Gardner
2011 Chairman of the Board

 
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