BROWNSTOWN
Two Brownstown organizations have a similar mission.
Brownstown/Ewing Main Street is made up of dedicated local professionals with the intent of revitalizing the economy, appearance and image of the downtown commercial districts using the National Main Street Center’s Main Street Approach.
The Brownstown Chamber of Commerce works to enhance the community by promoting economic growth through commitment, vision, prosperity, opportunity and quality.
This year, efforts are focused on merging the two groups.
Conner Barnette was appointed president of the chamber in July 2018. He also serves as vice president of Brownstown/Ewing Main Street.
Since July, he said there have been changes in chamber employees, and member benefits have been restructured.
In the past month, Barnette, Luke Nolting, president of Brownstown/Ewing Main Street, and other board members have talked to officials with Seymour Main Street, the Greater Seymour Chamber of Commerce and organizations in communities around the size of Brownstown to see how they are structured.
“This is something that we really feel would be a good opportunity moving forward,” Barnette said of the merger.
“With all of the growth happening right now in the community, from the new businesses, the new judicial center, just everything taking place, there’s a lot of remodels going on,” he said. “We feel like it’s going to be a great time to merge the two, the chamber of commerce and Brownstown/Ewing Main Street, in one organization.”
The organization would operate under the name Brownstown/Ewing Main Street, and it would have economic development and promotion as one of its five tiers.
“That would be a group of individuals on a committee whose sole priority would be the benefits of the businesses in our community,” Barnette said.
“We just feel like asking our local businesses to ante up $250, $500, $100, for events and sponsorships and your membership dues, it becomes a lot, and we would like to condense that down, offer you more for less and we feel like this is a good opportunity to do so,” he said.
The leaders of both organizations are working with legal counsel to determine what the organization will look like.
“We will be sending all of our (Brownstown/Ewing Main Street) members as well as all of the chamber members a letter,” Barnette said. “It’s going to require votes from our membership as well as the chamber’s membership, and we’re still getting through all of that stuff with our attorney.”
As soon as all of the details are ironed out, he said the letters will be sent out and conversations will take place to get questions answered.
“We just don’t have all of the answers right now exactly what that looks like, but we definitely think it’s a possibility with the conversations we’ve had,” Barnette said. “We think it’s a great opportunity moving forward with where we’re at with both organizations right now.”
Brownstown/Ewing Main Street formed in 2010, while the chamber has served the community for more than 100 years. It was known as the Brownstown Service and Commercial Club from 1913 to January 1929.