Dana Schroeder
By DANA SCHROEDER
CEO, SCC Chamber
Every year the Sun City Center Chamber of Commerce prints a directory of all of the chamber members. This publication is more than just a listing of plumbers and doctors and restaurants — it is a guide to living in Sun City Center. There are articles on the lifestyle, continuing education opportunities, houses of worship, local attractions and more.
Make no mistake, the reason it is published every year is to promote the member businesses, and make it easy for residents to find what they need. The hardest part of this annual chore is making sure that each and every listing is up-to-date and accurate. Hell hath no fury like a business owner with a wrong phone number listed. When you have 454 members, that’s a lot of proof-reading. Last month, the directory was finished with updates made and typos corrected.
A funny thing happened when members were told this year’s directory was closing. Suddenly, every business that wasn’t a member of the chamber wanted to join. They know the value of being in the publication when the snowbirds begin to trickle in come fall. From mid-June to mid-July, 28 new members joined the ranks.
To give you some perspective, historically, the chamber has added an average of five new members per month. This was almost six times the average.
Printing was delayed so all could get in. But that wasn’t a bad problem to have. The chamber wants this book to be the best one they’ve ever published.
When relatives come to visit Sun City Center or a Northerner is considering moving down, they often call the chamber or stop in and ask for information on the area. The first thing they are given is the directory before they are directed to the SCC Information Center on Cherry Hills Drive.
The new publication has expanded sections on golf courses, local transportation, area medical care and housing. All of these sections are enhanced with photos by local photographer Regina Dexter — no canned photography of golfers and swimming pools downloaded from the internet. The chamber wants folks to see the real Sun City Center in all its special charm and character.
You can see all of these photos and the membership directory on the chamber’s website anytime you like at www.sccchamber.com. I hope you will shop the directory whenever you need a handyman, a lawyer, an A/C company or an accountant. The local businesses need your support and want to help you any way they can. Besides, shopping local makes “cents.”
Even if you have lived here for 30 years, I hope you will stop by and take a copy of the directory to enjoy. I guarantee you will find something new and interesting in it. And I promise you, the chamber’s 28 new members will all be listed — with correct phone numbers.
