The famous, "If you're lucky enough to live in Aiken, you're lucky enough," was the familiar introductory statement from J. David Jameson, president and chief operating officer of the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce. Jameson was the guest speaker at the June meeting of the Senior Men's Club of Aiken at Woodside Country Club on June 17.
Attended by club members and wives, a regular feature of the June and December meetings, more than 100 in attendance heard Jameson proudly proclaim that Aiken's Chamber was in its 97th year, and was ranked a five-star accredited Chamber of Commerce; one of only 68 in that elite category nationwide. Aiken's chamber has just over 1,000 business members, a large number for a community the size of Aiken.
Wanting to maintain and improve Aiken's lifestyle, reputation and ambience, Jameson said all changes to Aiken need to be thought through "strategically," or said another way, "How will this really affect Aiken?" In 2013, a group of 24 strategic thinkers were commissioned to suggest what should be the next thing to do in Aiken that year, the following year and in the years to come, he said. The group came up with 29 recommendations, which are being implemented at a rate of three or four a year since the group's final report was issued.
One recommendation involved attracting younger families (ages 22 to 39) with children to the area. The Aiken Young Professionals was formed, and that organization now numbers more than 250 members and is growing. Area company recruiters have sought employees to be hired from this group.
Aiken has a good entrepreneurial spirit and wants to build on that base, Jameson said. The Young Entrepreneur Academy was formed, starting with middle school and high school students. They were challenged to develop companies, much like what is seen on the popular TV show "Shark Tank." The students enroll for a nine-month program to learn the skills and techniques necessary to run a small business. In May, the first class graduated.
After the good experience with the strategic thinkers group and not wanting to "rest on our laurels," Jameson said he is enlisting 50 people to go on a bus ride in September to visit three cities and spend time examining what makes those cities attractive and growing. The cities the group will visit are Greenville and North Carolina cities Winston-Salem and Raleigh.
Jameson was quick to admit that the base of 11,000 jobs at the Savannah River Site is a big driver of the Aiken economy, and noted that for every one job at SRS, two jobs are created in the community. Half of the workers at SRS live in the Aiken community, he said.
In recent discussions and a visit with the Secretary of Energy Earnest Moniz, Jameson was upbeat and felt that Moniz realizes that the base of SRS talent is well-suited to many future nuclear and non-nuclear applications that could impact the world economy.
"Business drives the economy," Jameson said. "We want to re-energize the business community to allow Aiken to grow and thrive."