Almost fifteen years ago, Jason Jones was a new business owner trying to learn the ropes. He turned to the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce and quickly gained new skills and connections.
This year, that script is going to be flipped. Jones is set to become the chamber’s chairman this month and hopes to pass his own knowledge and resources on to local business owners.
“My goal this coming year is to give back to the chamber,” Jones said. “It gave me a lot of knowledge, a lot of resources, to help my business.”
When he replaces outgoing chairperson Yvonne Fry on Jan. 25, Jones said he will focus on three things: economic growth, business education and increased chamber membership value.
Jones, a University of Kentucky alumnus, is the owner of Advantage Restoration and Contracting. He started his business in Plant City in 2003, just a few years after graduating college, and has never looked back.
“Starting in Plant City could not have been a better choice,” Jones said. “It was the best decision I could have made.”
He believes the reasons he was drawn to Plant City will attract more businesses to the area. The resources at a business owner’s disposal through the chamber, coupled with the city’s community and family-friendly nature, make it an ideal starting point for entrepreneurs. As Plant City evolves and continues to host large events, such as Pig Jam, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and a myriad of sports tournaments, it’s expected to become a hotspot along the I-4 corridor — as evidenced by Plant City’s role in Hillsborough County’s Imagine 2040 plan.
Jones believes continued education is key to a business’s success and plans to double down on that by bringing back the chamber’s Lunch and Learn series in 2018. These meetings, which are open to chamber members and non-members, will feature speakers making presentations on an assigned topic. The Jan. 24 seminar will feature a presentation by Dan Raulerson, Irene Castillo and Nate Kilton about the new American tax code and how local businesses will be affected by it.
“That’s something that helped me a lot with my business when I first started,” Jones said. “Lunch and Learns taught me in some areas where I needed help starting a new business. Bringing those back, to me, will help other businesses in the Plant City community.”
Though the list of dates and topics was not finalized at press time, future Lunch and Learns will feature presentations on marketing and navigating the world of social media. Members can eat and learn for $10, while non-members can join in for $15.
Jones said more than 100 businesses became new members of the Chamber of Commerce in 2017. He hopes to keep membership numbers on the rise in 2018 and, in addition, make businesses feel like they’re getting more value out of their chamber memberships.
This could be done by helping businesses get a larger presence in Plant City’s many community events, from sponsorships to straight-up participation. Giving businesses the best possible opportunities to learn and network, Jones said, makes each member feel their involvement with the chamber is worthwhile.
Jones said many of the projects started under Fry will continue going strong in 2018. The transfer of the Plant City visitors’ center from North Park Road into the chamber’s Evers Street headquarters downtown is nearing completion, with a touchscreen display unit set to be hooked up soon. The nonprofit roundtable, a group allowing local nonprofit organizations to connect and tackle projects together, will continue to operate and look to increase its own membership, Jones said.
He also hopes more people in Plant City will come to the Chamber with ideas for events, programs or other ways to benefit the community. Jones himself approached the chamber in 2009 with the idea for Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a free, family-friendly event held at Plant City Airport. It’s since become one of Plant City’s more popular annual events in its eight years of operation. Jones said he and the chamber will be open to any and all ideas that take advantage of Plant City’s resources, especially if they work for the whole family.
“It’s a community where you can come up with ideas, and the ideas will come into reality here,” Jones said.
The gavel-passing date isn’t far off, and Jones couldn’t be more excited to help Plant City work.
“It’s gonna be a great year,” he said.