Center for Business & Community Development

Everything Local Businesses Need To Prosper

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Business Development works to enhance existing business opportunities for its members through business and retention assistance, procurement and international business opportunities, and quality, value-added membership services. The overall goal of the Center is to help facilitate business members’ opportunities to achieve a higher level of business growth and improved business capacity. Additionally, the Center helps to develop networking programs for Chamber members and promotes programs that help realize a direct return on investment for a members’ investment in the Chamber.

To achieve its goals the Center relies on support, input, and participation from its Center for Business & Community Development Advisory Board of Directors composed of a cross section of local industry leaders. For additional information, please contact , Senior Director of the Center for Business & Community Development at 817-543-4296.

Business Retention and Expansion Program

An important initiative of the Center is the Grow Arlington Program--the Center’s Business Retention and Expansion Program. This initiative enhances local economic development endeavors by identifying existing businesses that have the potential to grow through additional capital investment and/or increased employment opportunities. The program coalesces key stakeholder resources to develop a friendly business environment for growth. The Grow Arlington Program is an important economic development tool crucial to the economic vitality of the community and provides an additional value added services to our members. Business members of the Chamber of Commerce are encouraged to contact the Center for a free evaluation of their business to determine growth potential and/or to help resolve challenging issues that prevent potential growth. In addition to this, the Chamber can evaluate local and state incentive programs that can help facilitate business growth.

Business Start-up Assistance

The Center for Entrepreneurship located at 202 E. Border Street is a One-Stop Shop--located within the Center for Innovation in Arlington--to support entrepreneurial and small business development providing access to services necessary to launch businesses successfully into the marketplace as clients consult with subject matter experts from different agencies. More Info

Training Workshops

Cutting-edge training seminars are provided by Center for Entrepreneurship located within the Center for Innovation at Arlington. These workshops provide members with training opportunities to enhance their business practices and to open doors for business development opportunities. Workshops help members stay up to date on emerging issues related to their day to day operations. Topics include: accounting & finance, marketing, procurement, certification and business law.

International Trade

International trade opportunities are an important facet of today’s competitive global economy. The International Trade Program aims to educate members on trade opportunities, develop relationships with foreign trade organizations, and provide business to business opportunities in the global market. Key relationships with trade organizations help open doors and educate the local business community of opportunities in the global market. Local resources further enhance a local business’ knowledge of doing business internationally.

As a value added service to our members, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is pleased to provide Certificate of Origins to international distributors, shippers and manufacturers for a minimal fee. The purpose of the CO is to authenticate the country of origin of the merchandise being shipped. Some destinations require a Certificate of Origin (CO) for certain commodities from their local Chamber of Commerce.

Value-added Membership Benefits

An added bonus to the services offered by the Center for Business & Community Development are the value added programs that help decrease a Chamber member’s day to day business expenses. Chamber members can take advantage of member to member discounts and affinity programs through their investment with our Chamber. Affinity programs with Office Depot, Humana, Merchant Data Solutions, Priority Power Management,Performing Ads, Pinnacle Office Products, and United Networks of America (prescription-drug discount card) offer exclusive discount programs not available to other non-chamber member businesses. Additional business service discounts can be obtained through our Member Marketplace.

Neighborhood Business Councils

In 2007 the Chamber initiated Neighborhood Business Councils to work collaboratively with the city to address issues and concerns important to businesses in different sectors of the community and to reinvigorate business overall.The North Arlington and South Arlington Business Councils of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce represent the initiative of North and South Arlington businesses working in partnership with the City to enhance public and private development, through the promotion of community awareness, interaction in the community, and the education of the citizens. Such collaboration has resulted in the creation of a Commercial Code Ranger Training Course and increased awareness of public safety concerns.

Arlington Redevelopment Corporation

The Arlington Redevelopment Corporation (ARC) is a wholly owned 501(c)3 subsidiary of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce. ARC is focused on spearheading residential and commercial, mixed-use redevelopment in the Central Business District of Arlington. The corporation is managed by a board of directors and works very closely with key stakeholders in the community to be a catalyst for redevelopment.

Economic Forum

In January the Center for Business & Community Development hosts an Economic Forum to provide our members with thought provoking ideas on the state of our local, state, and national economy. Economic and policy experts provide insight into topics related to the economy.

Small Business Awards & Luncheon

Small Business represents the backbone of our local economy. In May, the Center is host to the Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon, recognizing our region’s small business leaders. Every year the Chamber recognizes one member for the Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award.

Procurement Program

Helping local small businesses and service providers sell to larger local corporations is the basic aim of the Chamber’s procurement program. Members can take advantage of special workshops targeting procurement initiatives with larger companies. The following links provide portals to procurement opportunities in our region.

Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Arlington TX