A “Wide-A-Wake” Chamber
We are thrilled to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our Chamber this year! As we move forward into 2020 with new opportunities for growth and connections for businesses and communities, we're taking time to honor our past. The work of the Chamber today would not be possible without the work of the Chamber in the past. Our strong foundation has given us the ability to build our present and future.
Although this milestone year celebrates the initial merger and creation of the Smithfield-Selma Chamber of Commerce in 1970, the roots of the Smithfield and Selma Chambers actually go even deeper into history.
The Selma Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1958 and the Smithfield Chamber came into being in the year 1909!
Take a look at the very first membership petition from that long-ago moment in time. You'll see that the organizers wanted to form a "wide-a-wake" chamber for Smithfield, which tells us that the business community wanted a chamber that would proactively work to help the town develop and grow.
We are committed to carrying on the work of a "wide-a-wake" chamber as we serve all of our members and communities of Triangle East!
The documentation for the first Chamber in Smithfield, NC.
Special thanks to the Johnston County Heritage Center for their assistance in our research!