Video: Fulton Chamber Executive Director Busy Building Business

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FULTON, MISS. (WCBI) – One city in our region is hoping a newly created chamber of commerce can strengthen existing businesses and bring in new ones.
WCBI’s Allie Martin met with the face of the Fulton Chamber of Commerce to see how things are going two months into the job.

On a typical day, Molly Loden works the phones from her temporary office on the ICC Campus.

And she makes the rounds at local businesses.

Loden is executive director of the newly formed Fulton Chamber of Commerce. She has been on the job since mid August.

“With our kickoff, we started at zero, the first week of September, we have steadily grown, we have about 35 members now,” Loden said.

The Itawamba County native has degrees from Ole Miss and the University of North Alabama. She says there are many strengths Fulton can offer existing and new businesses.

“We are a prime location, we are right off the highway, the first major, town city, coming in from Alabama, we have the waterway and we also have ICC, which is a big draw.” she said.

Eventually the Fulton Chamber will have its offices here at the Itawamba County Development Council building, but until then the work doesn’t slow down, in fact the chamber is busy sponsoring and promoting several upcoming community events.

“Next week, on Thursday, we have the fall festival, which will be trick or treating down around the square, we have local businesses, community groups and school groups coming and setting up, then the next week, November 8th, we have our Christmas Open House for local businesses,” Loden said.

As general manager of the Holiday Inn Express, Lezlie Pender believes the first executive director of the chamber is doing a lot to promote area businesses and she says community events will only help.

“It helps when people come into the area and they have things to do, a lot of people come and look for things to do in the town and having those things keeps them from going to Tupelo and going to Alabama,” Pender said.

Loden is also overseeing development of a logo and a website for the new chamber.

Loden reports to the Fulton board of aldermen, but she is not a city employee.