Chamber reinvents itself with new staff, programs, opportunities

Bob Snead is reinventing how the Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber of Commerce and Foundation serves local businesses, entrepreneurs, and the community as the new president/CEO.

“The ultimate goal for the work we’re doing here is to build a thriving economic ecosystem in the area,” said Snead.

Snead stepped into this role on the first of this year, but has worked in conjunction with the chamber since the beginning of January 2022 when he became director of the Palmetto Innovation Center.

“I’ve been doing a lot of the work in parallel with Terri over the last year, so I got to learn a lot from her as far as how the chamber operates,” said Snead. “I know Terri was excited to see everything get pulled together.”

Snead is taking the helm after the retirement of Terri Smith who dutifully served as the executive director of the chamber for five years.

“The best thing that ever happened [to the chamber] I believe, is Bob coming to Barnwell. I just know he is my Godwink,” said Smith. “I knew he was the person that could carry all of that out and carry this forward.”

The chamber and the Palmetto Innovation Center share a space on Main Street, which allowed Snead and Smith to work in proximity to each other on a daily basis.

Snead felt collaboration between the entities truly began with the BBQ, Blues, and Boos event held in late October 2022 which brought all hands on deck.

One of the first tasks Snead took on was redesigning the chamber’s website.

“Members have profile pages that are individual websites if they don’t have a website,” said Snead. Members can also utilize the job board function of the chamber’s website to post and update job openings.

Another priority of Snead’s was reorganizing and combining the chamber, the Palmetto Innovation Center, and the newly-created Southern Palmetto Foundation.

The Southern Palmetto Foundation is a 501c3 connected to the chamber which is a 501c6, and the Palmetto Innovation will be under the Foundation as a 501c3.

“What I have learned over the last year is the C6 designation has some limitations as far as fundraising, so it makes it more of a challenge for us to be able to receive individual donations or seek out Foundation support,” said Snead of why he chose to restructure.

With the Palmetto Innovation Center being under the Foundation which is connected to the chamber, it allows for all entities to work together toward a similar goal and flexibility to fundraise as Snead said.

To do this, Snead has been working closely with Tammy Shepherd, former president/CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce, while Smith was still director.

Another individual who has been a wealth of support and information is Tommy Boyleston, executive director of the Barnwell County Economic Development Commission (EDC).

“It’s been really exciting to work with him and they are supporting us financially to help with the Propel Business Lab and with programming here at the Innovation Center,” said Snead. “I think they see great potential in what we have going on and that there is real enthusiasm for the work.”

The first installment of the Propel Business Lab has 30 participants who are all excited to learn how to accelerate their business regardless of their experience level.

“The program will host business development lessons alongside technology centric workshops with a focus on businesses that have impact on Barnwell and Allendale counties. Participants can take part in classes at the Palmetto Innovation Center in Barnwell or on the Allendale campus of USC Salkehatchie,” states the website.

At the end of the Propel Business Lab, participants compete in a pitch competition with a grant prize of $10,000.

“People are excited about the programming we have here, enthusiastic about what’s going on, and I’m in the same boat,” said Snead.

Snead has always been in the world of entrepreneurship – through his own endeavors and through those of other entrepreneurs and small business owners.

When he was in middle school he made a business of selling comic books and trading cards which he later sold. Growing up his family owned a business handling taxes and accounting, he maintains his work as an artist, he and his wife ran a bakery before moving to Barnwell, and countless more entrepreneurial experiences.

Despite these many ventures, he never quite saw the benefits of a traditional chamber of commerce throughout his career.

“I never saw the value of being part of a chamber, so I’m trying to create programming and work here that I would find value in as a shoestring entrepreneur,” said Snead.

“I want to make all of the things we offer, whether it is chamber membership or programming, I want folks to see value,” said Snead. “We just have to put in the work to prove there is worth.”

“We were just way behind and still left back in the seventies and doing things the old fashioned way,” said Smith of her five years in the chamber before the updating brought by Snead and Shepherd.

Snead hopes some of the programming being offered in 2023 will bring in more members and continue to redefine how a chamber serves businesses, entrepreneurs, and people.

“In terms of programming that we are creating right now for the chamber, we have four core events that we are hanging our hat on for the year,” said Snead.

The chamber’s Annual Banquet has not been held in four years due to the pandemic, and Snead changed this by a relaunch of the event on February 9 at Sweetwater Country Club. Chamber members were recognized for their accomplishments and were afforded the opportunity to get to know one another.

Following the banquet in March is Blessing of the Crops, which is an evening dinner held outside at King George Lavender Farm in collaboration with the Barnwell County Farmers Market held at Fuller Park.

In August, Snead is gearing up to hold an event called State of the Community which will be “local representatives gathering together to discuss what they are doing for the business community.” At this event there will also be a business expo, which will allow local businesses to highlight some of their current products and services.

In October, Snead plans to hold the second annual BBQ, Blues, and Boos event before Halloween.

Aside from holding fun events like these, Snead wants all size businesses and entrepreneurs in the community to take advantage of everything the chamber has to offer.

“We’re trying to connect with all the different audiences that the chamber is a part of in terms of our membership, and then with the community more broadly,” said Snead. “We really want to support the small entities, but we do have members who are in that world of manufacturing or industry.”

Snead has also made marketing a priority throughout 2023 to chamber members and the community at large. He explained 20% of people came from 30 miles away or more to the BBQ, Blues, and Boos event because of heightened marketing.

The chamber has begun working with the Colletonian Business Journal’s network to create profile videos of chamber members in hopes to grow their respective businesses.

Snead also made sure the chamber was a member of the Barnwell Development Association (BDA) “to support and foster this effort and see where we can collaborate and assist those business owners” who are a part of the BDA.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure their businesses keep going,” said Snead. “We’re here to assist and support.”

Snead hopes the chamber can be a part of sustaining the annual Blackville Music & Arts Festival and bringing back Barnwell’s fishing rodeo. These are two events Snead feels could bring people into Barnwell County and promote regional tourism.

“If you had asked my 20-year-old self if I would have ever been running a chamber of commerce, there is no way I would have ever guessed that this is where I would be today,” said Snead.

Snead started working with the Palmetto Innovation Center in January 2022 when it was newly established, but he was brought to Barnwell County from Louisiana in October 2020 for a different reason entirely.

“I came here originally because my mom bought this house that she fell in love with,” said Snead. “She was passing by, saw a for sale sign, and she saw the potential in this house. It was really rough.”

The Main Street, Barnwell home was built in the late 1800s and still had its original tin roof when it caught the eye of Gara Gause-Snead. To restore it to its former glory, she replaced the roof and columns.

“She made it work to get this house, and then she went to work putting it together,” said Snead. “She passed away at the end of 2019, and at the time I was living in New Orleans.”

At the time of his mother’s death, Snead was working on a collaborative project with artist Dred Scott that took five years and over $1 million dollars to bring to fruition.

“That project happened in November 2019, and in the lead up my mom suddenly passed away. I didn’t have time to process anything,” said Snead.

Once this project was over, Snead and his wife, Dawn, felt it was time to move on from New Orleans after living there for a decade.

In October 2020, the Snead family moved to Barnwell where they began to finish the passion project Gara started.

“It was a way to escape and spend some time working through the project my mom started, and honor her vision of it,” said Snead.

Now that Snead is invested into the area, he has brought together a team that is as well.

“I am very excited to have just hired Enterick Lee, who is on city council in Blackville and is an entrepreneur himself,” said Snead.

Lee is Director of Programming and has already begun developing programming for both the Chamber and the Foundation.

“On council, you’re helping people with their problems, concerns, and figure out how you can get better in the town and grow,” said Lee. “The same thing with this–how can we grow as a community?”

Snead will also be working with local realtor and entrepreneur Rebekah Grubbs, who will tackle bringing on new members and highlighting the benefits of membership to former members as Membership Coordinator.

“I’m looking forward to meeting local business owners and being able to help keep businesses in Barnwell, figuring out ways to meet the needs of businesses, and how to keep, market, and draw business their way,” said Grubbs.

“I’m raising my kids here, so I want Barnwell to thrive,” said Grubbs. “The only way it’s going to thrive is if companies see potential in Barnwell and they put their money here and it stays here.”

“That’s what the chamber needed too, was a shot in the arm of younger people,” said Smith, who is excited to see all that Grubbs, Lee, and Snead accomplish.

For more information about the programming and events offered by the Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber of Commerce and the newly established Foundation, visit https://southern palmettochamber.org/.

For more information about the Palmetto Innovation Center, visit https://palmettoinnovation.org/.