Gary Thornton and Michael Rollins

Gary Thornton and Michael Rollins

Written by Staff Friday, 13 June 2008

 

Gary Thornton, Board Chair, South Austin Business Council

Q. What is the purpose of the South Austin Business Council?

A. The South Austin Business Council is made up of owners, managers and employees of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce member businesses, [which are] in good standing. The purpose of the council is to protect and promote business interests of the members through local leadership on business issues of concern to members, implementing special programs to strengthen and encourage growth of member companies and enable chamber members to become more actively involved in efforts which enhance the region as a desirable place to live, work and visit.

Q. How did you become involved?

A. I am not sure if I really remember. I believe in the power of networking, meaning you shake some hands and meet people. I went to some meeting for some group. They were working on different projects at different times. Then I went on to be on a committee. Then most recently I became involved with the area council.

Q. What do you enjoy most about South Austin business?

A. South Austin’s uniqueness. As fast as all of Austin has changed, I believe we have seen the greatest change in South Austin. It was not many years ago that it was a place of prostitutes and drug deals. Now it is a thriving area of eclectic businesses, which are imaginative, creative, free-thinking; a large number are start-up sole practitioners. It is quickly becoming an area of great culture, higher-end living with condos and revitalized housing and unique businesses.

Q. What benefits come from working with the chamber and the council?

A. Let me give an example. I spent one Saturday [with the chamber registering families at a high school for financial aid]. I met more good teachers and administrators. I sat down with them and really found out what was going on. I had never realized the problem, the immensity of the problem and how it touches you and I. We have to have an educated workforce. So I decided to stop complaining and get involved. The chamber will point you in the right direction. If you have a problem with traffic, they will say, “Here are the hearings,” and you can go to them. You can get involved with government relations. I visited with the [chamber] guys that went to Washington D.C. and realized we can really make a difference.

Gary Thornton, 236-2000, gthornton@jw.com, South Austin Business Council, 322-5618

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Michael Rollins, President and CEO, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

Q. What does a chamber of commerce do?

A. One thing we focus on is job creation, and that can come in many ways, but building a good business climate is one way we do it. We try to attract new businesses to the area we serve. Also, in order to bring those primary employers here, we have to make Austin a product they want to buy. This means having good transportation and an educated workforce that is trained in the skills employers need.

Q. Why do you live in South Austin?

A. I live in South Austin because at the right time a new housing area was opening up. It was more urban living, but I am not living in the core of the city. Roughly, it was small lots, homes between 1,800 and 2,500 sq. ft., which attracted me. Plus, I do a lot of cycling and it was much closer to be able to leave my driveway and go south.

Q. What do you appreciate about South Austin business?

A. South Austin has been a rapidly developing community over the last two to three years. I think what you’re seeing is a lot of new retail. I think until maybe up to 24 months ago, it was very deficient in the south and people who had moved there, the middle-income people, businesses were missing an opportunity [to serve these buyers]. So I think what you are going to see in the future is expansion of retail. You are seeing a lot of the major artery sites being purchased to be developed and under development. One of the major developments has been Southpark Meadows. They provide an awful lot of opportunities for shopping for people in between [IH] 35 and MoPac. You are also seeing Circle C and the more traditional southwest area developing retail, as well as along Brodie, south of William Cannon. I think you will begin to see some commercial office space take advantage of the growing residential base there.

Q. What is the chamber doing to promote future business in the area?

A. The chamber really focuses on the 5-county MSA and we do not closely work with retailers. That is pretty much a market function that if you have the right income levels then retail businesses are pretty savvy and smart to figure out the best locations. Typically, what we work with as a chamber is primary employers, which are employers that sell their services outside the region. Those businesses tend to be offices and manufacturing-distribution. As Austin continues to grow south, we are seeing more interest from employers in the employment base.

Michael Rollins, 322-5615, mrollins@austinchamber.com, Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, 478-9383

Keep Austin Weird — or Not?

That was the question that led a group of graduate students from St. Edward’s University to pursue research in 2007 on how much business owners in South Austin really value this popular slogan that appears on bumper stickers and T-shirts.

The answer was not very much, said Dr. Bradley Zehner, who opened a presentation on the study for the South Austin Business Council May 20. Out of the 300 businesses surveyed, most preferred to be referenced as unique, but not weird.

“It may be time for Austin to move on,” Zehner said.

Research also suggested that area entrepreneurs often fail to have a marketing strategy, so students created the Business Acceleration Tool program, designed to build individual marketing plans based on demographics and surveys of the area, for members of the SABC. Some of the information available in the program includes population and business demographics, Austin population growth forecasts, traffic counts and a ZIP code map. Users can fill out seven sections of a marketing plan, as well as an executive summary and company information profile that will generate the final report and strategy. CDs with the BAT program are available for free for SABC members at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call 322-5618.