Volunteers recruit new members for Blount Partnership

By JESSA LEWIS
6 News Reporter

MARYVILLE (WATE) - The Blount Partnership is looking to boost its membership. Leaders are taking an unusual approach to getting new businesses involved.

Business men and women in Blount County are parting ways with professional dress for the next couple of days. They're working the phones to help recruit new members for Blount Partnership.

"Right now, we have about 1,300 members and we set our goal at 280 and a monetary goal of raising $100,000," said Blount Partnership Director of Communications Jeff Muir. "That $100,000 would go back to the Chamber, which would then go to reinvest in the community as far as doing recruiting of new businesses."

Blount Partnership also plans to use the money to work on the area's tourism campaign, both for business and leisure travelers.

"The difference is, instead of leaving it to our staff to recruit our businesses, we've come together as a business community, really to form a partnership and a team to recruit new businesses," said volunteer Chris Soro.

Not only are the volunteers having a fun dress day, but they're also competing against each other, even though the end goal is the same.

"We're running three hour shifts, morning and afternoon, and we will call the entire time, so there's no telling how many we'll call. We'll probably call 100 people during our shift," Soro added.

That goal is to keep businesses in Blount County and attract new ones.