by Ryan Egly
February may be the shortest month of the year, but we definitely made the most of it here in Lawrence County! Over a few short weeks, we celebrated growing businesses, gathered leaders around the table, and continued strengthening the education and workforce systems that will power the future of our local economy.
Welcoming our newest Chamber members
As I mentioned last month, businesses join the Chamber for a variety of reasons. Some want to engage other business leaders and strengthen brand recognition. Others want to support our work to create jobs and welcome more visitors. My experience is that all our members share one belief: doing business in Lawrence County is a blessing, and joining the Chamber is a practical way to give back. I’m pleased to recognize the members who joined in February, and I encourage you to support them:
- Plainsight Billboard
- Freedom Heating and Air LLC
- Bend Soap Company
We also had the chance to show up for local businesses as they celebrated important milestones:
- Builtwell Bank hosted our February Chamber Coffee
- Ribbon cuttings and celebrations marked new or expanded locations for Southern Tennessee Pediatrics and First Choice Health, the American Job Center, and Co-Work Coffee
- Integrity Auto Repair celebrated a grand opening
- Lawrenceburg Technical College welcomed the community for an open house
Each of these openings, expansions, and gatherings reflects confidence in Lawrence County. Small businesses serve customers, create jobs, and strengthen the services, amenities, and experiences available to local families.
Building the workforce pipeline
One of the best parts of the month was seeing our education and workforce partners in action. Our Leadership Lawrence class participated in an Education and Workforce Development Day, sponsored by Columbia State Community College, focused on connecting the dots from kindergarten to career. We visited the University of Tennessee Southern and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Pulaski, and we also heard from partners at the Lawrence County School System and the Ayers Foundation. These relationships and pathways matter, and they help ensure local employers can find talent and local students can find opportunity.
Chamber news and initiatives
This month, we announced the promotion of Jantzen Kelly from Controller to Chief Operating Officer. Jantzen will continue overseeing the Chamber’s financial operations while taking on expanded responsibility for internal operations, organizational strategy, and day-to-day management. I’m grateful for her leadership and excited for what it means for our organization.
We also announced our 2026 Women at Work initiative, sponsored by Old National Bank. This year’s theme, Grow Where You Are Planted, will be brought to life through a luncheon, coffee, and other activities that highlight the businesswomen of Lawrence County and the positive impact they make on our community.
Stakeholder work across industries
You may not know this about me, but I’ve served on my church’s production team for nearly ten years. At this point, I’d describe myself as an amateur audio engineer. Most weeks, that means creating an audio mix for our service: guitars, drums, vocals, piano, and everything in between. When it is done right, it is balanced, and everything works together.
A community needs the same kind of mix. February included meaningful stakeholder engagement across several industries. I attended our local Farm Bureau meeting for a legislative update and discussion of key issues facing agriculture, and I spent time in Nashville meeting with partners and legislators to discuss priorities for tourism, workforce, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
That mix matters. A healthy local economy cannot lean on one industry and expect to stay strong through every season. We need agriculture, manufacturing, small business, and a growing services sector. We need tourism bringing outside dollars in. We need workforce development so employers can hire and expand. We need entrepreneurs starting the next wave of local companies. In other words, we must fire on all cylinders and keep working on multiple fronts to create the right mix.
Our economy is growing, I’m proud to report it is becoming more diverse and more resilient. That is good for business, and it is good for Lawrence County.
Other upcoming events
Here are a few opportunities to support local businesses and stay connected in the weeks ahead:
- Woodland Parkview Motel Ribbon Cutting, March 4, 2026
- A Kid’s Place hosting Chamber Coffee, March 5, 2026
- Title and Escrow Open House, March 25, 2026
- Innate Wellness Chiropractic Ribbon Cutting, April 6, 2026
- Open House at Lawrence County Veterans Services Office, April 8, 2026
- Ribbon Cutting for Maury Regional Medical Center, April 8, 2026
- Ribbon Cutting for Southern TN Urology, April 9, 2026
- National Civics Bee, April 10, 2026
- Open House at Citizens Bank, April 14, 2026
- Hemp Depot Ribbon Cutting, April 20, 2026
Thank you for supporting the businesses, educators, workforce partners, and community leaders doing the work. If you have news to share, a milestone coming up, or a question about how to plug into the Chamber network, our professional staff is here to help.
About the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce / Visit Lawrenceburg
The Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce champions economic opportunity and community vitality by supporting local businesses, workforce development, and quality-of-life initiatives. Visit Lawrenceburg, the Chamber’s destination marketing effort, promotes Lawrence County’s attractions, events, and experiences to drive tourism, visitor spending, and long-term community growth.
Media Contact
Destiny Gobble, Communications & Hospitality Coordinator
destiny@lawcotn.com