Shelby Reporter

The Chamber’s February Monthly Meeting welcomed Chief Marketing Officer Katie George Hooser of IMC Companies. The meeting kicked off with its typical three-part introduction. First, Pastor Sam Nichols of Collierville First Baptist Church thanked everyone for attending on such a dreary day.  Second, Eddie Bromley of Collierville United Methodist delivered the invocation. And, finally, Alderman Missy Marshall led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Afterward, Mark Heuberger, President and CEO of the Chamber, took the stage to lead opening announcements. Before going further, he made note of some Town of Collierville people in attendance, including “the best mayor and best police chief in America,” Stan Joyner and Dale Lane, respectively. He revealed new members and announced that BlueOval SK recently was one of those. The company is a “feather in the Chamber’s cap” with all the investment they are putting into West Tennessee and the Collierville area. While these preliminary matters were going on, attendees were treated to a Mardi Gras-themed meal from Simply Done Catering and Karen Shelton. It included red beans and rice, shrimp gumbo, and a holiday favorite King’s Cake. Simply Done is the anchor caterer for Chamber meetings this year.

Next up, the Student of the Month segment began. Sponsored by Patriot Bank and the Collierville Schools, a CHS student is recognized for their outstanding achievements in the classroom and the community. This month, Charles Brasfield and Roger Jones did the honors. The February recipient, Austin Smith, is a talented student academically and athletically. Roger Jones noted Austin’s well-rounded nature and impeccable character. Austin will attend Rhodes College this fall, playing on both football and baseball teams, and majoring in business.

Schooley Mitchell and Workplace Furniture both had some time with attendees as the presenting and speaker sponsors, respectively. Miclain Keffeler gave an overview of the services Schooley Mitchell offers to its clients as a cost-reduction consulting firm. Keffler spoke very highly of the Collierville community and why its such a great place to work and invest. He stepped in for his business partner (and dad and voice of the Collierville Dragons) Charlie Keefler.  Then, Heuberger returned to the stage and provided some key points about Workplace Furniture.  One timely note was the job Workplace Furniture did on the new IMC Headquarters building in Collierville last April. In the audience, John Warren and Carla Taylor of the com company were recognized.

Heuberger continued to introduce the guest speaker, Katie George Hooser. She’s the chief marketing officer of IMC Companies and gave members a great overview of how its work significantly impacts this area and the entire country. She first provided a brief history of the company, from its start by Mark and Melinda George (Katie’s parents) in 1982 to its place today as the largest marine drayage company in the US. It has grown to 45 locations over the country and proudly houses its new headquarters in Collierville, which opened last April with much fanfare and Governor Bill Lee. She gave the members a lesson on what drayage really is with a video of informal interviews with University of Memphis students. It helped explain why that one word is so important to IMC. (Drayage is the transport of shipping containers from a truck to its final destination). Hooser ended her presentation with a video about IMC’s role in the beloved Collierville Christmas Parade and how important it is for the company to be involved in the area. “Your success is our destination,” Hooser concluded.

Afterward, Heuberger returned to the stage to thank Hooser for her time and IMC Companies’ membership with the Chamber and investment in Collierville. He called both things a real honor. He finally gave some final Chamber announcements, including the Excellence in Business Awards, presented by Simmons Bank, on March 7th, which is sold out for the second year in a row. 

Original source can be found here