Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce finding a seat at the table

New business ventures often face a battle for legitimacy in their first few years after launch. While a part of the Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce (MABCC) mission is to ensure local entrepreneurs have the resources and knowledge to overcome this hurdle, MABCC has been seeking legitimacy in its own right. MABCC Chairman Leavie King believes they took a significant stride this past year.

The local Black chamber was founded in September 2018 and now holds membership of 149 entities, which includes solo entrepreneurs, small businesses and large corporations. 

There are a number of commerce organizations along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, but MABCC’s goal was founded to be a conduit for economic growth among local African American-owned businesses and professionals in Mobile, Baldwin and Washington counties. Despite the organization’s moniker, the chamber strives to be an inclusive group.

“We’re a chamber for all people. We want everyone to know we’re inclusive,” King said. “However, we’re designed to make sure African American businesses have a seat at the table. Traditionally, they have not.”

King said the way the chamber is organized is intended to reduce intimidation Black business owners may feel when considering becoming a member of a chamber of commerce. He said the group has served as a gateway for many individuals who have never participated in a membership group, and those same individuals now hold memberships to multiple other chambers in the region.

Working toward its fourth established year in operation, King said MABCC has now cleared a significant three-year threshold many former chamber initiatives have struggled to cross.

“There have been two to three iterations of Black chambers in the area over the past 20 years that have come and gone. People have watched us and we’ve lasted the test of time,” King said.

Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce Chairman Leavie D. King, III.

There have been key milestones hit recently for MABCC, King said.

Over the last year, King said MABCC acquired new office space and hired two full-time administrative assistants. He said the chamber’s board of directors is currently looking for an executive director who would take on the day-to-day operations of the chamber and propel the organization forward.

The chamber’s finances are also performing strongly, according to King, who said 98 percent of the organization’s operating costs are covered by its membership fees. 

“We’ve come a long way in a short amount of time,” King said.

The chamber honored its 2021 Members of the Year during its holiday luncheon in December.

In February, the chamber hosted its first major fundraising event. Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington was the keynote speaker, and King said it sold out; 275 attended.

MABCC isn’t just a stepping stone into the business world, either, according to King. He said the organization networks with all of the other chambers in the area and acts as a bridge for corporate executives and large international corporations into local communities in South Alabama.

“We’ve worked to build relationships over boundaries. I think we’ve done that,” King said.

Like any chamber organization, King said, the MABCC’s mission is to be the platform for education, encouragement, networking and even capital.

MABCC hosts meetings at 11:30 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at Spring Hill College’s Byrne Hall. King said the meetings are punctual and follow a tight schedule to respect attendees’ work hours.

King encouraged those interested in learning more about the chamber to attend as guests.

Last month, the chamber hosted a representative from Bancorp who spoke about equipment financing options. In March, the Alabama Port Authority hosted chamber members at its facilities to explore how businesses can partner with the port.

King said the chamber was very active in promoting education on pandemic relief programs and loans to its members over the past two years. Traditional programming is also being held regularly to provide continuing education on how to get small business loans, how to secure capital funds and how to leverage resources such as Census Bureau data.

One example of recent success in MABCC involves a member in the early stages of forming a trucking company. King said the entrepreneur got involved in the organization in Fall 2019. After attending chamber-sponsored seminars on how to write a business plan and how to find capital resources, he said the man was able to launch his company.

“What you put into an organization often indicates what you are able to get out of it. We assisted in bringing this man further along, and he’s really credited his success to the resources the Black chamber and our community partners were able to bring to him,” King said. “We were able to minimize the fear he had on the front end and help him focus on his long-term plan.”

For more information about the Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce, visit mabcc.org, call 251-239-9997 or email [email protected]