By: Emily Klinga
Something that makes the Perdido Chamber unique, is that the membership is basically split down the middle- literally between state lines! As a state line Chamber, one of the most important things we can do for our members is to stay up to date on local and state information on BOTH sides of the line. That means your Perdido Chamber is constantly informed and in communications with officials from both Alabama and Florida, Baldwin and Escambia counties, and of course, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Pensacola. We do this because it is important to our members, who make us the unique and prosperous Chamber we are today, here on the shores of the Florida-Alabama line!
Perdido is the perfect place to start if you are looking to grow your business to another area just on the other side of the line. The Perdido Area is unique in that there are both business and leisure opportunities in just a short distance. “Offering services in both Pensacola, Florida and Gulf Shores and Foley, Alabama, it is easy for our customers to move from one state to another in less than one hour’s makes it an easy move if you work in one state and live in another,” said Leona DiCenso of Holiday Builders. Living in one state and working in another is not uncommon in our area. In fact, many of our members work on both sides of the line.
Living, working, and playing on two sides of a state line is an exceptional opportunity to be involved in not just one, but two, coastal communities at one time. One member, in particular, the world-famous Flora-Bama is situated directly on the line, allowing them to attract visitors to quite a unique experience in our area, “Flora-Bama gets its name from being located on the Florida/Alabama state line where beautiful Perdido Key, Florida meets Orange Beach, Alabama so we are very familiar with doing business in multiple states. For us, location is something that makes the business unique” says Jenifer Parnell of the Flora-Bama.“It drives our staff to be involved on both sides of the line and to make sure to support both communities.”
Community is another aspect of what makes our state line Chamber so exceptional. For those who work in Perdido, we already know that our community does not stop at the state line. To be successful in a community like Perdido, it is important to make personal and business connections in both states. Luckily, the Perdido Chamber invites everyone in our state line community to our events, so it is easy to meet a new friendly neighbor or business partner by getting involved. Sunny 105.7 owner, Don Brown, shares his words of wisdom about being successful in an area like Perdido Key, “The first thing to do is forget state lines. Concentrate on the community you wish to serve. All the communities in our area are unique, yet we all face the same challenges. Build relationships and understand the needs and concerns of the people you wish to serve. The absolute best way to do this is by being active in the local Chamber of Commerce. Find and understand the needs of the community and fill that need. Don’t just fill space.”
Interested in living and working in a beautiful, coastal, state line community? Be sure to visit Perdido Key and see why our two-state community is twice as nice!