The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce is considering operational changes at the Business Development Center.
BDC tenets said manager Tim Andrews advised them that the Chamber was increasing its focus on business recruitment and development of the huge Enterprise South Industrial Park and might divest itself of the incubator for fledgling businesses.
Tom Edd Wilson, Chamber CEO, said there is discussion about changes at the BDC, but he said, "Whatever we do will be aimed at improving its operation."
Mr. Wilson said Friday morning he would be meeting with BDC tenets at 3 p.m. to assure them the Chamber was still strongly supportive of small business.
He said, "We are not decreasing our emphasis on small business at all. We stress its importance everywhere we go."
Mr. Wilson said there was "very preliminary discussion" about what the Chamber's future role might be at the BDC, which is located in the former American Lava building at Cherokee Boulevard and Manufacturers Road in North Chattanooga.
He said one possibility might be to turn it over to a private firm. He said, "That is something we might want to look it, but that is down the road."
Mr. Wilson said he had been advised of comments by Mr. Andrews to tenants. He said, "If they were made, they were in error. It's unfortunate that what may have been said was misleading."
Deede Gram, one of the BDC tenants, said Mr. Andrews said to the group, "If the Chamber doesn't want you, why would you want them to keep you?"
She said he stated that the Chamber was turning its main attention to jobs recruitment.
Mr. Wilson said, "Yes, we are spending a lot of time and effort recruiting business, but it is not at the expense of everything else we do - absolutely not. We are not focused singlemindedly on Enterprise South. We have multiple goals and objectives."
Ms. Gram said tenants held a meeting Friday morning to discuss the situation.
She said, "We feel that if the Chamber wants to no longer be involved, then we are powerless to stop them.
"We also feel that this center has been vastly effective and its mission and operation should not change.
"We would like some involvement in helping shape our destiny here."