​Main Street Member: Washington County Economic Alliance / Washington County Chamber of Commerce
Your Name and Title: Will Coppage, Executive Director
 
What products or services do you provide? The WCEA/Chamber offers a full range of support services from small business support to industrial recruitment. We support all sectors of business and industry will job training services and pathways. Under the Chamber, our goal is to assist the local economy with business strategies, sales, and networking events. The WCEA serves as the liaison between local municipalities in Washington County and Mississippi Development Authority, which is the Governor’s arm for economic development.
 
Who started your business and when? Our organization has taken many forms through the years. We now are a public/private partnership with both the economic development organization and the chamber under one roof. In 2019, we added under our umbrella the Washington County Work Ready Association, a 501c3 aimed at creating and strengthening workforce pathways in our community and to assist area employers.
 
What’s an interesting fact about your business most people don’t know? We really do a little of everything. The Chamber should be your first contact for support on an issue, as well as a promotion. Businesses that take advantage of our free services are highly pleased.
 
What do you enjoy most about doing business in Greenville? Greenville and Washington County is at a turning point, and there are many, many stakeholders working hard for our community. The community now looks better than it did 10 years ago because of that hard work, and I guarantee you the community in 10 years will look thriving because of consistent hard work and investments, both public and private.
 
What are your or your business’s plans for the future? It is one thing to help job seekers obtain a job. We want to teach job seekers how to create jobs and be entrepreneurial. Whether it is starting a brick and mortar business downtown or learning how to sell on an online platform, we would like to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship.
 
What is the best way for a customer to reach you? With the current situation of covid-19, I find myself working in office and remotely. The best way is to email me at wcoppage@wceams.com. You can also call our office at 662-378-3141. You can find the emails of our team at wceams.com.
Where can companies find you on social media?
https://www.facebook.com/TheChamberWCEA
https://www.facebook.com/washingtoncountyeconomicalliance
https://twitter.com/WCEAMS
https://www.instagram.com/wceams/
 

​Recent grant proceeds from the Weinberg Family Foundation and the Mississippi Main Street Association have helped further Main Street Greenville’s Downtown Beautification Program. Each grant totaled $750, and Main Street Greenville matched the contributions to produce $3,000.00 worth of landscape improvements within the Central Business District.
 
This phase of the program targeted 11 distinct areas including the intersection of Broadway and Main Street, as well as various other highly visible locations within the area.  Local contractor, Lewis Henry of Lewis Henry Landscaping, completed the intersection installation this weekend which included a mix of flowering and evergreen shrubs.  Main Street Greenville, along with organizational volunteers, will be responsible for maintaining the areas.
 
Main Street Greenville has a continuous commitment to improving all aspects of downtown Greenville.  Daniel Boggs, CEO of Greater Greenville, says “Multiple studies conclude that a major component of any community’s downtown revitalization strategy includes concentrated efforts in beautification.  As such, we are enthusiastic about enhancing the aesthetics of the entire district, including streetscapes”.  Over the past 4 years, Main Street Greenville has contributed over $35,000.00 to downtown beautification projects, with the most notable being the expansion of Stein Mart Square in 2016. 
 
For more information about Main Street Greenville’s programs and services, as well as volunteer opportunities, please visit the organization website at www.mainstreetgreenville.org. 

Main Street Greenville is excited to announce this year’s Christmas parade will be in REVERSE!
To ensure the safety of participants and spectators and still spread Christmas joy, we are doing things a little differently this year! This year’s parade, themed “Merry and Bright” will feature stationary floats, Christmas decorations, and performers along Washington Avenue allowing spectators to drive through the festivities on Thursday, December 3, 2020, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The parade route will begin at the Broadway Street intersection with traffic flowing only west/northwest, concluding at Walnut Street.
 
Oakes Auto Group and Family are the parade’s title sponsors again this year. To help make this year’s event a success we can truly celebrate, we encourage every church and organization, including schools, local businesses, civic groups, groups of carolers, choirs, ensembles, drumlines, and dance teams to participate! Main Street Greenville plans to have the traditional float and marching band awards and is adding two new competitive categories for this year’s parade, the Choir/Carolers Award and the Non-Performing Decorating Group Award. If you've never participated in the parade before, this is YOUR year!
 
The Choir/Carolers Category is open to any church, school, scout group, civic, or school organization, who would like to spread Christmas joy with their voices. Singing groups will be judged in three areas: musical selection, visual communication of the holiday spirit, and conveyance of parade theme. First place will be awarded a cash prize and  trophy.
 
The Non-Performing Decorating Group Category has been created for small businesses, civic groups, student groups, churches, etc. who want to show their Christmas Spirit but who cannot create a float. The possibilities are ENDLESS, but some examples are:
• A church group or church’s youth group doing a live nativity scene
• A civic group dressing in festive costumes with some Merry and Bright blow-up characters
• A small business decorating an antique tractor with Merry and Bright themed decorations
Get together with your friends or your organizations! Use golf carts, 10x10 pop up tents, vehicles, bicycles, tractors, yard decorations, lights, costumes...but most of all your CREATIVITY!!! First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded cash prizes. 
 
To participate in this year’s parade, please visit our website www.MainStreetGreenville.com. We look forward to seeing you there!