By Briana Harris / Staff Writer

CALERA – After five years, the Calera Chamber of Commerce has ceased operations.

According to a press release from the Calera Chamber of Commerce on July 22, the board of directors completed a three-month self-assessment regarding the scope and quality of the services offered.

The release states that many of the programs and services the organization provided were, or could be, successfully sponsored by other Shelby County organizations.

As a result, the board unanimously decided to cease operations. During the assessment period, the board stopped collecting membership fees, according to the release.

Now that the Calera chamber is dormant, CEO of the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Kirk Mancer, said there won’t be another partnering organization in Calera to help notify the public of events taking place in the city.

Mancer said the chambers collaborated on about eight programs. He said Calera’s monthly chamber luncheon was a good opportunity to notify the public about events, and the Calera chamber used social media to help solicit event volunteers.

Mancer said there are some businesses in Calera that are members of the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce that can help spread the word about events in the city.

The Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Chamber of Commerce and the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce are welcoming Calera chamber members to participate in their events.

“We stand ready to provide assistance to Calera businesses,” Mancer said. “We plan to invite those members to our events to see if the services we provide would be a good fit for them.”

April Stone, executive director of the South Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, said it’s her goal to ensure that Calera residents and businesses don’t feel the void left by the closing of the Calera chamber.

“We will stand behind the businesses there,” she said. “We (the remaining Shelby County chambers) will work together so that businesses don’t feel the void.”