Partner Spotlight: Jordan Grady, Butler Co. (PA) Chamber of Commerce

Butler County, PA, may be the birthplace of the Jeep, but it’s also the home of one of the most successful Entrepreneurs Forever kickoffs yet, thanks to a community that’s big on entrepreneurial spirit. And, of course, the hard work of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and its Executive Director, Jordan Grady.

Jordan, a Maryland native who landed in Butler County years ago as a student, has been with the Chamber for five years. During that time, he has seen Chamber membership nearly double as the county — one of the fastest growing in Pennsylvania and, for a time, the nation — experienced a boom.

When he was introduced to the Entrepreneurs Forever program, Jordan was intrigued. The Chamber needed a partner that focused on growing and scaling small businesses. Plus the model seemed to fit Butler County’s business community, which Jordan describes as “very open to accepting help and resources, especially when they’re free.”

From the start, Jordan and the Chamber recognized the difference in this partnership. “We saw that Entrepreneurs Forever was personally involved and engaged. They didn’t just hand off the program and materials. Entrepreneurs Forever took on the lion’s share of promotion, the event, and the membership. That goes a long way with us,” Jordan says. “We could see they were serious.”

At Entrepreneurs Forever, we quickly realized the impact of Jordan’s efforts on the local small business community. After the Butler County Chamber identified a list of local businesses that would likely fit Entrepreneurs Forever’s membership criteria, Jordan himself wrote an email to each with a personal invitation to attend the kickoff. Additionally, Jordan ensured the Chamber was available to any business owner with questions about the event or partnership.

The end result was an kickoff session filled to the brim with engaged small business owners ready to grow! As new peer groups form to accommodate Butler County’s small business community, both Entrepreneurs Forever and Jordan look to the future. “We see Entrepreneurs Forever being a resource partner for the long-term,” Jordan says.

We couldn’t agree more.