Lattimore Named Chairman of Fountain Inn, SC Chamber of Commerce

April 19, 2011 - PRLog -- Lane, Shepherd, Overstreet Named to Officer Positions at FI Chamber

Greenville County, SC -- Upstate businessman Ray Lattimore, President and CEO of Marketplace Staffing, has been elected chairman of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce for 2011-2012.  Lattimore succeeds outgoing chairman Jack West in the position.  

In the past few years, chamber membership has grown by more than fifty percent and the city has relocated offices to the Commerce Park and Museum Building, implemented a citywide Clean Up Day, added a Christmas Festival, and seen such corporate expansions and additions as those by Bosch Rexroth, D&W Fine Pack and SAATI Americas.  The city will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its charter on Christmas Eve of this year.

“Ray is an outstanding businessman and leader, and has long proven his commitment to advancing the Fountain Inn and Upstate communities through his civic and professional involvements,” said John Hastings, president of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce.  “We are pleased and privileged to welcome such a dedicated community champion to this key position of leadership at the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce.”

Joining Lattimore on the Chamber’s Executive Committee are Garland Lane, vice chairman; Ray Overstreet, treasurer; and Sonya Shepherd as secretary.  Others named to the Board of Directors for 2011-2012 are Mark Willis, Matt Stanley, Paul Valentine, Allison Timmons, Andy Goodson, Mike Pitman, Maureen Lambe-Prater, and West, who will serve in a past-chairman’s role.

A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Lattimore began a 15-year professional career with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company before founding Marketplace Staffing in 1996.   A Liberty Fellow and graduate of both Leadership South Carolina and Leadership Greenville, he has earned the Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) credential, and is active on numerous boards and in multiple organizations across the Southeast. An entrepreneur at heart, he also has founded numerous additional businesses in the services and healthcare arenas.

He holds a B.A. degree in Business Administration from Southern Wesleyan University and has received Advanced Management Training from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.  A frequent writer and speaker at conferences and gatherings, he shares life-tested strategies on how to turn entrepreneurial dreams into successful businesses.  Mr. Lattimore is also renowned for his long-standing commitment to helping support and develop minority businesses, and serves on the board of directors for the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council.

As Chairman, Lattimore will work closely with Chamber staff and fellow board members to develop and coordinate long range and annual business plans to achieve the Chamber’s mission, develop and interpret policies, oversee finances, and ensure continued growth of membership and volunteerism while supporting collaboration with key community and governmental audiences.

“I am extremely excited to take on this key role in leading the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce, and envision an incredibly bright future for this community we are all so proud of,” said Lattimore.  “Fountain Inn offers an incredibly appealing balance of business opportunity and quality of life, and I intend to keep our Chamber firmly positioned as a champion of economic growth and prosperity for all citizens.”

Founded in 1996, Marketplace Staffing provides high quality, value-added staffing services and solutions to leading companies across the Southeastern United States.  100% minority owned, Marketplace has grown to become one of the leading independent staffing providers in the entire country by providing world-class, comprehensive staffing and productivity solutions.  The organization provides a blue–chip client list with contract and outsourcing services, temporary staffing, temp-to-hire associates, executive recruiting and placement, and payroll and support services.  It was recently named as one of South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2009 by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and The Capital Corporation at the Chamber’s annual meeting in Charleston, South Carolina.  

To learn more about Fountain Inn, visit www.fountaininnchamber.org or call (864) 862-2586.