Chad Arant, plant manager of Greenball Corporation in Pageland, is the Chamber of Commerce’s newest president. Having served as an officer for the last couple of years, the 39-year-old Jefferson resident is well aware of the problems and challenges he faces.
“There are a lot of areas we must improve on at the Chamber to help our local merchants,” he said during his inaugural speech. “I feel that it is important to build a community that works together for our future.”
   As a husband and father of three young children, Arant is committed to making Pageland a place they can feel proud of. “Who knows what the future holds, but we must be prepared,” he said. “When our children or grandchildren go off to college, most of us want them to have a great place to come back to raise a family.”
   Arant says that although a small town has its limitations, the sense of community represented in Pageland is priceless.
“That’s why I’m pushing the ‘Business after Hours’ idea,” he said. “It’s simply a way to get businesses networking and helping each other as they each struggle to be successful.”
   Not long ago, Arant’s own business was in it’s humble beginnings, with little in the way of tools, credit and manpower. “It was amazing the outpouring of support from local business owners for a little ‘out of town’ company like Greenball,” he said. “I borrowed tools and opened lines of credit with no questions asked.”
   Through the program Business after Hours, Arant hopes businesses will learn to support and promote each other, while welcoming new businesses with open arms.
   “New businesses need help setting up and getting power and water turned on,” he said. “They need to know we’re glad they’re here.”
Arant, a deacon at First Baptist Church in Jefferson, also serves as AWANA director and singer on the praise team. He is secretary for Jefferson’s Dixie Youth League and coaches t-ball.