The Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce will be the subject of a business case study created by a University of Maine at Presque Isle Business faculty member that, once completed, will be able to be used around the world in the teaching of college business students.

UMPI Associate Professor Robert Murray, who is writing the case study, said, “The Chamber’s story is ideal for instruction because, although half of all business majors indicate that they would like to start their own business some day, most have no idea what services a chamber of commerce provides to entrepreneurs.”

Murray’s case study will look at several aspects of the chamber’s functioning, such as: its geographic scope and whether it should downsize or expand; what types of events it should promote; what mix of services would maximize member satisfaction and increase overall membership; and what role the executive director should play in strategic management.

Theresa Fowler, Executive Director of the Presque Isle area chamber said, “We are very pleased to be the subject of a case study as we are in the process of updating our five-year plan and working on the case will help us to develop a new strategy.”

A first draft of the case study has been accepted for review at the October meeting of the North American Case Research Association in Gatlinburg, Tenn. After further development, the case will be submitted for publication on a business case study website so that college professors around the world can download the case for use in their classes.