In a letter to the editor of FITS News, Frank Knapp, the president and chief executive officer of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, responded to recent commentary by Diane Hardy titled “Are Outside Forces Attempting to Transform South Carolina?” Knapp set the record straight on two points that Hardy claimed he had made.
Clarifying the Small‑Business Education Comment
Knapp wrote that he never said, “there was no need to launch a new small business educational organization” like Hardy’s Mom and Pop Alliance of SC. He explained that his conversation with Hardy was simply to inform her about the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce, an organization he co‑founded in 2000. “Ironically, what Ms. Hardy alleges I said is exactly what a few local chambers told me when our chamber started,” Knapp noted, emphasizing that his remarks were consistent with the advice he received from other chambers at the time.
Setting the Record on the American Sustainable Business Council
Knapp also denied launching the American Sustainable Business Council with David Levine. The council, he pointed out, was established in 2009, several years before he met Mr. Levine, making any claim of joint founding inaccurate.
Nonpartisan Commitment and Democratic Values
Beyond correcting the misquotes, Knapp highlighted the chamber’s nonpartisan stance. He said the organization has a “successful record of working with Republican and Democratic elected officials to represent the interests of small businesses.” The chamber, he added, is an advocate for a strong democracy that underpins America’s vibrant small‑business economy. “We welcome all voices and encourage all to express their preferences at the ballot box in both party primaries and the general election,” Knapp wrote.
Personal Touch
Knapp concluded on a courteous note, thanking Hardy for referring to him as a “gentleman” and noting that he tries to live up to the compliment.
About the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
Founded at the turn of the millennium, the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce serves as a statewide advocate for entrepreneurs, offering resources, networking opportunities, and a unified voice on policy matters that affect small‑business owners. The chamber’s mission emphasizes collaboration across the political spectrum, aiming to foster an environment where family‑run enterprises can thrive.
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Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
