Taubenberger speaks to East Torresdale Civic Association

By William Kenny

Times Staff Writer

It's not often that a civic association president serves as the featured guest speaker at a general meeting of another civic association. But not many civic groups have someone like Al Taubenberger as their president.

Not only does Taubenberger head the Burholme Civic Association and Town Watch, he is a former major party nominee for mayor and one of the leading business advocates in the city as longtime president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

It was in Taubenberger's chamber role that he offered members of the East Torresdale Civic Association his insight on a myriad of business-related issues during their monthly meeting on June 8.

A nonprofit organization, the Greater Northeast Chamber plays a crucial role for businesses in the Northeast, according to Taubenberger, because the area is often under-represented in citywide political dialogue. Geography is to blame for a lot of that.

"If you look at a map of the city, the (Borough) of Narberth is closer to City Hall than we are right now," Taubenberger said. "We're the only part of the city with a nonethnic chamber of commerce with a paid staff."

Area businessmen realized the need for a collective voice early on, even before most of the territory that the chamber now covers was developed into the tapestry of homes, stores and industrial sites that it is today.

They formed the chamber in 1922. Taubenberger has been its president since 1992. Its primary functions are to assist and promote the area business community, while facilitating a network of business leaders for mutual benefit.

The organization's annual directory lists more than 1,000 members. The list is available online at www.gnpcc.org

"And that doesn't even represent the largest percentage of businesses in Northeast Philadelphia," Taubenberger said. "We're about 10 percent (of businesses)."

The chamber executive estimates that the Northeast constitutes between one-third and 40 percent of the population and geographic area of the city. On its own, it would be the third-largest city in Pennsylvania, behind the remainder of Philadelphia and the city of Pittsburgh.

So the Northeast plays a major role in the economy of the region.

"One of the success stories is Agusta Aerospace. They brought manufacturing back," Taubenberger said.

Agusta builds helicopters at its expansive plant along Red Lion Road on the fringe of Northeast Philadelphia Airport.

"In 1992, they had fifty employees. Now they have over 600," Taubenberger said.

The firm also takes a lead role in community projects, sponsoring the Philadelphia Soccer Club and other programs. The company hires local workers and opens its doors to public tours.

Individuals interested in taking advantage of programs that the chamber has to offer need not own their own companies, however. The chamber hosts monthly business card exchanges that are "open to anybody with a business card," Taubenberger said.