Study shows that members of the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce possess better credit scores than regional, state and national businesses

SALEM, Ore. – February 22, 2010 – The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) today announced that businesses belonging to the Salem (OR) Area Chamber of Commerce possessed better credit scores than the national business average. The findings were part of a study conducted by Cortera™, a community-driven business credit bureau, on behalf of ACCE, and featured the credit ratings of businesses belonging to 10 chambers of commerce across the United States. According to the study, Salem Area Chamber of Commerce members possess an average credit score of 627, compared to an average score of 521 for Oregon businesses, and an average score of 557 for national businesses. The scores play a significant role in attracting lines of credit and securing favorable terms from lenders and suppliers.

A complete copy of the study, which includes scores for the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce and the other nine local chambers, is available on both the Cortera and American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) sites.

“This is one more reason Chamber members are a trusted part of our community,” said Salem Chamber CEO Mike McLaran.

"Chamber members have long been seen as responsible and reliable members of their community," said Mick Fleming, president and CEO of ACCE. "What this study indicates is that the perception is right. From a credit standpoint, chamber members on average are better businesses, and as a result they have significant advantages in obtaining the funds they need. In this economy and the tight credit environment we are experiencing, that's especially important."


About the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce
The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit membership organization which works to ensure a strong local economy where businesses can prosper, and families can live, work, play and shop. The programs and professional staff of the Salem Area Chamber have been recognized nationally, including a 2009 Wall Street Journal feature of the Chamber's innovative web site, www.SalemChamber.org. The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce advocates for more than 1200 businesses led by a volunteer board of directors who are dedicated to sustaining Salem's quality of life, and keeping our community and economy vibrant.

About the American Chamber of Commerce Executives
Established in 1914, ACCE is the only national association serving the professional development needs of chamber professionals throughout the United States and Canada. Representing more than 7,300 individuals, ACCE enhances the knowledge, leadership skills, and management effectiveness of chamber executives and their staff through education, benefits programs, trend analysis, benchmarking, and network development. ACCE promotes the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity within the chamber profession.

About Cortera
In a sea of business information providers, Cortera is different. With over 15 years of experience serving finance professionals, Cortera combines premium business information and innovative tools with a fresh community approach to commercial credit. It represents the first community for small business credit reporting and a fundamentally new way to capture the collective insight of millions of financial transactions. As a result, small businesses can make smarter, informed decisions to ensure optimal cash flow while attracting more favorable payment terms from existing and potential business partners. Free credit reports on millions of businesses are available at http://start.cortera.com. For more information on Cortera, please visit http://www.cortera.com.