By Kerri Pepoy,Staff Writer

PARIS – Rich Livingston knows what the bottom line is for commercial enterprises in the Oxford Hills region, whether they exist to post a profit or not.

“Everyone needs more money,” said the president and chief executive officer of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce on Friday.

Livingston, who took the helm at the chamber last May, has developed a strategic plan that he says focuses the chamber more sharply on its members’ needs. He also wants to provide more opportunities for members to meet and exchange information and ideas.

The goal is to help all members generate more revenue, regardless of whether they fall under manufacturing, social services, health care, retail, hospitality, education, or another sector.

The chamber has slightly under 400 members, most based in the Oxford Hills. Some members do not have a physical presence in the Oxford Hills but do business in the area.

“It’s laudable that so many of our members have a sense of community responsibility, but I also think they are entitled to some return on their investment. That’s what we need to do,” he said.

Livingston outlined his plan during Business-to-Business Day at the annual Oxford Hills Business Showcase. Saturday the showcase was open to the public.

This year marks the first year the chamber was responsible for the event. It had previously been run by the Growth Council of Oxford Hills, which relinquished the event to the chamber to focus on activities more closely related to its core mission.

Livingston, 60, moved to Maine 13 years ago from Washington, D.C., and previously worked in private practice as a strategic planning consultant. Since he began working at the chamber, he has met with many of its members to find out what their needs are and collect data and information to help him develop the new strategy.

Members requested more networking opportunities. Working with other business advocacy groups including the Growth Council, Livingston plans to provide opportunities for members to meet monthly. “We will then look to those sectors to bring back ideas,” he said. An example is the annual Manufactured Housing Show held in April, which is sponsored by the chamber. “That industry coalesced around the need to do that,” he said, adding that he would like to see similar customized events in other sectors.

The chamber also will hold breakfast meetings each month for members and nonmembers.

Livingston said the chamber will continue its political lobbying efforts at the local and state levels, but will do so in a manner that does not result in legislation that may benefit one sector but negatively impact another. “We have such a diverse membership,” he said. “We need to lobby in a way that does not shift burdens from one sector to another. It will be challenging to balance that.”