KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
—
The Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce formed its Military Affairs Committee (MAC) at the start of the year, bringing together around 20 veteran-owned businesses with a goal of growing, supporting and promoting local entrepreneurs — and the committee is still growing.
Corey Martin, a 20-year Army veteran who retired in 2021, serves as chair of the committee and is now chief of staff at KC Cannabis.
Martin said the transition out of military service came with its own set of challenges.
"I think one of the biggest challenges for me was not really having, not really having the same structure that I always had, of, you know, I do this at this time, I do this at this time. I kind of had to figure that out, just make up my own plans and make up my own structure, and have somebody telling me where to go, what to do," Martin said.
According to research from the MU Extensions, veterans lead entrepreneurship nationally and in Missouri, with an average of around 5.2% of businesses in Missouri metro areas — including Kansas City — being veteran-owned. But veterans face challenges including access to capital due to a lack of credit history or insufficient income, government contracting barriers and limited professional networks.
The committee works to address those gaps directly.
"We have different folks come into the committee and give presentations on services that are available. For example, I know we just had Vet Biz come in and talk about services that they offer. A lot of that is training on how to run your business, that's maybe just a little more targeted towards those veteran-owned businesses," Lara Vermillion, president of the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, said.
One member business is The Brown Team with Sage Door Realty. Stephen Brown is an Air Force veteran who hosts an annual car show to support Kansas City's Veteran's Community Project. This year it is Saturday, June 13.
Brown and his wife Christina say helping fellow veterans navigate the civilian workforce is central to what they do. That is why they are also hosting a VA Reboot training on June 30.
"If I could still be in, I would, I would be in until the day I die," Stephen and Christina Brown said.
Brown said the skills veterans bring are valuable, but the transition requires support at all levels.
"Veterans they're very smart there's a lot they can do they just need help because when you're in the military and you get out your resume in the military is different than you know, I mean, you got to learn how to, how do I do this in the civilian world," Stephen and Christina Brown said.
Veterans interested in joining the Military Affairs Committee must first join the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce. The committee meets monthly, including Tuesday, June 9 at Sage Group Realty.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
