Olney Chamber hosts business mixer

The Olney Chamber of Commerce has a new Director, Kimberly Smith, who wasted no time setting up her first event for the OCC. Kim Smith is social media savvy and says she planned the event with the help of the OCC board members. The event’s title sponsor was First State Bank of Olney, which hosted dozens of foreclosed lots and needed housing for approximately 700 workers who commute daily from surrounding communities.

Over the past year, the brothers built their first house on West Oak Street, filming part of that process as well as Olney events, and interviewing local leaders. The San Antonio and Austin- based crew shot in several locations, including at the Olney in America celebration, at Tower Extrusions with Mayor Rue Rogers, in Graham with Judge Graham and in Newcastle with retired County Judge John Bullock, and at Hometown Coffee and Tea with then-Mayor Pro Tem Tom Parker.

The brothers said they have learned a lot over the past year while building the home, filming the first episode and working to get a distribution deal with a streaming company.

They said they are still dedicated to their plan to build 10 homes for Olney working families but will let the show unfold as it will.

“We are working on shooting and refining the first two episodes,” Corey Groves said. “Olney will be four episodes and this will be part two of the four. We’re trying to speed things up, fine tune things.”

The crew will concentrate on filming the construction process at the West Howard Street and West Oak Street lots in detail, he said. “We had the event at the State Highway 79 location serving refreshments of fresh fruit, charcuterie and other treats.

The evening was a chance for fellow chamber members to socialize and network. Look for an in-depth story about the OCC’s new Chamber director next month.

some footage [from the first house] but not to the extent that we will have with these houses,” he said. The crew will film the final scenes when they build the last house, he said.

Lance Groves said the crew learned a lot from the post-COVID materials shortages and said they are teaming up with Texas Steel Tech of Weatherford, which makes steel components, panelized walls and truss systems, on the new homes.

“It will really speed up the production,” he said.

So far, the City permitting process has been smooth, they said.

“They have been pretty adaptable,” Lance said.