ORANGE, Connecticut, September 15, 2024 – It was a sizzling summer for Chamber programs! From a business after hours to support the Orange Food Bank, and robust ribbon cuttings, to hosting, “AI with State Senator James Maroney,” at our monthly networking meeting, the attendance was both awesome and attentive.
This very welcome trend was also front and center at our “Community Awards and Annual Meeting,” held on September 19th. More about this most important event later in this column.
The reason I’m beating the proverbial “Chamber chest,” is that the Chamber is back— and back Big Time! We don’t pretend, nor do we want to be an imitation of other business organizations. The uniqueness of our chamber is more than mere meetings, but truly collaborating with our members. To offer some context…
Over the decades the phrase, “customer satisfaction,” was the mantra of the day which later turned to “delighting the customer.” But the fact is that in today’s ever-changing business environment you need to go beyond satisfaction and slogans. It’s all about being “hands-on,” learning, and listening. This especially holds true for the Orange Chamber to uphold its responsibility and enhance its resources to its membership and the community.
What exactly does this mean? Specifically, the Orange Chamber delivers Member Intimacy. It is our responsibility and part of our member onboarding to ascertain the needs and business environment of each member and then offer tangible support and opportunities. A mutually beneficial partnership must include true and relevant value creation. The Orange Chamber is committed to being that partner and understands that our members must see a return on investment (ROI) should it be financial, marketing, networking, educational or other operations.
For example, in just the last month we’ve offered presentation opportunities to several members and are in the process of organizing a charity event with another, Meanwhile, a manufacturer has enlisted our assistance with export paperwork. We also served on a roundtable panel discussion to advocate for another member to state officials.
And there’s much more to come.
Are any of these of interest to all members? No. However, are they deemed valuable to each we are working with? Absolutely. It’s this “intimacy” that makes the Orange Chamber a real resource, not a reoccurring annual membership fee.
It makes no difference if you’re a global corporation, nonprofit, or a family-owned small business. We know it’s not a “one size fits all,” but all sizes and types that make the Orange region a desirable and distinct community that businesses and families come to work, live, and thrive!
Welcome new members!
And to this end, I’m proud to report that the Chamber has increased its membership by over 12% since July 1st.
In addition to the new members reported in last month’s column, we recently welcomed the University of New Haven, Bulldog Swim Academy, BatteriesPlus+, Nature’s First, Inc., AFC Mortgage Group, and New Haven Bank!
Creating Value in the Community
By the time you read this column the Chamber’s 2024 Community Awards and Annual Meeting will be a fond memory cherished by the honorees, their families and friends, Chamber members, and the Amity Region for a lifetime.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we once again thank the following honorees for their exceptional service to our community: Police Officer Paul Piscitelli, Firefighter Lisa Kaplan, and Business of the Year, the United Illuminating Company.
And, I would be remiss if I did not state the critical importance of Avangrid and Milford Bank, the Platinum and Gold sponsors respectively of the event and their Corporate Partnership. Without sponsorships, events such as the Community Awards would not be possible.
This same unwavering commitment to the Chamber and most especially Orange also holds true for our other Corporate Partners, including: TrinityPoint Wealth, Coldwell Banker Realty, The Eagle Leasing Company, Roebic, Milford-Orange Times, and M&T Bank. Without Corporate Partners our mission to create value would not be realized.
Author: Barry Lee Cohen
Executive Director, Orange Chamber of Commerce.