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> Local News > East Longmeadow > Chambers of Commerce vote to complete consolidation
Chambers of Commerce vote to complete consolidationBy Courtney Llewellyn
Reminder Assistant Editor
EAST LONGMEADOW A visioning committee was created in February 2007 by the Chamber of Commerce of East Longmeadow and Longmeadow to look at goals and member services and figure out how the chamber could "get the most bang for their buck," according to Dawn Starks, president of the East Longmeadow/Longmeadow (EL/L) Chamber of Commerce.
By September 2007, the committee had come up with the idea of consolidating the EL/L, Hampden/Wilbraham and Ludlow chambers. The EL/L Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of this move and last Wednesday, 93 of the chamber's 134 members also voted in favor of the consolidation.
"This is definitely a good sign," Starks told Reminder Publications. "We needed to change the way we do business. We needed a stronger profile, because that brings in more high profile speakers and sponsors."
The EL/L Chamber has already voted; Ludlow and Hampden/Wilbraham will vote this week. If all three branches approve, the new, consolidated group will be dubbed the East of the River Chamber of Commerce.
"We felt that overall, this would strengthen our affiliation," Starks said. She explained that each local chamber will continue to do works in their towns as d.b.a., or "doing business as [town Chamber of Commerce]."
"We'll catch the eye of the state with five towns grouped together," Starks stated. "I think the other chambers will be in favor of this. There are so many positives to it."
Russell Denver, president of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, agreed. "This consolidation brings about a certain power in numbers," Denver said. "The towns have similar demographics ... and this will provide larger networking opportunities for them.
"No one only does business in the town in which they are located," he continued.
Starks said that two-thirds of all the members of the three chambers 277 businesses total must vote in favor of this because that majority is required by the state when a new corporation is formed.
She added that July 1 is the goal date for the consolidation.
To learn more about the local chambers, visit www.myonlinechamber.com.
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