BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Earlier this month Gov. Tony Evers declared September Chamber of Commerce Month in an annual celebration of and tribute to the organizations that work to support area businesses and their communities.
City and County recognition
Both the City of Merrill and Lincoln County joined in recognizing Chambers of Commerce this month, issuing proclamations in support of the local Chambers.
At their Sept. 12, 2023, the Merrill City Council approved a resolution and Merrill Mayor Steve Hass issued a proclamation declaring September Chamber of Commerce Month in the City of Merrill and recognizing the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce and helping to spotlight their work and their efforts in conjunction with and for the benefit of their 235 local members and the greater community.
The proclamation said, in part, “Chambers of Commerce provide a wide variety of services to their members and community, including advocacy, education, and economic development, to promote entrepreneurism, tourism, and to solve economic challenges;” and “Chambers of Commerce are critical community partners and problem solvers with the unique ability to work with stakeholders from both the private ahd public sectors.”
Further, “This month, the City of Merrill commends the local Chamber of Commerce which works hard to make the city a better place to live, work, and play,” it said.
Similarly, the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors, at their Sept. 19 meeting, issued a proclamation recognizing both the Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce and the Tomahawk Chamber of Commerce and September as Chamber of Commerce Month.
Both serve to benefit Lincoln County, both “exist to support members and community through networking, tourism, advocacy, and promotion of new and existing businesses,” … “have partnered with Lincoln County to support marketing the branding of Lincoln County-Where the Northwoods Start & Your Adventure Begins,” … and “have engaged in various Lincoln County groups, such as Dream Up! Childcare to promote awareness to critical community needs that also support growth and sustainability of businesses,” the proclamation said.
Merrill Area Chamber of Commerce celebrates
To celebrate Chamber of Commerce Month, the Merrill Area Chamber spent the entire month bringing attention to the services they provide for their members and the community.
“Our organization plays a vital role in making sure the Merrill Area is a vibrant place to do business,” representatives from the Merrill Chamber said, “[and] “is an advocate for all our members, and Wisconsin Chamber Month gives us the opportunity to recognize the value each of them bring.”
“We are happy to report that the Merrill Chamber has seen significant growth over the past few years,” said Clyde Nelson, Executive Director of the Merrill Chamber. “This is all due to the wonderful business community we are fortunate to have. They can see how our staff, albeit small, is dedicated to helping our members grow and succeed.”
“Now is a great time to consider joining our Chamber if you’ve been thinking about it,” Nelson said. “I foresee a lot of continued momentum with what we can do to benefit our members in the not-too-distant future.”
Throughout this month, the Merrill Chamber hosted community events and special programs including a Loyal to Local Bingo Hunt Game, Hidden Prize Rocks, the “I Belong” Business Campaign, the Loyal to Local Patron Campaign, Facebook Live Business Interviews, and Business After Hours evenings on Sept. 14 at Strive 4 Life and on Sept. 21 at Ed & Sharon’s Restaurant. They are also planning a Chamber Open House at their business office at 705 N. Center Ave. in Merrill. Visit www.merrillchamber.org/chamber-month for complete details.
The Merrill Chamber is also partnering with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce–the state chamber–to recognize all their efforts at a local, state, and national level, Nelson said. Representatives at the Merrill Chamber will attend the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives Annual Conference in Lake Geneva from Sept. 26-28.