The Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce has continued a year of success through the second quarter with many new members and a myriad of events.
Throughout the 2nd quarter, 12 new members joined the Chamber. New members in 2nd quarter included: Figment Group, Café Trilogy, Pet Supplies Plus, Road to Life Church, Rick Levin & Associates, Inc., Jennifer Ginger Photography, Earthside Essentials, Gerber Collision, Huelat Mack & Kreppein P.C., The Presbyterian Church, La Porte County Coroner, and CLH CPA. This amounts to 37 new members through the first half of 2017. We thank these members for joining and extend thanks to those that renewed!
Nineteen events were also held in the 2nd quarter including ten ribbon cuttings. The Chamber helped to welcome Earthside Essentials, Café Trilogy, Salon Rogue, Route 2 Old Fashion Soda Fountain, Bistro on the Greens, Yess! Please Tanning, Pet Supplies Plus, and StoryTime Soap Shoppe to the La Porte area via these celebrations. Two special ceremonies were also conducted for the La Porte County Public Library’s reopening of the Main Branch and for the official opening of Plaza 618 by La Porte Hospital. The Chamber continued its morning networking events called Chamber Coffee Talk with three being held in the quarter giving business people the chance to meet and connect. One of these events featured speed networking, a fun and unique way to make many connections at one time. The Chamber also organized events to meet local government officials such as a Third House Session to meet local state representatives and senators and the State of the County to hear about various updates and projects from the County Commission President. The Chamber thanks these elected officials meeting and discussing issues and initiatives with our members. A brown bag luncheon focusing on Cybersecurity was done with Qubit Networks to help our members ensure that their technology is secured. The Chamber also hosted a luncheon featuring the new CEO of La Porte Hospital Ashley Dickinson where the progress of the hospital and its efforts were presented. The always-popular La Porte Day at Four Winds Field event also continued in the second quarter on Father’s Day as La Porteans made the trek to South Bend to watch the South Bend Cubs.
A partnership began in the second quarter with the La Porte Jaycees, also known as the Junior Chamber. An agreement was made to have the Jaycees serve as the Young Professionals organization for the Chamber and the first ever quarterly young professionals night was held in celebration. This partnership will give opportunities for young professionals in the area to be more connected to the Chamber and community.
The Chamber has been actively visiting businesses to see where needs and opportunities lie. The team has made over 150 visits in the second quarter. 46 businesses and organizations were highlighted on the Chamber’s social media accounts from April to June as well as many more on the Chamber newsletter and website. The Chamber president attended her second year of IOM classes and the staff went to an Indiana Chamber Executives Association Conference as the team expanded their knowledge to help the community.
Committees met throughout the 2nd quarter. The Retention & Expansion Committee made visits to 21 businesses, and members noted the need for a skilled workforce in the area. The Governmental Affairs Committee heard from our area officials, including State Representative Jim Pressel, Mayor Blair Milo, County Commissioner Rich Mrozinski, and County Councilman Cary Kirkham. Stacey Kellogg of La Porte Hospital also attended these meetings to discuss the new hospital. The Education Committee saw increased attendance at its meetings as new members were brought to the discussion to continue to talk about how to develop our area’s workforce for future jobs. The Ambassadors Committee continued its efforts in volunteering at Chamber events, welcoming new members, and encouraging businesses to join the Chamber.
The Chamber is proud to play an active role in the development of La Porte and our area businesses, and we invite you to come join us so we can be your “Business Partner for Life!” For more information about the Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, call 219.362.3178, email info@lpchamber.com, or visit www.lpchamber.com.