The Crawfordsville/Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce has reached a record number of members.
Executive Director Stacy Sommer, along with Assistant Director KyLee Risner, as well as the board of directors, ambassadors, and active members, announce that membership has reached an all-time high of 400 active memberships. This represents an increase of 122 over the span of 2 1/2 years since the start of this new leadership in April 2022.
The membership is growing with local organizations and businesses as well as extending outside of Montgomery County representing 10 counties. Members are driving from as far as Indianapolis to come to monthly events. Another exciting addition is bridging the gap with Hispanic-owned and non-Hispanic businesses bringing us together as one business community. Sommer is fluent in Spanish and involved with the Hispanic community which made it important for her to involve them moving from zero to 10 Hispanic-owned businesses in the Chamber.
“I am so excited about the growth of membership and attendance at events,” Sommer said. “When I accepted this job, two of my goals were to help the members feel the value of their membership and to connect the Hispanic-owned businesses with the non-Hispanic businesses to become a united business community. I believe the growth shows that the members are feeling the value, the word is spreading, and the Hispanic-owned businesses are feeling the support and connected. This all makes me so happy to see our community come together networking and supporting each other, which in turn promotes their businesses resulting in a vibrant business community.”
One of the greatest values in a Chamber membership is the ability to network and make connections with peers, organizations, and business owners across the community. At regular monthly events, attendance has grown exponentially, with Breakfast Before Business averaging more than 60 members per month, where each attendee has the opportunity to introduce themselves and share updates or needs within their organization. The after-hours networking event, Business Buzz, boasts 30-plus members for a casual gathering at a local venue that includes a door prize. Both networking events are highlighted with a popular business card collage to showcase member attendance.
Major events hosted have also seen substantial growth, with the Chamber Bowling Night expanding from eight teams in 2022 to two separate sessions with 32 total teams this year. The awards banquet, that honors the accomplishments of our members, now hosts more than 200 people for an evening of camaraderie and celebration. These events create exposure for businesses through sponsorships and valued connections across our community. As attendance at each events continues to grow, sponsorships and networking are an added value that benefits Chamber members for promoting their organizations.
With each event and networking opportunity, the Chamber fulfills its mission to advance a vibrant business community. The Chamber is a not-for-profit organization governed by a board of directors, including president Skylar Stevenson from Stevenson’s Hardware, Stevenson Realty, and Superior Moving and Storage; vice president Austin Earl from Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance; treasurer Tara Miller from Tri-County Bank & Trust; secretary Kim Keeling from Lakeside Book Company; Jordan Burkett from Hoosier Heartland State Bank; Natalie Pribble from Walmart Optical Lab; Eric Dunaway from Wabash College; Kyle Brown from The Fountain Trust Company; Gina Haile from United Way of Montgomery County; Chuy Murillo from Acuity Brands and Blue Cactus Tacos & Tequila; Trevor Beers from Nucor; and Tyler Nichols from Taylor, Minnette, Schneider, and Clutter.
If you are interested in learning more information about becoming a Chamber member, contact Sommer by email at ssommer@crawfordsvillechamber.com, visit the group’s website at www.crawfordsvillechamber.com and click on “Join the Chamber” or call the office at 765-362-6800.
