The Business Connection - Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce

200 Pocasset Street • Fall River, MA • Tel: 508-676-8226 • www.fallriverchamber.com
Business Connection - Message from the CEO
Chamber
Membership
Matters
Another value of membership is one of
the Chamber’s cost savings electricity
purchasing programs that can lower your
company’s monthly electric bill. An addiThe Fall River Area
tional benefit is unlimited use of the
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber’s member to member discount
and Industry was estabprogram. There are over a hundred dislished in 1911 as a non-profit organizacounts on services that area companies
tion created by businesses to serve as a
or their employees use every day.
catalyst and advocate for businesses. The
The Chamber also helps area comMinuteman Health
Chamber’s purpose is to help businesses pany make money through the referrals
be successful. In the final analysis, the
of member businesses. Additionally,
minutemanhealth.org
Chamber is the only organization that
many complimentary business services
makes every effort to improve the local
are provided to members such as notary
business climate and support area busipublic stamping, certificates of origin,
nesses. We do so with no financial assis- member spotlights in the Business News
Iz Schwartz Appliance
tance from federal, state or local govern- monthly newspaper and free participament.
tion at networking events. A local busiizschwartzappliance.com
While much of what the Chamber ness may also benefit by attending or
does on a day by day basis is hard to
producing a business seminar or workobserve the end result is very real.
shop. Most are free to attend for
Roger’s Coney Island, Inc.
During the past 5 years, the Chamber
Chamber members.
has successfully advocated for a reducThe bottom line is that the
RogersCi.com
tion in the commercial tax shift rate
Chamber is a significant part of the dark
throughout the Fall River area. The
matter which makes a positive difference
reduction on the tax shift for commercial for all area businesses. Who would be
properties has saved local businesses
there for businesses if the Chamber did
ASI, Freetown
thousands of dollars each year. The
not exist? The answer is no one. It is why
Chamber also partnered with the City of I humbly and sincerely ask that all area
facebook.com/pages/ASI-Freetown/242024745980711
Fall River to establish a $10,000 commer- business support their Chamber of
cial personal property tax exemption
Commerce through membership.
aimed at assisting small businesses. Last Membership in the Chamber matters.
year the Chamber assisted in revising the
The Sandtrap
Zoning Ordinances of Fall River so that Respectfully,
they are more business friendly and
thesandtrapvg.com
transparent.
Business attraction and retention
continue to be top priorities. That is why
the Chamber worked to establish the for- Robert A. Mellion, Esq.
County Street Auto Glass
mation of incentivized zones for express President and CEO
development such as the Waterfront
District, a new Medical Zone and the
largest 43D District in Massachusetts.
The Chamber also aided in securing
broadband communication services for
the Fall River Industrial Park. Helping to
build a new water tower to service the
northern part of Fall River, which will
include the newly announced
Amazon.Com distribution center, was
another Chamber advocacy project.
Advocacy is a large part of the
Chamber’s work. At the state and federal
levels, the Chamber is leading the charge
to reduce the cost of energy. Passage of
a Massachusetts energy policy is at the
top of the priority list. The Chamber also
is currently working to secure relief for
Fall River from the Federal CSO mandate.
Supporting local businesses is the
For more information call
basis of all we do at the Chamber. An
the Fall River Area Chamber
example is our establishment of a
of Commerce at 508.676.8226
Chamber Health Insurance Cooperative.
Welcome
New Members
2015 Co-Title Sponsors:
2015 Gold Corporate Sponsors:
Corporate Sponsors:
2015 Silver Corporate Sponsor: