KAYSVILLE — Happy New Year! As the Davis Chamber looks forward to a brand new year, we would like to thank each of our 685 member businesses for their vital contributions to the local business community in 2008. Just like them, the Davis Chamber worked particularly hard in the challenging past year to bring real economic value to our customers.

Our goal was to ensure that every one of our services and events was enterprising, educating, and engaging for our members and for the Davis community as a whole. Here is just a portion of the services we provided to Davis County in 2008:

Business 2 Business Expo – More than 50 local businesses exhibited their services at our first annual B-2-B exhibition at the Davis Conference Center. Hundreds of companies came to see what is going on in Davis County business. Join us for our 2nd annual show on Feb. 26, 2009.

Business Promotion Events – Between Ribbon Cutting ceremonies, Business-After-Hours gatherings , and other special events, the Chamber sponsored promotional events at more than 70 Davis business locations in 2008. The Chamber is determined to bring more customers to Davis County businesses all year long.

DEAC Support – When the County Commission formed the Davis Economic Advisory Council they went straight to the Davis Chamber to fill key leadership and support roles. Chamber members are proud to serve as partners on the Executive Committee and on every sub-committee of this critical economic policy steering body. We’re generating great ideas and we’ll see them through to completion for Davis County.

Leadership Institute – The Chamber sponsored multiple leadership training sessions in 2008. This on-going program gives promising managers from more than two dozen Davis County companies first-hand exposure to the skills and knowledge they need to help their businesses grow and their subordinates succeed.

Legacy Highway Opening – State officials from Governor Jon Huntsman to UDOT Executive Director John Njord praised the Davis Chamber at the opening of the Legacy Highway for its many years of support for this critical transportation corridor. Stay with us as we continue our drive to build Legacy North and other transportation links in Davis County.

Legislative Advocacy – Members of the Chamber’s Legislative Affairs Committee took positions on more than 40 business impacting bills during the 2008 Utah State Legislative session. Legislative outcome sided with Chamber positions 8 percent of the time. Davis County’s legislators look to the Chamber as a key source to understand the collective will of local business. Is your voice being heard at the State Capitol? It is if you are a member of the Davis Chamber.

NUBES – The Northern Utah Business and Economic Forum brought nationally known economist Jeff Thredgold and 30 local business mentors to share their expertise on a full range of economic issues with Chamber members.

Networking Luncheons – A combined average of 65 business representatives a week attend the Chamber luncheons held every Tuesday in Layton and every Wednesday in Bountiful. Attendees get the chance to promote their business, network extensively with other business owners, and hear a weekly feature presentation on exciting companies operating in Davis County.

Public Events - Approximately 15,000 people attended public events sponsored by the Chamber in 2008. These events included the Military Affairs Family Support Picnic, Taste of the Town, Gobbler Gallop, Annual Golf Tournament, Athena Awards, Antelope Island Balloon Stampede, Summerfest Opening Ceremonies, and more. The Davis Chamber works continually to create the buzz about business in Davis County.

That’s a good start, but it’s certainly not a complete list of the bottom-line benefits the Chamber provided its member businesses in 2008. And we’ve got much more lined up to build business in Davis County this year.

See the accompanying article on C3 to learn about what the Davis Chamber has in store to build the local economy in 2009.

The Davis Chamber - Essential To Your Success.

news@davisclipper.com