Bob Hendrickson, IOHT

Community and business go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other. For a business to grow a community needs to support it by utilizing the service or products offered.

Building a business has some basic concepts and when done right can lead to a vibrate and successful outcome. Building a community is a bit more complicated. It involves many businesses, schools, churches, government and other organizations working together to create a place people can call home and be proud of.

The phrase “It takes a village,” can be applied to many aspects of building a healthy community. When everyone has some buy-in it creates success. The Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce takes that on as part of the mission we provide to our membership.

The GINCC not only connects members with the community, we actively take on a role of championing our membership by attending city and community meetings, volunteering for events and promoting the West End of Marquette County as a great place to live.

The GINCC has a wealth of business resources in our network to provide our members when needed. But it is the intangible attributes the chamber provides our membership that make it most beneficial. The GINCC works hard to represent the membership with pride and professionalism in all we do.

With every membership-based organization, it is ultimately the membership that decides the level of success. In order to maintain the quality of service and ultimately grow we need to retain and recruit members. The base fee is $165 annually, and is structured based on the size and type of business. GINCC works hard to make membership affordable.

Want to learn more about what a membership can do for your business or organization? Check out our website, or better yet, stop by the office. We are located at 910 U.S. Hwy 41 W in Ishpeming in front of Jubilee Foods & Fuel.

To learn more about the GINCC, visit our website at www.gincc.org, give us a call or stop in. Office hours are 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday. We are at times out of office on Chamber business. Please call ahead to confirm a visit, 906-486-1111.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bob Hendrickson is the executive director of the GINCC. He currently resides in Negaunee with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Sierra. He enjoys mountain biking, skiing, fishing and hunting along with family time.