About the St. Helena Chamber
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce mission is to
strengthen and promote member businesses while enhancing the unique quality of
life in our community.
Our Mission Statement truly says it all and it has not
changed much since our inception as a board of trade in 1897. At that time,
the organization’s founding principles were to promote industries and
furnish information to farmers and strangers. “We want to assist in
establishing industries and help the town and valley in every way possible,”
according to an article printed in the local newspaper on April 9, 1897. One
of the founding trustees went on to speak about our splendid climate, the
most perfect in the state, of our beautiful valley and fertile soil, and
reviewed the rise and fall of the wine industry.
Not much has changed; we continue to enjoy the support of
businesses large and small and provide a range of member services including
the following:
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strengthening the local economy
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promoting the community
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providing networking opportunities and referrals
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representing the interests of business with
government
But how does that list spell benefits
for our members?
We strengthen the local economy by encouraging Chamber members and upvalley
residents to shop locally and distribute our annual guide, Exploring St.
Helena, throughout the community each year in order to serve as a “Yellow
Pages” for St. Helena businesses.
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The St. Helena Chamber refers member businesses and
does so thousands of times each year
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The Chamber’s website at
www.sthelena.com has detailed
information on local businesses, including free hotlinks for all members
to their own websites.
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The St. Helena Chamber offers educational
opportunities for member businesses each year, beginning in January with
a Labor Law workshop detailing all new HR-related law changes
Promoting the Community
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce makes it a priority to promote
the local community. The Chamber kicks off each year with the Annual Dinner,
at which we recognize the Business of the Year and the Employee of the Year.
The Chamber recognizes St. Helena’s Citizen of the Year, St. Helena’s
Firefighter of the Year, and Police Officer of the Year at a dinner at
Trinchero Family Estates. A new Civic Pride Award will be presented this
year to the St. Helena business contributing the most to the beautification
of downtown St. Helena. Thousands of locals each year enjoy the Chamber’s
Musical Picnics in Lyman Park, free summer concert series. The Chamber’s
annual Golf Tournament raises scholarship funds for a St. Helena High School
student to continue his/her education at the college level. The Chamber also
provides a community calendar of events on its website-
www.sthelena.com.
Representing the Interest of Business
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce represents local business
concerns to local, regional and state entities.
Providing Networking Opportunities and Referrals
The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce’s monthly mixers are an
excellent networking opportunity and are free only for Chamber members. The
mixers are held on the third Wednesday of each month at different host
business locations. There are many other networking opportunities provided
by the Chamber each year, including many of the special events and
involvement on Chamber committees. Referrals are a major benefit of Chamber
membership. The Chamber, which refers member businesses, serves as St.
Helena’s Visitor Center. Thousands of visitors to St. Helena come to the
Chamber each year seeking information on where to sleep, where to eat and
which wineries to visit, among other things. The Chamber staff also handles
thousands of telephone inquiries each year with many of those same
questions. The Chamber’s website:
www.sthelena.com works 24 hours a day 7 days a week referring member
businesses.
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