Grundy County Chamber Celebrates 75 years

MORRIS — The Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Industry celebrated its 75th anniversary on Thursday with its “Jewels & Jeans,” event.

“Jewels & Jeans” began with a social hour with music from Leo Fron, an acoustic singer-songwriter with dinner served by Country Blaze BBQ and desert by Fill-A-Cup Yogurt and Sweets.

Joe Schmitz, a Chamber Board Member from 1968 to 1974, delighted attendees with a ‘trip down memory lane’ discussing his time as a member and significant progress the chamber had made throughout the years.

Times may have changed since the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Industry was founded, but the chamber continues to put the community first.

The chamber, formally the Morris Businessman’s Association, began in August of 1947 as a social group. Through the years, the chamber began to focus on more business related issues.

“Back when the chamber began, the industry was very specific. It was retail focused at that time, because that is what was needed. Whereas now the vast majority of our membership is still retail focused, but our career in the industry has changed so much,”President and CEO of the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Industry Christina Van Yperen said.

“Now we have labor, distribution, restaurants, and nonprofits, that a movement in itself. The array of industry that we have is so much wider now. It was something that was neglected years ago and over the past 30 years we have realized that and focused on all industry,” she said.

Today the chamber has 500 members and has seen steady growth. The goal of the chamber today is to support membership, economic growth, and protect and enhance the quality of life within the county.

Van Yperen said she hopes to continue the chambers concentration on advocacy for its members and local businesses.

“In recent years, we’ve done a lot of concentration on advocacy. Whether it be at a city council meeting or at the state and federal levels, we need to be a part of those discussions to keep them open, to figure out how to do it safely and to get them money so they are able to sustain themselves,” she said.

“That is something I want to continue to grow. I want the community as a whole and the business community to know that we are your voice. We might know some of the obvious things we need to be a voice for, but some of the small things, we are still your voice and you may need to draw our attention to it. Let’s sit down and talk about it and find a way to make things better,” she said. For more information on the Chamber or its events, call the office at 815-942-0113, email director@grundychamber.com or visit grundychamber.com.