During today's annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce at Rochester Club West @ Bohn's, Chamber President Tom Turnbull recapped what has been a successful and active year for the local business group.
Turnbull ran through a long list of the Chamber's activities and accomplishments.
The chamber hosted its annual awards, a home show and several business workshops, including ones on public speaking, drugs in the workplace and tax tips. The chamber, of course, attended many ribbon cuttings for new and expanding businesses. The chamber was active in pursuing public policy issues at the local and state level. It administered a small business loan program, hosted business after-hours events, and a trip to China.
The hot and dry summer was good for tourism, but with the monetary exchange rate weakening with Canada, there were fewer Canadian visitors to the region this year, which looks like it will translate into a 4-percent decline in tourism revenue.
Still, hotels took in about $14.5 million, which translates into about $150 million in local economic impact.
The tourism agency fostered several group visits, including youth baseball tournaments, soccer events, car clubs and even a Winnebago rally at a local RV park.
There were 15,000 visitors to the county, and 1,500 room nights booked.
Turnbull said the chamber is excited to see the new hotel at Batavia Downs open, with a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m., Nov. 2.
The chamber will have its own grand opening to look forward to in January at its new office building on Park Road, but staff will start moving into the new facility this week.
"We'll have a have a ribbon cutting, of course," Turnbull quipped. "We're a chamber."
The new board of directors was also introduced:
Chris Suozzi, chairman, from the Genesee County Economic Development Center
Immediate Past Chair: Hiedi Librock, Town of Batavia
The directors are:
Steven Beardsley – Tompkins Bank Of Castile
Mary Blevins – ESL Federal Credit Union
Tim Call – Empire Tractor
Jeff Cook – Liberty Pumps
Keith Conway – Z&M, Ag and Turf
Jonathan Mager – Arctic Refrigeration Co. of Batavia
Michael Nolan – Batavia Downs Gaming
Chan Patel – Quality Inn & Suites
Michael R Rivers – Rybak, Metzler & Grasso PLLC
Danielle Rontondo – Terry Hills Golf Course & Banquet Facility
Joseph Teresi – Tompkins Insurance Agencies Inc.
Chris Thorpe – Darien Lake Theme Park
Eric Wies – Clark Patterson Lee
Jennifer Zambito – Genesee Community College Foundation
Robert Bausch – Genesee County Legislative Liaison
