Benefits

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization for businesses.


The Chamber acts as a source of information for newcomers and area residents and as a referral center for businesses. It has over 235 members. The Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce serves the areas of Columbus, Forest Lake, Lent, Linwood, Scandia, Stacy and Wyoming.

The Chamber publishes a monthly newsletter, to keep the lines of communication open with its membership. The organization’s volunteer committees-Finance, Governmental Affairs, Hub, Women in Business, and Young Leaders assist the staff in achieving goals outlined in the group’s yearly business plan.

The Chamber holds ten membership luncheons a year featuring a guest speaker. Other events include the Annual Meeting, a summer golf outing, breakfast networking sessions and numerous fund raising events throughout the year.

The Lakes Area Expo coordinated by the Chamber, takes place at the FLAAA Sports Center on April 10, 2010.

The Chamber office, located at 56 E Broadway is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. You are invited to visit the Chamber office for a Forest Lake map and brochures on area activities and businesses. Demographics and local business information are also available. The phone number is (651) 464-3200.

Benefits of Membership . . . How the Chamber Works For You!

Increased Business Contacts
- Design activities to stimulate business contacts.
- Include members in Community Guide, 15,000+ copies distributed.Legislative Clout:
- Represent business on local, state and federal issues.
- Respond to government leaders seeking our opinion on issues that affect local business.
- Provide opportunities to interact with local, state, and federal legislative leaders.
- Monitor issues, which affect our members.

Information:
- Provide information to those interested in our area as a place to live, work and visit.
- Maintain demographic information needed for economic development.
- Offer opportunities for education and training.

 Referrals:
- Refer local Chamber members to all customer inquiries.Participation:
- Offer opportunities to participate in Chamber committees and task forces– be involved in many local issues and Chamber activities by joining one.

Community Involvement:
- Involved in a variety of community projects and brings awareness of community programs to our members.

Membership Investment:
- Investing in the Chamber of Commerce is 95% tax deductible as a business expense.