Despite the seemingly endless winter (ahem, snow) that we've been seeing in Minnesota, Spring is indeed right around the corner. March 20th is the first day of spring, and one look at the Chamber calendar tells us that it's going to be a great one.

• April 4th is the St. Cloud Area Business Showcase, where businesses can share what they do with the community and other professionals. Exhibitor booths are still available!
• May 3rd is the annual Business Awards Luncheon, where several members will be recognized for their outstanding work in the St. Cloud business community. Contact the Chamber about sponsorship opportunities. 
• Work is underway for the Chamber Open on July 31st, and sponsorships are first-come, first-served, so reach out with any questions!

The snow mountains and salty roads will be gone in no time, so mark your calendars for a fun-filled spring ahead! If you would like to learn more about sponsoring or being a part of any of these events, contact Laura Wagner. 

Sauk Rapids Chamber is hosted by Gate City Bank on Thursday, March 23rd at the Sauk Rapids Clearing. Don't miss out on this great educational and networking opportunity!

The St. Cloud Area Business Showcase puts your business in front of hundreds of community members. Plus, it's a great networking event! Booths are still available, sign up now.

Here are a few more important dates to put on your calendar, but don't forget to check out our full events calendar for even more.

With the goal of keeping members informed and up to date, these news bites feature local, regional and national news items that relate to the business community in Central Minnesota. 

 

LOCAL

Take the Corporate Challenge. The annual Earth Day Run is coming up on April 21st and 22nd in downtown St. Cloud. Sign up your team for the 5K Corporate Challenge and run with your colleagues in teams of 5-10. Compete against other companies for the best overall times! Learn more and register at activecentralmn.org.

 

Inclusive Workforce Employer Designation: Take the first step in becoming a part of a forward-thinking group, committed to helping your business and community grow, by completing the application. Learn more

 

Showcase your business. The annual St. Cloud Area Business Showcase is on April 4th at the River's Edge Convention Center. Sign up for an exhibitor booth now! Click here for more information. 

 

2023 Chamber Regional Profile and Membership Directory - This is a great resource for learning more about the area as well as a place to find contact information for all of your fellow Chamber members as of December 2022. You can view it online here!

 

STATE & NATIONAL

Survey says... A January survey of businesses by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis reveals lower profits as firms face the pressure of high prices and the rising cost of labor, but optimism is on the horizon. Read more

 

How does the Minnesota legislature work? Two nonpartisan administrators who work at the Minnesota State Capitol share how to follow and influence the decisions that will directly impact people around the state. Read more

 

 

- Sponsored Content -

Participate in the CentraCare Earth Day Run, Central Minnesota’s premier race event, April 21-22, 2023.

 

The event includes a half marathon, half marathon relay, 5K, 5K corporate challenge, and 1K kids’ run. Walk, run, or relay, and enjoy the Mississippi River, rustic trails, and a downtown St. Cloud celebratory finish!

Click the link above to register at ActiveCentralMN.org

A warm welcome to all of these members who joined the Chamber in February, 2023. We are so happy you're here!

Workforce Housing Summit

March 23, 2023 | 8:00 AM ? 1:30 PM

Fact: 

Central Minnesota has a shortage of workforce-affordable housing. That is, housing that is affordable for workers making $15-30 dollars per hour. 

 

Why this matters:
A 2019 study indicated the St. Cloud population alone was forecasted to grow by over 7,000 people and nearly 3,000 households by 2030. From 2030 to 2040, 2,000 additional households were projected to be needed. The numbers for the rest of our communities show that the need is not limited to the St Cloud Metro area. 

Part of the solution:

We invite you to be a part of our Workforce Housing summit at St. Cloud State University, where information and ideas will be presented on how to address the barriers to the development of workforce-affordable housing as well as highlights of actions other communities have taken to address the issue.

Join us to learn more:
Thursday, March 23

8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
Atwood Memorial Center,

St. Cloud State University

Registration is free, but required. Seating is limited.

Five Star Accredited

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "Accreditation with the United States Chamber of Commerce is the only program of its kind that defines excellence in chamber planning and recognizes chambers for outstanding contributions toward positive change in their communities."

Earning 5 Star Accreditation means the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to...

• Reviewing, improving, and promoting strong business practices
• Recognizing leadership and outstanding contributions to the community
• Supporting the principles of free enterprise and promoting pro-growth policies at federal, state, and local levels
• Establishing best practices and staying in-step with industry changes

Who is accredited?

The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to be one of 193 accredited chambers in the United States out of over 7,000 chambers of commerce, and only two five-star accredited chambers of commerce in the state of Minnesota. 

 

Our history

The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce has been a 5-Star Chamber since 2006, the first year that we were eligible. To achieve this standing, we performed an intensive, nine-month self-assessment of our operations.

5-Star Accreditation puts the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce in the top 1% of chambers of commerce nation-wide, and you are a part of that. 

There is some spring cleaning going on at the Chamber offices! If you're looking for some gently used office furniture or supplies, this is your chance to score a deal. First come, first served!

 

March 29 at 12pm

through

March 31 at 12pm 

St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

1411 West Saint Germain Street, ste. 101

St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301

 

320-251-2940

StCloudAreaChamber.com