Chamber West opens partner chamber in Millcreek

Millcreek has a new chamber of commerce, partnered with Chamber West, which covers West Valley City, Taylorsville and Kearns, to represent businesses in the community.

“We are happy to be working with businesses in Millcreek,” Chamber President Alan Anderson said.

The East Valley Chamber was formed in November. Both chambers are currently sharing the same board of directors, but Anderson anticipates that members from Millcreek will have the opportunity to serve on the new board.

“The current bylaws allow business members from Millcreek to serve on the board. There is a second phase of the chamber; it’s at least a year out. The second phase would be dependent on a larger chamber organization. The East Chamber would gradually be run as an individual organization,” Anderson said.

The name Millcreek Township is already a registered name, and with approval from Millcreek Township and the county council, the East Valley Chamber could use that name in the future, Anderson said.

The plan for the East Valley Chamber is to mirror what Chamber West has been doing.

“We created the East Valley Chamber as a sister chamber to Chamber West. Chamber West and East Chamber are kind of the same, just on a different side of the valley. The chamber will enhance the community. It’s a proven chamber. It’s being duplicated. It encourages business growth,” Anderson said.

There are about 60 Millcreek businesses that are members of the new chamber. Most of them joined Chamber West, but because they are sister organizations, members now belong to both chambers.

“In a way, it’s kind of broadening the ability for businesses to interact with other local businesses. Businesses want a local chamber of commerce, but still want to have a regional influence. It provides the solution for them to be with both chambers so that they can say they represent in several areas,” Anderson said.

Anderson believes that the chambers provide a boon to businesses and the community because they receive very little money from government funding.

“We receive less than 10 percent of our funding from the government. I believe we’re the largest, independently funded chamber of commerce in Salt Lake County. This allows us to speak openly to government leaders to make sure they keep a business friendly environment,” he said.