P A R A M O U N T
Serving the Community Since 1990
Chamber’s Long History Parallels City’s Growth and Achievements T he Paramount Chamber of Commerce is one of the oldest organizations of its kind in this region. Founded in 1924 as the HynesClearwater Chamber (in the days before the two villages joined together as Paramount), it was formed with the goal of improving the community. In the early days of the area, that meant working to expand the local school district, pave streets and build sidewalks, and improve police services. The group even purchased a large tract of land near the Pacific Electric railway tracks to develop as Paramount Park, which eventually happened after World War II. In fact, the Chamber served many of the same purposes as a city government before Paramount incorporated in 1957. These extended to making plans for such infrastructure needs as flood control, sewer and street lighting systems. The concept of having fun was part of the package, too. In the same way that today’s Chamber produces its annual Fiesta Days carnival, the vintage version sponsored the Hay and Diary Festival. In this, its 85th year, the Paramount Chamber of Commerce is thriving. With hundreds of members, it offers a wide variety of benefits, with a
December 2009 Business Card Directory .........12-13 Business Corner ................... 11 Cityscape ............................. 15 Help wanted .......................... 8 Mayors Corner ....................... 3 Members Only...................... 14 New Members ...................... 10 On Patrol ............................... 4 PEP ........................................ 7 Service Clubs........................ 13
The Paramount Chamber of Commerce sponsored a yearly Flag Day Parade during the 1960s. Here, the grand marshal for the 4th annual parade – film and television personality Pedro Gonzales-Gonzales – passes by the Chamber office on February 20, 1965.
dedication “to advance the commercial, financial, industrial and civic interest of our community.” And when it comes to the old-fashioned idea of networking to build business relationships, there is no better venue. The Chamber is home to businesses both large and small, corporations and mom-and-pop operations. The value of membership attracts new companies every year. For others, a long history has proven how profitable the partnership has been. Zamboni Company, Carlton Forge Works and Paramount Swap Meet, well known names in town, all joined more than 40 years ago. Other locals have also hit the four-decade-plus mark. Storage Solutions of Paramount, for example, signed on in 1968. Located at 15125 Lakewood Blvd., managed by Union Development Company of Cerritos, it’s a leader in the self-storage industry and offers consumers both space and supplies. Trepte’s Wire & Metal, Inc., opened in 1930, maker of commercial display racks, moved to Paramount in the late 1950s and has been a Chamber member for 41 years. Celebrating similar anniversaries are Romberg Milling – provider of quality hay and other animal feed products, and one of the few businesses still in the area with roots in the dairy days – and the YMCA Los Cerritos branch. Membership in the Paramount Chamber of Commerce is, and always has been, about opportunity, teamwork and success. It’s a clearinghouse of information and a communal resource for promotion. It’s all as true today as it was nearly 100 years ago.
Paramount Chamber of Commerce
PULSE BEAT
15357 Paramount Boulevard, Paramount, CA 90723
Louis Spane (later to become a councilmember and mayor of Paramount), Marynell Smith and Ed Hottenroth (owner of the Hynes Hotel) in costume for the Chamber’s Hay and Dairy Festival in the late 1930s. BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 4 PARAMOUNT, CA 90723