October 2018
Chamber Connection
Your connection to the greater Hanover business community.
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A Letter from the President
2017-2018 has been an incredibly productive year at the Chamber. Your membership is vital to accomplishing the many important services that we provide. As we begin the new fiscal year, we pause to reflect on our accomplishments over the past year. Economic Development We continue to expand our role in economic development through our work with Main Street Hanover (MSH), with a focus on organizational development and financial sustainability as MSH enters its sixth year. The Hanover Area Apprenticeship Program continues to grow as two new business partners were added in 2018 and three school districts are now supporting the program. Through the apprenticeship program, high school students have the opportunity to begin as a pre-apprentice in their junior year, with the program structured around their high school curriculum and work within one of the participating companies. Upon graduation, students have the opportunity to complete a two-year, paid apprenticeship within a participating company. In 2018, the Chamber secured approximately $180,000 in grants to offset startup costs associated with the apprenticeship program. The chamber launched its brand new tourism brand, Discover HanoverÂŽ this year. This new brand will be nationally recognized, thanks to our partnerships with local CVBs in York and Adams counties. With this new brand, we've created a logo, website, brochure, and more, all to market Hanover as a destination for visitors and locals to dine, shop, and play. Also part of our new brand, our annual magazine, Discover HanoverÂŽ, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. We increased our printing to 22,000 copies, adding New Jersey to our distribution list. Distribution will increase again in 2019, placing our magazine in five states across the region.
Ad sales for 2019 have already begun; if you are interested in being a part of this local and regional publication, please contact Emily Freiert at efreiert@hanoverchamber.com. Leadership In April, we graduated 16 local business men and women from our Leadership Hanover Program. 2018 was the largest class in the six-year history of the program. We look forward to seeing this year's graduates take on leadership roles within our community. Membership In the past year we have welcomed 39 new members and had a member retention rate of 93%. Our staff and volunteers strive to deliver value to our members by hosting networking and community events, offering affordable marketing and advertising opportunities, and advancing the interests of the Hanover business community. If you would like to learn more about the Chamber's goals for the coming year, we invite you to join us at our Annual Meeting at 12 p.m. on October 18 at the Guthrie Memorial Library. The event is complimentary and open to all members. A light lunch will be served. To register, please visit our website. I thank you for your continued confidence in the work of your Chamber; we truly value your support. If you ever have a question about how we can help your business or organization, please contact us. We welcome the opportunity to serve the needs of our members and the community. Sincerely,
Gary M. Laird President
146 Carlisle Street Hanover, PA 17331 717.637.6130 www.hanoverchamber.com