West Orange Chamber Looks Back on 2019

West Orange Chamber members worked together to make their business community and their neighborhoods thrive throughout the year. 

It’s natural, as a new year approaches, to reflect on the speed and passage of the year while assessing accomplishments. The West Orange Chamber is no different in this process. Yet, because we are a membership association, our accomplishments are those facilitated, implemented and achieved by our members. 

I’m proud to say their list of accomplishments is long, starting with the most basic measure of the success of a business: profitability. Our members, by working together, transacted hundreds, if not thousands, of business transactions resulting in millions of dollars in our community. 

These members, representing businesses in numerous industries, were able to interact and transact with one another by developing relationships at chamber meetings, events, online, through networking groups, on the golf course and even at social functions. Give a chamber member an opportunity and they will do business with one another. 

Our members not only created transactional business with one another, they partnered in many other ways that benefitted even those who are not members of our chamber.

• Members partnered with elected officials on economic development tours to demonstrate the availability of Class A office space, specifically in Horizon West and Ocoee.

• “Dining Deals” was developed by our food and beverage members as a special summertime discount program for other members.

• The development of a tourism brochure to promote the unexpected and wondrous Orlando’s west side.

• The members of our chamber and political action committee worked with legislators to secure funding for two business court judges to help with the backlog on business cases.

• Chamber ambassadors hosted over 110 ribbon cuttings, anniversaries and more highlighting the strong economy in West Orange. This even includes holiday parades for the children.

• Member contributions facilitated food for families in need at Thanksgiving, and others funded charitable programs ranging from art lessons for children, to land preservation, to mental health counseling for veterans.

• Educational and business partners worked together to bring resources to employers to help meet their demand for skilled labor through training programs and hosted OCPS Teach In, too.

• Members have begun a vetting process to evaluate proposed sales tax for transportation needs, with more to come in 2020.

The work of our members to support one another and the greater West Orange community is never ending. Look to 2020 to see even more facilitating of opportunity by our members.