President’s Message

Summers in Maine are the best and, by the looks of all the out-of-state plates at the Rumford Information Center and around town, I think tourists have realized we are the “go to” vacation spot.

We, as the Chamber, are very proud to bring several organizations together to better serve you, the Chamber members and its River Valley residents. Through these efforts we are proud to bring great networking opportunities that showcase who you are and what you bring to the region.

I am pleased to say we had you in mind when we joined efforts with: Bangor Savings, RVGC, Western Maine Economic Development Council, CMCC, and Northern Woods Center, and offered a Customer Service workshop earlier this month to prepare front line staff as how to best welcome someone to a place of business. Watch for future workshops to come.

Thank you to all of the local businesses who have called to have us showcase their business: Maine Made Furniture, Bartash Card & Gift, Carlisles, and Stanley Furniture Mart.

It is not too late to join YOUR Chamber. We have wonderful benefits that go along with being a Chamber member and the dues are very affordable. If you are not a member and have a business here in the River Valley you are missing out on a great deal of networking, advertising and potential sales.

The 9th annual Franklin Savings/Rumford Rotary & River Valley Chamber Golf Tournament was a huge success. Thank you to all of you who participated in this event! Call to reserve your sponsorship or team spot today for 2012.

Job well done by the Fourth of July Celebration Committee; the fireworks were spectacular. What a great community event from the vendors, spectators and, of course, the Lucky Duck Race. Special thanks to everyone who made this race a success!

If running is your thing, we want you! The second leg of our three-part 5K Series will take place on August 21. As part of the 9th annual Dixfield Bicentennial the River Valley Chamber of Commerce and the River Valley Rotary Club are hosting this 5k race/walk. Elite sponsors for the event are Bangor Savings Bank and The Fitch Company. Check the ad in this insert to register for this exciting event. Be on the lookout for more information regarding the third leg of the series coming sometime in October.

We are looking for you, our Chamber members, to send us your updates, special events, sales, customer appreciation and other events as they occur so we can share this information on our web site. Call today to share your ideas with Peter.

Have a voice in your community; join our board of directors. Community leaders come in a variety of forms and it is what makes up a wonderful team. Call today to see what it is that you can do to support this team. Pick up your application to become a director. Take pride in your community and get involved today.

Laurieann Milligan

President, River Valley Chamber