Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce

About the Chamber  |  Benefits of a Chamber Investment
Other Benefits of Membership  |  What is the Chamber All About?
Leadership  | Staff  |  Mission Statement
Vision Statement  |  Goals 
 

About the Chamber

It doesn’t get any better than this. In the shadow of the majestic Superstition Mountains, the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce represents a diverse group of businesses located in a varied geographic region extending east of the metropolitan Phoenix area in Pinal County.

In the early 1960s, a flourishing business community was forming along the Apache Trail. In June 1960, the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce incorporated for the purpose of “fostering and promoting social, economic, commercial, industrial, agricultural and civic interests of the area of Apache Junction, Pinal County, Arizona, and its trade area.” As with most chambers of commerce, business leaders felt the need for representation as a business community and for a group to promote the then-unincorporated community of Apache Junction.

Today, the Apache Junction Chamber partners with federal, state and local entities, community organizations, and the business community to create an environment that is attractive to positive economic growth and opportunities. With the support of our members, the Chamber will continue to represent their interests, develop programs that give value to their membership, and give members the needed support that allows them to grow and prosper.

Just shy of 50 years old, the Chamber offers benefits and advocacy for over 450 Chamber members. Serving the areas surrounding Apache Junction, the Chamber facility also houses the Apache Junction Visitor’s Center, which serves 30,000 walk-in visitors each year. The Chamber also provides information to 12,000 tourists and new residents via telephone inquiries, and sends out 1,500 information packets each year.

The Apache Junction Main Street Program/Community Development Corporation focuses on downtown revitalization with activities, advocacy, and projects targeting the two-mile downtown segment.

The Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce is focused on giving the business community the opportunity to advertise, network, save money, as well as advocacy at all levels. If you are not already a member of the Chamber, please consider joining. We are committed to making Apache Junction a great place to live, work and prosper.

Benefits of a Chamber Investment

For an investment of 65 cents per day, an Apache Junction Chamber membership helps you . . .

. . . grow your customer base.
Your membership provides you with tremendous opportunities for high-profile exposure. Through our many publications, website, members-only Visitor Center displays, and media exposure through ribbon cuttings, your company reaches thousands of new potential customers.

. . . maximize networking opportunities.
The Apache Junction Chamber offers monthly mixers and social events that make it easy to personally connect with prospective customers and suppliers.

. . . impact our community through committees and task forces.
Bring your experience to the table. Join the Ambassadors or any of the many exciting and rewarding committees designed to help your business and community flourish.

. . . reach out to potential new customers.
Our website at www.apachejunctioncoc.com contains a full listing of our members, staff, and upcoming events. With over one million hits each year, your own website is just a click away from those visiting the Chamber website.

Other Benefits of Membership

Business Advocacy

The Apache Junction Chamber maintains a strong business presence at all levels of government to protect and advance business interests.

Referrals

The Chamber averages 230 calls each week inquiring after goods, services or other information concerning the Apache Junction/Superstition Mountain areas. Membership entitles you to first-referral status.

Small Business Counseling

Free one-on-one counseling through the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) and SBDC.

Display of Member Information

Well over 30,000 people visit our Chamber office each year where the cards, brochures and flyers of our member businesses are on prominent display.

Marketing Opportunities

The Chamber BUSINESS NEWS newsletter offers updates on local, state and national issues concerning your business, as well as member news and features. The newsletter also offers select advertising space for Chamber members.

Member inserts into the BUSINESS NEWS newsletter give opportunities to direct advertising dollars to the local community.

Chamber members can insert a business flyer or brochure in the Apache Junction Relocation Packets. These packages are available to new and winter residents within the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon areas.

All Chamber member restaurants receive a second listing on the web-based Restaurant Guide.

The Chamber distributes thousands of local city maps to visitors in the Superstition Mountain region. Showcase your business by taking advantage of the advertising opportunities this offers.

Business Services Savings

The Apache Junction Chamber offers its members substantial savings on a variety of business services including cable television advertising, small group health insurance, business insurance, 401K plans, member-to-member discounts, and other valuable programs.

For more information about Chamber services or other opportunities such as sponsorships and events, please contact Apache Junction Chamber Membership Services at (480) 982-3141 or ajchambermembers@qwest.net.

What is the Chamber All About?

The 2008 Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce is proud of its long and proud heritage serving the Superstition Mountain communities, its businesses and business partners. This year’s membership directory would like to show appreciation to two of the long-standing members, Apache Junction Independent (joined as the Sentinel), and Apache Greyhound Park.

Chamber Membership has its Privileges and Rewards
By Bret McKeand

Joining or retaining your membership in the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce can be the single most important investment a business can make this year.

Why? Because the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce is one of the most important and worthwhile organizations serving Apache Junction. That’s a pretty definitive statement, but one that’s hard to argue with.

The Chamber provides invaluable services to businesses and citizens alike, and plays a vital role in promoting a vibrant and positive lifestyle in Apache Junction.

Granted, I’m biased. The business I’m affiliated with – the Apache Junction Independent – has long supported the local Chamber and, indeed, is recognized as the Chamber’s very FIRST member (having joined back in 1960 soon after the Chamber was initially founded).

For new and established businesses – large or small, national retailer or mom-and-pop operation – the Chamber is one of the most important investments they’ll ever make.

The Chamber, above all else, provides a business with opportunity. Opportunity to network with fellow businesses, learn new skills, and take advantage of Chamber-sponsored events that increase visibility and boost the chances of growing a business.

Joining the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce offers a number of direct benefits to a business –

• Opportunities to take part in monthly gatherings, mixers and educational events. These activities allow businesses to share ideas and market themselves to other businesses within the community.
• Publicity in the Chamber’s annual Membership Directory and on its popular website. For those who aren’t able to establish their own website, the Chamber’s site alone is worth the cost of membership. Thousands of visitors from throughout the world visit the website and can easily find out about your business and service.
• In addition to the website, members can promote themselves at the Chamber’s office. It serves as the official Visitors Center for Apache Junction and surrounding area, including those visiting the world-famous Superstition Mountains. Between the office and the website, the Chamber provides continual customer referrals to its members.
• Opportunities to participate in the many community-related events and activities sponsored throughout the year by the Chamber. These events – concerts, task force committees, car shows, parades, festivals, golf tournaments, and more – are designed to promote community spirit and add to the benefits of living in Apache Junction. Participating in these events allows you to show your pride in the community and connect one-on-one with your fellow citizens and your customers.
• Finally, the biggest advantage – and one that often goes unnoticed – is the privilege of hanging on your wall a plaque or sign that touts your membership in the Chamber. Membership in the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce provides a business with immediate credibility and provides consumers with that additional level of trust – a commodity sorely lacking in the business world these days. Proclaiming your membership in the Chamber tells your customers that you have a stake in your community; and that you’re investing not only in your business, but in your customers and your hometown. (Fly-by-night swindlers and scam artists seldom if ever join a chamber of commerce!).

So if you’re a business and you’re NOT a member of the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce, I’d highly recommend you consider making the investment.

If you’re a local citizen and consumer, you can take solace in the fact that when you shop locally with a Chamber member, you can shop with confidence.

Note: Bret McKeand is publisher of the Apache Junction Independent. He served two terms as president of the Northwest Valley Chamber of Commerce in Surprise, Arizona. The Apache Junction Independent is recognized as the FIRST Apache Junction business to join the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce when it organized in 1960.

Apache Greyhound Park – Joined April 1961
By Ed Braunger, General Manager/Apache Greyhound Park

The Apache Greyhound Park opened its doors for business in 1957 on West Apache Trail, when it was just a spot east of Phoenix on Route 60 heading for New Mexico. Apache Junction was a location, not an incorporated municipality; the Apache Trail was the only road east, and Gold Canyon was King’s Ranch. But midwesterners were quietly and quickly discovering Apache Junction as a great place to spend the winter.

Back then, chambers of commerce were the hub of activities in communities, and this organization was the only outlet for business people to network. Members of the Chamber were the movers and shakers and ultimately the community leaders. Begun as a business association and incorporated in 1964, the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce had staunch supporters – and the Apache Greyhound Park was one of them.

Apache Greyhound Park has long been a fixture in Apache Junction and eastern Arizona. Its corporate philosophy believed, and continues to believe, that by supporting the community it is part of the community. Not a year has gone by when the Apache Greyhound Park has hesitated in renewing its membership, giving back to the community by way of significant financial contributions to community needs, and having staff totally involved in community.

Apache Greyhound Park will continue to be one of the pivot points around which this community rotates. As the community grows, the park continues to match it with expanded activities and venues. What won’t ever change is the gratitude the Chamber feels for our Senior Member and its place as an Apache Junction landmark.

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