ACOC presents annual general meeting, updates community on activities

By RTT Staff

The Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce (ACOC) had a look back at the year that was during its annual general meeting (AGM) last week.

The ACOC held its meeting at Wolfhead Distillery last Thursday evening with president Dan Gemus stating that since its incorporation in 1972, the organization and local businesses have tried to “provide a higher quality of life for our citizens and work toward the betterment of our community as a whole. The Chamber is not a sole entity unto itself.

It is comprised of more than 100 proud Amherstburg businesses. It is the good people of these businesses, who volunteer their time, expertise, and resources to help the efforts of the Chamber. “

In his first year as president, Gemus said he feels a sense of excitement about the return to a new normal for business operations, adding the ACOC looks forward to continuing to help local member businesses thrive.

There are 110 members of the ACOC at the present time.

“We added 18 new members since our last AGM,” Gemus told the crowd.

According to Gemus, over the past year, the organization has “worked hard to not only return to more normal operations, but also improve on what we have done in the past.”

The Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce hosted the 17th annual Business Excellence Awards outdoors at G.L. Heritage Brewery June 22 with 175 people in attendance.

The ACOC also hosted two “Meet the Candidates” nights at the Columbus Community Hall prior to the Oct. 24 municipal election.

“For the first time in our history, we broadcast the event on social media,” Gemus stated.

The live stream went out on Facebook and YouTube, he said.

“This greatly extended the reach for members of the public to hear from the candidates directly,” he stated.

Gemus added the ACOC launched the “50 for 50 Gift Card Giveaway” in the seven weeks running up to Christmas.

“We purchased $50 gift cards from member businesses and conducted weekly draws,” he said. ACOC general manager Anne Creery was also praised, with Creery telling the crowd the Chamber is planning at least one event per quarter.

“We have continued to support and update our member programs,” Gemus added. “Close to 15,000 rapid test kits have been distributed to the local business community through our partnership with ACS. This year we refreshed and updated our Member Savings programs through the addition of Certificates of

Origin, Elavon Payment processing, and the option to offer Member to Member discount programs.”

The ACOC has also updated its billboards, including one on Front Road North and another on Howard Ave.

“We also support collaborative efforts with the other Chambers in the region that provide additional opportunities for our members to initiate or build business relationships. The Chamber also encourages all residents and members to bring forward new ideas on how we can better support the community. Amherstburg is a thriving town and it has so much to offer its residents and visitors. It is a modern town with Old World charm and truly is the jewel of Essex County,” he said.

Gemus also outlined a survey done with members, including results that showed support for continuing with Open Air Weekends though members were split on the issue of downtown parking. On the latter, members supported an employee parking lot particularly during festivals.

The ACOC also joined with other Chambers to advocate the “Scrap the App” campaign, one that wanted the discontinuation of the ArriveCan app. They also supported an OCC Policy proposal to support a change in alcohol retail to support local industry and jobs in the wine and grape sector.