West Hartford Chamber of Commerce: A New Look, But the Same Mission

by Christopher Conway

For over 100 years, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce has been supporting local businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the overall community. Its genesis was a meeting held on May 1st 1907, with an idea of forming an association of business people and citizens for promoting economic development and the interests of the community. No official action was taken until March the following year, when Allen B. Judd, acting as chairperson, formed a committee which drafted bylaws for an organization to be named the West Hartford Business Men’s Association. It was officially formed on April 10th 1908, with Judd acting as its first President.

In 1913, the association was incorporated as the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce. It did not hold its first public annual meeting until February of 1920. For over a century, the Chamber has worked for the betterment of business and, by extension, the overall West Hartford community.

Over that span of time, the organization has evolved. Most notably, it was no longer made up exclusively of men. In the 1990s, Elizabeth Gustin Basil became its first woman board chairperson. In 2023, half of the board seats are held by women.

Today, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce is over 500 members strong, making it one of the largest chambers in the state. Beyond West Hartford, it has members in over 40 towns outside its borders. It also boasts members in multiple states including Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and California. Why? Because West Hartford is a great place to have a business presence.

Like any organization that has been around as long as the West Hartford Chamber, change and evolution are inevitable. The types of businesses represented have expanded over the years. Nearly all industries are represented. The heritage and backgrounds of our members is largely reflective of the community we serve.

Similar to our stakeholders, the Chamber is a business and therefore needs to be run like one. As businesses and organizations reinvent themselves, they often look to their branding as a way to convey their messaging.

Recently, the West Hartford Chamber went through a rebranding process. This included a redesign of the logo, which has been in use since 2008. Additionally, new logos for the Chamber’s various committees were designed to complement the primary logo in the spirit of a consistent look. The previous tagline, “Your Community & Business Connection'' was shortened to “Connecting Business & Community.” Brand colors were also updated to various shades of green, as well as black, white, and gray.

As part of the rebranding, we redesigned the new edition of our annual printed directory and community guide. A new website is currently under development, with more of an emphasis on resources for businesses and community members.

The goal of these processes is to demonstrate, through visuals and actions, the expansion and growth of an organization that is modern. Like the businesses and organizations that make up our membership, the West Hartford Chamber is dynamic and serves a wide spectrum of people and needs. This rebrand is just one way we are conveying that message.

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Robin and Raveis ... what a great combination!