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Location, Workforce & Infrastructure Holyoke Business Resource Center Economic Development Incentives, Economic Opportunity Areas (EOA) Office of Economic & Industrial Development Office of Business Development Office of Community Development |
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PRIVATE SERVICES FOR BUSINESSES Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce Doris M. Ransford, President With a comprehensive package of programs and services, the Chamber is a resource for businesses of all sizes and categories throughout the region. Its strengths are in Workforce Development, Governmental Affairs, Business Development and Networking, Tourism Promotion, and in creating partnerships between the business community and other sectors. Notable among those partnerships is the Holyoke Employment Partnership, a public-private collaboration founded in 1987 by the Chamber and the City of Holyoke to initiate, strengthen, and coordinate workforce development efforts in Greater Holyoke. The Partnership, one of the founding partners of CareerPoint, was also the lead organization in the competitive quest for that one-stop center, now a national award-winner and model. CareerPoint opened in 1996 and is operated as a non-profit, community-based corporation providing services to both employers and job-seekers in Holyoke and throughout Hampden County. Working Knowledge, another Partnership program, is a workplace education and training program that is part of a national initiative sponsored by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce and has received funding from the Ford Foundation, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Holyoke, and the U. S. Department of Labor. Among the many other business services provided by the Chamber is the Commerce Show, annual business exhibition co-produced with the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce and held at the Eastern States Exposition. It is the flagship of the Chamber's extensive business development programs that include table-top expos, monthly networking events, business recognition programs, seminars and roundtables, and customer referrals. A more specialized service is the Façade Improvement Program, which provides financial incentives to property owners for improving commercial buildings within designated areas of the city. The program is funded by a Community Development Block Grant and overseen by the Holyoke Office of Community Development. Chamber staff members are available at all times to explain services designed to meet the needs of area employers. |
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