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The Chamber of Commerce was established in 1889 as the Waterbury Board of Trade. In 1902 the name of the organization was changed to The Waterbury Business Men’s Association where Warren L. Hall (1903) and C.D. Nye (1904) served as president. In February of 1905 the association was incorporated R. William Hampson (1905), Charles A. Templeton (1906), Ralph N. Blakeslee (1907), Robert P. Lewis (1908), George E. Camp (1909), Pierson R. Cumming (1910), John C. Sherwood (1911), Percy B.F. Wallace (1912) and Charles A. Colley (1913) served as presidents.
On January 9, 1913 it was voted to hold the next annual election and all subsequent elections in October of each year, starting with the year 1913. It was also voted at this meeting to hold a meeting January 24, 1913 to change the name of the Association to The Chamber of Commerce of Waterbury, Inc. At the meeting is was approved and the first meeting with the new name was held February 20, 1913 at the Hotel Elton. In March of 1951 the corporation name was amended to the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Waterbury to encompass the 13 town region represented by the chamber.
Today the Waterbury Regional Chamber is the region's foremost business network, resource and advocate. The Chamber advocates the needs of the region's business community on major issues. It serves its membership through programs and services, which enhance and improve a favorable business environment within Greater Waterbury. It currently servers approximately 1,000 members in Waterbury, Watertown, Oakville, Bethlehem, Thomaston, Woodbury, Middlebury, Southbury, Oxford, Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, Wolcott, Prospect, and Cheshire. |