Plainfield Chamber of Commerce

Plainfield Chamber of Commerce

When you think of suburban sprawl, nowhere is the growth more evident than in southwest suburban Plainfield, where vast fields of crops are rapidly being replaced by an array of new residential construction, multiple schools and an endless stream of commercial development.

As Plainfield grows, so too, does its chamber of commerce. With a current membership of about 600, the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce is continuing to grow, said president Liz Collins.

“Within the last month, I added a membership director to the staff to help with the continual increase of businesses coming to the area,” Collins said. “As the membership grows we try to implement programs that will address the concerns of the new businesses.”

One of the main reasons people join a chamber is for more networking opportunities, and the Plainfield chamber is no different. Covering Plainfield and the burgeoning surrounding area gives the chamber access to a population of nearly 100,000. The chamber offers a variety of events including network nights, membership luncheons with a program, new member informational breakfasts, ribbon cuttings and multi-chamber events to bring people together.

And as the community continues to expand, so too, does its diversity, Collins said, and the chamber is continuing court business by offering programming that appeals to and embraces new groups of business professionals. And just like the current political campaigns, women are receiving much of the courting.

“We have a women’s group called WYSK (Women You Should Know) whose mission is to promote initiatives and programs designed for women in all stages of growth in business. This gives the women the opportunity to develop strong and lasting professional and personal relationships with other members.

On the side of business advocacy, The Plainfield chamber holds a seat on the Plainfield Economic Partnership committee, which falls under the umbrella of the Village of Plainfield.

“This gives the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce a voice at the table to discuss not only the development of the business in Plainfield but also the retention of business in Plainfield,” Collins said.

That voice is especially important, considering the current re-development in Plainfield’s historic downtown section, along Lockport Street.

“The downtown is undergoing major reconstruction at the moment ,including replacing the 100-year-old water main and a complete streetscape make-over,” Collins said.

The Lockport Streetscape project, has, like any downtown renovation, been a challenge for small business owners dependent on local foot traffic. Amidst a flurry of barricades and bulldozers it can be difficult to do business. The chamber and other Plainfield organizations, like Main Street and even the Village Hall, have worked to set up websites of information, cooperative advertising opportunities, shopping events and other incentives to keep customers coming to downtown Plainfield despite the rehab work.

But the work is valuable, because it helps preserve the hometown feel of Plainfield, so it is not lost by the force of suburban sprawl.

Collins said another way the chamber helps to preserve the ‘feeling” of historic Plainfield is through the community events it hosts and sponsors. Those events include farmers markets, cruise nights, season festivals and local high school parades, all designed to bring an ever growing community closer together.

“Plainfield has the ability to grow and expand while still keeping its hometown heritage by allowing the numerous community service organizations to continue to get their messages out to the residents and providing various events throughout the community to keep that neighborly feeling alive.”

Quick Facts
Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Founded: 1972
Membership: 600
President: Liz Collins
24047 W. Lockport Street, Unit 109
Plainfield 60544
Phone: 815-436-4431
Fax: 815-436-0520
www.plainfieldchamber.com

Posted on Monday, September 29, 2008 (Archive on Monday, October 06, 2008)
Posted by jstoltz Contributed by jstoltz

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