Redding Chamber of Commerce :: Redding, California

The Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce has a long record of service that has earned it the reputation as one of the most successful chambers in the country. Its success lies not only in an active and thriving membership, but also in having helped improve the quality of life for the Redding area. "It is our belief that if you have a strong business presence, you have a strong community," Strazzarino explains. In becoming an effective voice for business, the Chamber has also transcended a conventional role and become an effective voice for the entire community.

The Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce: A Brief History

To the layperson the term "chamber of commerce" conjures up the image of an omnipresent but essentially invisible organization, one whose primary functions are to provide a social club for area businessmen and a referral service for visitors and new residents. The Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce shatters that myth in every possible way. It is a creative, dynamic and multifaceted business advocate that has been an integral part of Redding's evolution and growth throughout the 1900's.

The Chamber is generally believed to have evolved from the Shasta Development Association of the Central Pacific when two new socioeconomic trends converged in the early years of the 20th century. The first trend was the expansion of Redding's economy beyond the railroad industry. The second was the chamber of commerce movement that was spreading across the United States. Redding's new chamber, like its counterparts in other small towns, strove to broaden the region's economic development. Dudley Seltzer became its first president in 1910 , and 11 years later the organization was officially incorporated with the state of California. Since that time, as the economic base has progressed through railroads, mining, timber, retail and service, the Chamber has repeatedly reinvented itself to keep abreast of the changes and continue laying the foundation for future growth.

The Chamber's present incarnation boasts approximately 1,300 members and a professional staff of six full-time employees. Under the energetic leadership of President and CEO Frank J. Strazzarino Jr. it is involved in nearly every major social and economic development in the area. Because its membership runs the gamut from small "mom and pop" shops to large corporations, the Chamber offers a wide range of services and benefits designed to help its members become and remain successful. That overall goal is achieved through a variety of efforts: bolstering economic vitality by helping member businesses grow; promoting development and enhancing the business environment by encouraging companies to relocate to the area; serving as a liaison to local, state and national governments to promote and protect a healthy business climate; and helping strengthen the region as a sponsor of community events and a partner with the city to plan for growth. Since 1979 the Chamber has also sponsored the annual Northern California Business Expo, a hugely successful trade show with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors, embodying the best of the organization's services for new and established businesses to the people of Redding.