Sandy Area Chamber absorbs Draper & Riverton, takes on new name

It’s sort of been that way for a while, but the Sandy Area Chamber made it official last week, absorbing the Draper and Riverton areas and changing its name. The new entity will be called the South Valley Chamber, with new offices located at the Mountain America Center in the Cairns District in Sandy. 

“Our business landscape has changed, so as a chamber of commerce we need to adapt as well,” said Greg Summerhays, Sandy Area Chamber president and CEO who will continue in the same role of the expanded organization. “We believe that a vital role of a chamber of commerce is to provide necessary resources to help companies grow, increase annual revenues, create jobs and get more customers. Networking alone cannot achieve these goals, which is why, in 2018, we introduced The Business Institute. Businesses all across Salt Lake County — and even beyond — have taken advantage of these services and we are excited to bring these programs to even more businesses through these new partnerships.”

Summerhays said that for the past several years the chamber has operated more as a regional chamber with 40 percent of its membership located outside Sandy city limits. The name change will open the door for more businesses located throughout the south end of the valley to participate in the programs offered by the chamber, he said. The South Valley Chamber will continue to actively work to create additional partnerships with other surrounding cities. 

The chamber’s Business Institute has several academies, including a mini-MBA program, a sales academy,  digital marketing academy and a finance academy. The signature program, the KeyBank Business Accelerator Academy, takes business owners through a 13-session course that builds a customized three-year growth plan by taking a hard look at the company’s finances, marketing, sales and management style. The program utilizes a curriculum that has proven tangible growth outcomes for small businesses, Summerhays said.

“We see this name change and regional focus as a benefit to Sandy City,” said Sandy Mayor Kurt Bradburn. “As the south end of the valley continues to grow, we need an institution that can help drive economic development for the region by strengthening our small- to medium-sized business community. We have valued our partnership with the chamber and are excited about the opportunities this will bring to not only Sandy businesses but businesses throughout the region.”

Mayor Troy Walker of Draper added, “We are thrilled with this new partnership because it will give more businesses in our city the opportunity to benefit from the programs that are already being offered at the South Valley Chamber. We have a great relationship with our surrounding cities and believe this partnership with the South Valley Chamber will help accelerate regional economic development.”

“With Riverton’s strong economic trajectory, a partnership with the new South Valley Chamber will help businesses in our city continue to prosper in the years ahead,” said Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. “This move aligns directly with Riverton’s goal of promoting a thriving business climate that supports the needs of our residents. The regional economy in the south end of Salt Lake County will benefit from the support of a strong regional chamber of commerce.”