PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Welcome to the Ramsey Chamber of Commerce. Since 2000 I’ve had my business, Wireless World of Ramsey, located on Main Street in Ramsey and I have truly grown to love this town like my own. My name is Robert Tilton and I am the President of the new re-established Ramsey Chamber of Commerce.
While looking into joining a local chamber of commerce, I came to find out that the original chamber originated back in 1925 and fizzled out in the 1980’s. I had originally approached Mayor Muti about the idea of bringing the chamber back during his tenure, but it wasn’t until I spoke with current Mayor Botta that things started to take off. In addition to Mayor Botta, as the idea of starting a chamber formed, we also benefited from the support of the Ramsey Town Council. With the additional support of council members Vanessa Jachzel and Ken Tyburczy to our chamber, we added credibility that will assure our success.
Starting a chamber from scratch, we needed to come up with a logo, by-laws, membership, etc., which has been a tremendous task but truly a labor of love. Before we were able to elect officers, I had the good fortune of having January Bourke by my side. I owe her a lot of the credit that I sometimes get for re-invigorating this chamber. She was just as much a reason as I was that has made this chamber successful. Thanks January!!
Reaching out to our fellow business partners, we’ve adopted a real grass roots approach. We’ve gone door to door, phoned, emailed and used the Internet. We launched in July of 2012 with our first official month of existence and as of October 19th, 2012, we have over 115 members. With that being said, we still have a lot of people to reach out to and connect with. As we travel forward as a chamber, we are always looking for ways to get involved with our community. Some of our early projects included: Ramsey Day, Taste of Ramsey & Charity Di Vino. Some of our future projects will include: Home for the Holidays, several projects with Ramsey High School, local charity events, coat, clothes & toy drives. We are always looking for any cause in our community that could use our help. If you have a cause that could use our help, please feel free to contact at 201-851-2200 or rtilton@ramseychamber.com.
Along with our community involvement, our main focus is to drive business back to Ramsey. As I went door to door, I was delighted to see how many wonderful businesses are right here in our town. Our goal is to continue the success of these businesses by fostering referrals and making sure that everyone is aware of what products and services are right here in their own backyard. Why venture out to Route 17 or Route 4 in Paramus when you have all of these conveniences right in your own town ? There are over 1,025 businesses in town and our job is to help promote them driving commerce back to the community.
The criteria of admittance to the Ramsey Chamber of Commerce is simple. You must meet one of these three options:
#1: Have a brick & mortar location in Ramsey, New Jersey.
#2: Run your business out of your home in Ramsey, New Jersey.
#3: Do 50% or more of your business in Ramsey, New Jersey.
If you meet one of these criteria, we would love to have you consider joining our chamber. Once you are approved as a member, there are a variety of ways to get involved. We are always looking for eager members to participate on one of our committees. Check out the Join now section of our website { www.ramseychamber.com } for a list of the committees that we have available. From Website, to Charities to Legal, there is a team for you and all that we ask is you bring your enthusiasm.
Our goal is to build a chamber with a local flavor. We want to make a difference in Ramsey. We want to be the ones that if the community needs something, they will reach out to us.
Thanks again for considering The Ramsey Chamber of Commerce.
Take Care,
Robert Tilton
