Whether you were a member in 2020, years past, or have never been a member, the Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce invites you to consider membership in 2021. Our Chamber members include all kinds of businesses – service oriented (including professional, health & beauty, auto-care, etc.), manufacturing, retail/dining/shopping, farming operations, and some members are simply individuals and/or retired residents who believe in Guthrie Center and the future of our business environment who want to see our community, and business owners like you, thrive.

Our Chamber of Commerce has a lot to be proud of. The Chamber takes the lead on community events such as:

• Class Night: Providing a special reception for guests at Class Night (seniors graduating AC/GC).
  
• Heart of Guthrie County Garage Sales: We have teamed up with the Panora Chamber of Commerce the past several years to hold “Highway 44-Wide” community-wide garage sales. Participants pay a nominal fee to have their sale listed on a map that shoppers use. Chamber members are encouraged to advertise any specials and deals on these maps, as both communities will have a lot of traffic that weekend. Always held the 2nd weekend of June, so mark your calendars now!!
  
• Summer Daze / Sidewalk Sales: Retailers or other businesses downtown are encouraged to participate, on the Highway 44 sidewalks in front of their stores, with sales & discounts to bring shoppers to town. This event is typically held in July.
  
• Food Drive: Collection of non-perishable food, hygiene & clothing items for New Opportunities.
  
• Teacher Coffee: Welcoming new and returning teachers and staff at AC/GC for the new school year.
  
• Rockin’ Retro Car Show: Sell beverages and promote Chamber with a booth at this large event held annually downtown – draws hundreds of people to Guthrie Center in September.
  
• Fall Festival & Trick or Treat: Beggars night starts with Chamber member businesses handing out candy/goodies to the trick-or-treaters downtown, before they make their way to the residential neighborhoods. Earlier in October we partner with Main Street Guthrie Center to hold a Fall Festival downtown for children in costume to play games and win prizes!
  
• Holiday Showcase: This event is the first weekend of November and has been a total success! Three days of deals, lovely holiday store fronts, and visitors from all over Iowa shop in Guthrie Center and take advantage of all that we have to offer! Without question, we’ll be doing this again in 2021!
  
• Christmas Festival: Again, we partner with Main Street Guthrie Center to hold a Christmas Festival downtown for children to meet Santa and his helpers and even his live reindeer! The children play games, make treats and crafts to take home and also win prizes! This also includes promotions for the adults to get out and get shopping locally as they participate in a Reindeer Scavenger Hunt to win some great prizes also.

Our community-wide events have historically drawn significant community support and participation. Although in 2020 and currently we are dealing with the COVID pandemic as best we can, the Chamber still strives to support all its members and our community, and hopes to be able to resume many of the activities and events that had to be cancelled or postponed last year.

The Chamber also lends support to other community efforts as well by putting up a Christmas light display at City Park and donating to the AC/GC Booster Club and AG/GC After-Prom activities. The Chamber is also a member of Midwest Partnership Development, Guthrie Activity Center and the Guthrie Center Area Economic Development Group.

The Chamber strives to promote shopping local and using the local services of our members by giving away Chamber Bucks in many of our promotions. We also encourage the public, civic groups and businesses to use Chamber Bucks as gifts. A business needs to be a Chamber member in order to redeem Chamber Bucks. The Chamber has also set aside an annual advertising budget to help promote your business through local newspapers and Social Media. We also record regular interviews on the local Raccoon Valley Radio Network on their popular “Let’s Talk Guthrie County” segment. We publicize our Members list when/where we can, as a way to show the community your support.

We meet monthly, the second Tuesday at noon, at various locations. At these meetings we discuss upcoming events, business promotions and our committees report on their events. If you can, feel free to attend one of our meetings to see if it’s a fit for you before committing to becoming a member.

Once becoming a member, you will receive reminders, agendas, minutes and other emails pertaining to Chamber meetings and events. Your business is also welcome to send to our Chamber email address promotions or items of interest you would like to share with other members, and we’ll forward those and post the information on our Facebook page as requested and/or necessary.

Our annual dues structure was developed and approved by our Board to be as equitable as possible. Special recognition is given to our Bronze, Sliver and Gold Members who give extra support to the Chamber. Dues are listed on the attached membership application page.

We hope you are interested in showing your pride and support for Guthrie Center by becoming a Chamber member. If so, membership forms and dues can be mailed or dropped off to Becky Benton at State Street Insurance, 316 State Street, Guthrie Center, IA 50115. Upon receipt of your dues and application, a member of our membership committee will reach out to you to schedule a ribbon cutting ceremony (for new members, if you opt to), which will be publicized as well.

Questions: Email gcchamberofcommerce@gmail.com or contact current President Shannon

Neff-Muell at (641) 332-2218 or Secretary/Treasurer Becky Benton at (641) 747-3678.

THANK YOU for considering membership of the Guthrie Center Chamber of Commerce!