A Word From Our President

At the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, we believe that staying informed is key to strengthening our local business community. That’s why we'd like to personally invite you to join us for our upcoming State of the State Luncheon, presented by Independent Bank, on Monday, May 5, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bay City-Riverfront!

This annual event is a valuable opportunity for our members and community partners to hear directly from the people shaping policy at the state level. We’re pleased to welcome State Representative Timmy Beson (96th District), State Representative Matthew Bierlein (97th District), and State Representative Mike Hoadley (99th District) to provide timely updates and insights on the priorities, challenges, and opportunities facing Michigan and our region.

Registration is now open and sponsorships opportunities are available! We hope to see you there!

New Members

AmericInn by Wyndham

Welcome to AmericInn Hotel & Suites Bay City, where you’ll be just a short drive from the historic downtown area and close to both the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River. The campus of Saginaw Valley State University is nearby, as are the cities of Midland and Saginaw. Conveniently located off I-75 and Route 23, their hotel is close to corporate headquarters such as Dow Chemical and Fabiano Brothers.

Herbert Roofing

Herbert Roofing & Insulation, Inc., is the premier, full-service Michigan roofing company serving Saginaw, Midland, Bay City and surrounding areas as well as Harbor Springs, Petoskey and neighboring towns. Since 1973, they've been the reliable and credible local roofing company for thousands of home and business owners.

Legacy Coffee House

Legacy Coffee House is a craft coffee shop in downtown Bay City with a wide selection of lattes, bakery items, and mocktails.

Ryczek Heating & Cooling LLC

Ryczek Heating & Cooling has been family-owned since 1947. They are a trusted HVAC-R company that services all makes, models, and types of HVAC-R equipment. They also operate a fully equipped custom sheet metal shop to meet the unique needs of their customers.

Stamper's Painting Co.

Stamper’s Painting Co. is a locally owned and operated painting company serving Saginaw, Frankenmuth, and surrounding Mid-Michigan communities. We provide high-quality residential and commercial paint.

Trapani Communications

Trapani Communications is a strategic communications and public relations agency that supports large corporations, local and regional businesses, municipalities and nonprofit organizations. Whether you're trying to build brand awareness, shape public opinion, launch a project, change a culture or explain a complex process, Trapani Communications can help you tell your story.

Visit Our Member Directory

We always encourage you to support your fellow Chamber members!

Featured Content

Tips from Blue Cross Blue Shield

What to Know About Prebiotics

How Much Caffeine is Too Much Caffeine?

Are There Benefits to Eating Protein Before Bed?

Snacking Smarter On the Go

Foods to Pair to Boost Nutrient Absorption

Youth Leadership Bay County

Members of Youth Leadership Bay County came together to collect art supplies and sports equipment for the Boys & Girls Club, making a lasting impact on local youth!

Donations were gathered at two basketball games: Garber vs. All Saints & Central vs. Western. Leading up to the games, the team spread the word through posters and social media, rallying community support. Thanks to their efforts, a generous amount of donations were collected!

Students then visited the Boys & Girls Club, spending time creating art and playing basketball with the kids using the newly donated supplies. They worked alongside Mr. Gib and the club’s staff, who expressed heartfelt appreciation for the support.

Great job to our YLBC students!

BACC Team Visits Michigan Cream & Sugar!

Michigan Cream & Sugar Ice Cream Company is officially open for the season! We stopped by to celebrate their first day back and to enjoy some of their delicious ice cream!

Visit them at 160 Uptown Drive in Bay City!

LBC- Education Session

Our Leadership Bay County Class of 2025 kicked off their day at Bay City Academy for this month’s session on Education in Bay County!

First, they heard from Principal Ryan Boon and the team at Bay City Academy about their roles and how their school functions. The class was greeted by a beautiful choir performance which was followed by a tour of the school.

Then, they traveled to the Bay Arenac ISD Career Center. After arrival, the class was treated for lunch by the wonderful Blooming Chefs. During lunch they heard from Assistant Principal, Brian McBride about the diverse career programs the center offers.

Following lunch, the class took a tour of the facility. After the tour, the class enjoyed a panel discussion from: Superintendent, Mike Vieau of the Bay Arenac ISD Career Center, Jamie Doran, Human Resources of Bangor Township Schools, Justin Ralston, Superintendent of Essexville-Hampton Public Schools, Rick Seebeck, Interim Superintendent of Bay City Public Schools and Andy Kowalczyk, Superintendent of Pinconning Area Schools.

At the end of the day, the class traveled to Delta College. They heard from Susan Brasseur, Senior Director – Center for Adult Learning at SVSU. Followed by Emily Clement, Associate Director of Transfer Partnerships Delta College. After the overviews, the class went on a tour around the Delta Campus to wrap up the day. Thank you to all of the speakers who took time out of their day to talk to our Leadership Bay County Class of 2025! We appreciate your time and knowledge of education in Bay County.

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March Membership Anniversaries

It’s ‘raining’ member benefits this month! This is one storm you’ll want to get caught in. Here’s a few of the things we have planned to highlight the value of your Chamber membership:

Accident Fund Insurance Savings

What if your Workers Comp Insurance could cover the cost of your Chamber Membership? Take advantage of a 5% discount on Accident Fund Insurance through the Chamber and possibly receive a dividend just from being part of the group. Many of our members use the savings to pay for their membership. Reach out to a list of chamber member agents to see how this benefit can work for you.

Virtual Chamber 101- April 16, 3pm

"IM O each chamber business should send a team member to this informative session.” - Denise Zolinski, Pure Medical Spa

We’ve made Chamber 101 easier to access with our Virtual session on April 16^th. Need help using your Member Portal? Want to know how to increase your SEO with your news and events? Curious about Leadership Bay County or how to support education in the Bay Area? It’s all at Virtual Chamber 101 – email Amy for the April 16^th session at 3pm. All members of your organization are welcome!

Radio Ad Day – April 16

Turn up the volume – Radio Ad Day is coming! As a Chamber member, you get $500 in free radio advertising with Alpha Media. They’ll be at the Chamber offices on April 16^th to help you identify your needs and create an ad. Connect with Amy to get more information or reserve your spot.

Headshot Lounge – April 23

You’re beautiful – and your headshot should reflect that! Contact Lily to make an appointment with Harbour Light Photography – they’re going fast. Build trust and connection with a professional photo to build your brand. Email Lily to reserve your time slot.

Leads Group Interest – May 6, 8am

Intentional networking can generate new leads for your business. Our current Leads group (Noon Networking) is full and we’re getting ready to start a new morning group. Amy has the details – please message her for more information.

So, why not embrace the ‘benefit rain’ and soak up the opportunities you have through your membership? Let our Chamber community help you weather the storms ahead and grow your business!

Do you know a business who would be a great addition to our Chamber family?

Share our Membership Application with them!

Member Events & News

Explore STEM Passport locations and events in the Great Lakes Bay Region (GLBR) and compete to earn prizes in a fun, new way in 2025 by participating in the Goosechase Experience.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Building Healthy Communities collaboration of statewide partners are currently accepting applications for the Building Healthy Communities program for the 2025-2026 school year.

Downtown Bay City announces Wednesday's in the Park lineup.

New Dimensions is hosting an Inclusive Talent Show on April 26th.

Hidden Harvest's 'Celebrating Good Tastes' event will take place on May 28th.

The Bay Area Community Foundation invites you to join them on Thursday, May 8, 2025, for an in-person Nonprofit Workshop focused on Relationship First Fundraising.

The United Way of Bay County has office space available for lease.

Chippewa Nature Center will host a naturally-dyed egg workshop on April 10th.

Do you have news or events you would like to share with other Chamber members? Email your events to Annabelle to be included in the next Bay Area Chamber Banter, and add them to our 'Community Events' calendar.

News to Know

On Feb. 21, 2025, the Michigan Earned Sick Time Act went into effect, establishing changes to the state’s earned sick time laws. House Bill 4002, amends the existing Earned Sick Time Act and will expand paid sick leave.

Labor and Economic Opportunity hosted a live webinar to discuss how the Earned Sick Time Act affects workers and businesses.

Watch the Webinar HERE

Michigan House of Representatives Starts Hearings on Speaker Hall's Proposed Road Funding Package

What’s new: On March 11, 2025, the Michigan House of Representatives started hearings on Speaker Hall's proposed road funding package. The House proposal is an alternative approach to the Governor's proposal that seeks to increase the Corporate Income Tax (CIT) and create new taxes.

The big picture: The proposal appears to be revenue neutral, generating roughly $3B for roads. The package contains a significant series of bills that reallocates current funding, along with ensuring all fuel taxes collected are used for Michigan's roads.

Why it matters: Michigan’s chronic underfunding of road maintenance and rebuilding has led to the Great Lakes State having some of the worst transportation infrastructure in the country.

However, placing the burden of funding the roads solely on the backs of Michigan businesses would have a chilling effect, putting jobs and the economy at severe risk.

What's next: Hearings will continue next week to discuss and flush out the details of the proposed plan.

What we're saying: The MI Chamber is strongly opposed to increased business taxes jeopardizing our state’s business climate and economic competitiveness to fund road proposals.

We will continue to strongly oppose any increased or new tax on businesses for this purpose.

Go deeper: Read more on some of the significant pieces of the bill package.

New Round of Tariffs go into Effect with Trump Announcement

What's new: In an effort to address trade asymmetries on bilateral and multilateral bases, President Trump announced his plan Wednesday to impose reciprocal tariffs against nearly every U.S. trading partner.

If the tariffs – slated to go into effect April 9 – remain in place, they would raise effective tariff rates to nearly 20%.
Trump also announced a baseline rate of 10% on all imports, effective April 5.
Canada and Mexico were spared from reciprocal tariffs, in line with some expectations and a positive development for the region.
The implementing executive order carved out certain import categories from the new levies.

Why it matters: The surge in inflation during the Biden administration and painful price increases to businesses and consumers are widely recognized as a decisive factor in the outcome of the 2024 elections.

At the same time, many recent studies affirm that today’s tariff plans threaten thousands of dollars in higher prices annual for the typical American household.

What we're saying: While we agree with the ultimate goal of protecting the U.S. economy and its workers from unfair trade practices, we are concerned with the broad-based nature of the tariffs.

We favor a more targeted, pro-growth approach on countries and regions that focus on specific issues and proposed solutions to resolve real barriers to American industry.
The Michigan Chamber will continue to engage with federal decision makers – including our state’s Congressional delegation – to relay concerns we are hearing from businesses and consumers and advocate for sensible policies that strengthen our economic vitality.

What are your thoughts? Tell us how your business could be potentially impacted by tariffs. Your voice is critical in helping the MI Chamber be a voice of free enterprise and economic prosperity for the state.

Complete our survey to assist Chamber engagement as the situation continues to unfold. (NOTE: If you’re already participated, we’d encourage you to respond again as some of the questions have changed given the evolving situation.)

TARIFF SURVEY

Go deeper: Read more about the specifications of the tariffs, plus further analyses on the possible implications.

Chamber Events

Click HERE to read our April Events Notice.

Energize Young Professionals Network

Click HERE to read the Energize April Newsletter.

Get Involved!

Energize is always accepting applications for general membership and to serve on a

sub-Committee!

Membership Application

Sub-Committee Application

Questions? Please reach out to energize@baycityarea.com.

Ambassador Club

Brick Awards

The Brick Award was developed by the Ambassador Club to recognize the contribution a Bay County business makes to the community when it expands, renovates, or improves its facility.

In March, a Brick was awarded to: Berkshire Hathaway