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Happy Tuesday!
Calling all Manufacturers… join us this evening, April 22 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at The Brushmill by the Waterfall, Chester for an evening of networking and a presentation on cyber security strategies in manufacturing. A special thank you to Charles IT for hosting this great event. Click here to register.
On Thursday, the chamber’s Business and Education Partnership will host their annual High School Career Fair Expo- A Career Exploration Event. Business professionals from the fields of healthcare, skilled trades, manufacturing, the arts, STEM, government, and more will share their valuable career experiences and perspectives with Middlesex County High School Students. A huge shout out to our Business & Education Partnership Program, led by chairs Todd Corey & Rosario Rizzo, staff liaison Jennifer de Kine, and all of our presenters for continuing to present this annual career exploration event in support of local students.
Looking ahead to next week, all are invited to join us for a Legislative Leadership Series Breakfast featuring Speaker of the House Matt Ritter on Wednesday, April 30 from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. at the Inn at Middletown. At this special meeting, Speaker Ritter will visit with chamber members to discuss the 2025 Regular Session of the Connecticut General Assembly. A special thank you to Updike, Kelly & Spellacy for their continued support of our Legislative Leadership Series, and so many chamber programs. Click here to join us.
Next Thursday, join us as we celebrate 12 chamber members during our 2025 Small Business Awards Ceremony on Thursday, May 1 at St. Clements Castle, Portland. This year, we are proud to once again present 12 awards to very deserving Middlesex Chamber members throughout the county and beyond! This celebration will spotlight the innovation, hard work, and successes that drive our region. Our 2025 Small Business Champions are as follows:
- Business of the Year (1-30 employees) – The Wheatmarket, Chester
- Business of the Year (31+ employees) – Connecticut Water Company, Middlesex County
- Business Growth & Expansion Award – Coughlin Service Corp. & Woodworking, East Hampton
- Manufacturer of the Year – Carey Manufacturing, Cromwell
- Entrepreneur of the Year – CPC Global LLC, Middletown
- Minority Owned Business of the Year – Bloom Agency LLC, Middletown
- Non-Profit Business of the Year – Durham Agricultural Fair Association, Durham
- Outstanding New Business under 5 years – Avella's & Melilli's Italian Specialty Market, Middletown
- Retail Business of the Year – Savvy Swap Consignment, Portland
- Tourism/Hospitality Business of the Year – Travelers Championship, Cromwell
- Veteran Owned Business of the Year – Brown & Wimler Construction LLC, Middletown
- Woman Owned Business of the Year – 640 Health Therapies, Westbrook
To join us for this great evening of celebration, please click here.
There is still time to register for our Real Estate Council’s Annual Comedy Night & Auction, scheduled for Saturday, May 3. This event, sponsored by ServPro of Middletown/ New Britain and Caleb Carney State Farm, will take place from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m. at the Middletown Elks Crystal Ballroom, and will feature comedian Billy Winn and guests as well as incredible silent and live auction items! All proceeds benefit the Middlesex Chamber Recovery Employment Program (REP) – a life-changing initiative helping individuals in recovery rebuild their lives through job coaching, placement, and life skills training. To join us for an evening of laughs and giving back, please click here.
Have a great week!
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Join us as we celebrate our
2025 Small Business Award Recipients!
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The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce team looks forward to you joining us for our Annual Small Business Awards celebration, scheduled for Thursday, May 1 at Saint Clement’s Castle in Portland from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Each year, dozens of Middlesex Chamber businesses are nominated for demonstrating exemplary “Best Practices” including business growth and performance, customer service strategies, unique and innovative approaches, and community involvement and contribution, and we look forward to you joining us as we celebrated 12 of our nominees.
Our 2025 Small Business Champions are as follows:
- Business of the Year (1-30 employees) – The Wheatmarket, Chester
- Business of the Year (31+ employees) – Connecticut Water Company, Middlesex County
- Business Growth & Expansion Award – Coughlin Service Corp. & Woodworking, East Hampton
- Manufacturer of the Year – Carey Manufacturing, Cromwell
- Entrepreneur of the Year – CPC Global LLC, Middletown
- Minority Owned Business of the Year – Bloom Agency LLC, Middletown
- Non-Profit Business of the Year – Durham Agricultural Fair Association, Durham
- Outstanding New Business under 5 years – Avella's & Melilli's Italian Specialty Market, Middletown
- Retail Business of the Year – Savvy Swap Consignment, Portland
- Tourism/Hospitality Business of the Year – Travelers Championship, Cromwell
- Veteran Owned Business of the Year – Brown & Wimler Construction LLC, Middletown
- Woman Owned Business of the Year – 640 Health Therapies, Westbrook
To join us as we celebrate this year’s recipients, please click here.
| | Chamber Member Perk - Division Meetings | | |
The Chamber has fourteen geographically based divisions which meet monthly throughout Middlesex County. These divisions focus on local economic development issues and each meeting features an update from local municipal officials.
Twice a year, in November and March, our monthly morning division meetings are held during the evening and feature appetizers and networking, with the goal of creating new connections.
The Chamber Divisions are: Cromwell Division, Down County Division (Chester, Deep River and Essex), Durham & Middlefield Division, East Haddam/ Haddam & Killingworth Division, Portland & East Hampton Division, Rocky Hill Division, Westbrook Division, and the Central Business Bureau of the City of Middletown (all Middletown businesses)
A huge thank you to our division chairs for leading these meetings and serving as our direct connection to our members in their respective towns.
To attend a division meeting, please check out our events calendar.
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CHAMBER MEETING SCHEDULE
April 22 through May 3, 2025
Tuesday, April 22nd
8:00 a.m. - Westbrook Division @ Westbrook High School Library, Westbrook
5:30 p.m. - Manufacturer's Council Networking Event & Cyber Security Presentation @ The Brushmill by the Waterfall, Chester
Thursday, April 24th
8:00 a.m. - East Haddam/Haddam/Killingworth Division @ Killingworth Library, Killingworth
8:00 a.m. - High School Career Fair Expo @ Freeman Athletic Center, Wesleyan University, Middletown
Friday, April 25th
8:30 a.m. - Cruise Night on Main Street Planning Committee @ Chamber or join via Zoom
Wednesday, April 30th
8:00 a.m. - Legislative Leadership Series featuring Speaker of the House Matt Ritter @ Inn at Middletown
4:00 p.m. - Chamber Building Committee @ Chamber
Thursday, May 1st
8:00 a.m. - Central Business Bureau (CBB) @ Chamber
11:00 a.m. - Real Estate Council @ Springside Middletown
4:30 p.m. - Small Business Awards Ceremony @ St. Clements Castle, Portland
Friday, May 2nd
8:30 a.m. - Middletown Pride Marketing Workshop "Taking Pride in Main Street" @ Chamber or join via Zoom
Saturday, May 3rd
6:30 p.m. - Comedy Night & Auction presented by the Real Estate Council @ The Elks Lodge, Middletown
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Exciting News!
The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce
Hal Kaplan Middletown Mentor Program is participating in the 2025 Birdies for Charity program!
With your support, we'll receive a 15% bonus on every dollar raised, thanks to the generosity of Webster Bank.
This means your donation goes even further in helping us empower young people by pairing them with mentors who listen, encourage, and help unlock their potential.
Donate Here!
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