CHAMBER ANNOUNCES CAPE ANN SMALL BUSINESS WEEK, SEPTEMBER 21-25

The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Cape Ann Small Business Week 2020 will be celebrated from Monday, September 21 through Friday, September 25, in conjunction with National Small Business Week.

Every year since 1981 the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has designated a special week to honor the achievements of Cape Ann’s small business entrepreneurs and their employees and salute their contributions to the economic vitality and community life of Cape Ann. Traditionally, Small Business Persons of the Year have been chosen for each Cape Ann community.

After consulting with past Cape Ann Small Business Persons of the Year representing Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport, the Chamber Board agreed with their recommendation that Cape Ann Small Business Week 2020 should celebrate the resilience, creativity, courageousness and community spirit of every Cape Ann small business in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Small Business Administration, “More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create nearly two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year….[T]his year’s [National Small Business Week] will recognize the small businesses who have navigated the coronavirus pandemic while supporting their employees and communities.”

The Chamber has partnered with the Mass Office of Travel and Tourism, Discover Gloucester and Chambers and Destination Marketing Organizations across the Commonwealth to support the MyLocalMA campaign. Cape Ann’s small businesses, like their peers throughout Massachusetts, “are still standing strong, doing their best to keep us safe. Our Main Streets need our love, now more than ever. Now is the time to find your local.” The Chamber encourages all Cape Ann residents and visitors to celebrate Cape Ann Small Business Week by patronizing and supporting local small businesses – this week and all year round – and saying thank-you to business owners and their employees.

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Opening of New Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and Cape Ann Community Foundation Offices and Visitor Center a Milestone Event for Cape Ann and Region’s Businesses

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, Placement of Time Capsule, and Virtual Community-Wide Celebration Set for August 28

Cape Ann, MA — August 19, 2020 — The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and its affiliated Cape Ann Community Foundation today announced the opening of its new office and visitor center at 24 Harbor Loop in Gloucester, marking a major milestone for both organizations, the Chamber’s members, and the entire Cape Ann community.

The new location features an expanded visitor center, a community collaboration/conference area, and office space for Chamber and Foundation staff.

The new offices are located at the intersection of Harbor Loop and Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester, steps from the historic waterfront and businesses along Main and Rogers Streets and Harbor Loop. The new site – on one of Cape Ann’s primary thoroughfares – is also more accessible to the other Cape Ann communities and is adjacent to a large municipal parking lot.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony – with Cape Ann’s government officials, and business and community leaders – is scheduled for Friday, August 28 at noon. The opening will also be marked by a virtual community-wide celebration, broadcast on social media. To mark the opening a time capsule with items from all four Cape Ann communities will be dedicated and placed at the base of the building’s maritime flagpole.

The new location – 50 percent larger than the Chamber’s previous offices – includes an expanded visitor center representing all four Cape Ann communities and a conference area that will be made available to organizations throughout the region.

Renovation and construction of the space – the former site of Capt. Bill & Sons Whale Watch and the Whale Center of New England– began earlier this year and continued through the spring and into the

CAPE ANN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Serving Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport

24 Harbor Loop, Gloucester, MA 01930 ~ 978-283-1601 capeannchamber.com ~ capeannvacations.com ~ rockportusa.com

summer. For most of the past several months, the Chamber and Foundation team worked remotely, continuing to address the needs of members and the Cape Ann community, with a particular focus on providing COVID-19 response updates and information.

“This year, our communities were called on to address the unprecedented hardships that challenged Cape Ann as it did regions around the world, and while the Chamber was proud and pleased to do its part, we also remained focused on the opening of our location, a sign of hope and continued

collaboration looking to the future,” said Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce CEO Ken Riehl. “Just as the leaders, businesses, non-profit organizations, and people of Cape Ann came together to respond to the challenges of 2020, the Chamber’s spirit of cooperation and commitment helped us realize our vision for a new office and visitor center that would better serve our members, visitors to the region, and all four of our communities.”

“This is a moment the Chamber shares with all of Cape Ann, as the opening of this office and visitor center promises to touch not only our team and our members, but anyone who lives and works in our communities and those who visit throughout the year,” said Chamber board president Tony Sapienza, co-owner of the Blue Shutters Beachside Inn. “This new location is a reflection of the Chamber’s influence and impact – an office that allows us to continue our important work on behalf of our members, a visitor center serving the needs of those coming to explore and enjoy the region, and a meeting area that provides a place for the organizations and people of Cape Ann to come together to advance our community’s priorities.”

Ruth Pino also commented: “As president of the Cape Ann Community Foundation and a past president of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, I am thrilled that the Foundation is partnering with the Chamber in this new and exciting chapter. The new location enhances the visibility of both organizations, while offering a modern state-of-the-art meeting space and visitor center that will benefit all of Cape Ann.”

About the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is the leading advocate for business on Cape Ann, promoting its members and the region’s economy, celebrating Cape Ann’s culture, and enhancing the community’s quality of life. The fastest growing chamber in Massachusetts, the Cape Ann Chamber has more than 1,000 members, including small businesses, global enterprises, non-profit organizations, independent businesspeople, and civic-minded individuals. The Chamber serves all four Cape Ann communities – Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-sea, and Rockport — offering its members a broad range of resources, including three websites with more than 400,000 views annually, three annual publications totaling more than with 260,000 copies, dozens of workshops and seminars, and a number of member discounts programs, referral services and networking opportunities. The Chamber works closely with community and government leaders on economic, cultural and educational initiatives, and sponsors events across the region. For more information on the he Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, visit our website at www.capeannchamber.com.

About the Cape Ann Community Foundation

The CACF is a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization established in 2015 by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to manage and award grants from the proceeds from sales of the Cape Ann License Plate. The CACF makes grants for projects that support the Foundation’s mission to improve the economy and overall quality of life for the residents of Cape Ann in the following areas:

• Regional promotion: projects that support and enhance the quality of life for the Cape Ann region and the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport; and promote Cape Ann as a desirable place to live, work, recreate and

• Economic Development: projects that expand employment opportunities and enhance the economic vitality of Cape Ann, including but not limited to projects that facilitate the start-up of new enterprises or the expansion of existing enterprises on Cape

• Training and Education: projects that support the training and education of the current and future Cape Ann workforce, including entrepreneurial training, to help Cape Ann residents succeed and thrive in the 21st century

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The Cape Ann Chamber has been working with the city, Action Inc., Wellspring and others to develop a Cape Ann jobs listing of Youth-Friendly Jobs – Open to All: see the link here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dXKfEj0JfUBKrg0zB91eEcpJhl8U5Mq4d_mhwvuR2rU/edit#gid=0

June 30 CACF Grant Application Deadline Just Days Away

June 30 CACF Grant Deadline Fast Approaching

Online Applications Available

The revised deadline for grant applications to the Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) is next Tuesday, June 30, 2020 now just a few days away.  The CACF Board of Directors, in addition to extending this year’s application deadline, has streamlined the application form and submittal process.  Printed copies of applications are no longer necessary. A submittal by email is sufficient.  A pdf of the revised application is available on the CACF website www.lovecapeann.com.  Board members have also created the application as a Google form, which is available here.  Many organizations have submitted applications already, but for those that have not time is running short.

Eligible applicants include religious, educational, scientific and cultural institutions; poverty relief agencies; and in general any organization that qualifies as a 501(c) (3) charity and is based in or providing services to the Cape Ann community. Local governments and their subdivisions, including schools, in the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport are also eligible to apply for CACF grants.

CACF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization established in 2015 by the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce to manage funds and award grants from the proceeds from the Cape Ann License Plate.  CACF will make grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 for projects that support the Foundation’s mission to improve the economy and overall quality of life for the residents of Cape Ann in the following areas:

• Regional promotion: projects that support and enhance the quality of life for the Cape Ann region and the communities of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport; and promote Cape Ann as a desirable place to live, work, recreate and vacation.

• Economic Development: projects that expand employment opportunities and enhance the economic vitality of Cape Ann, including but not limited to projects that facilitate the start-up of new enterprises or the expansion of existing enterprises on Cape Ann.

• Training and Education: projects that support the training and education of the current and future Cape Ann workforce, including entrepreneurial training, to help Cape Ann residents succeed and thrive in the 21^st century economy.

In their first three annual grant rounds the Cape Ann Community Foundation has made awards totaling $39,000 to 14 Cape Ann area non-profit organizations and schools: Action, Inc., Backyard Growers, Cape Ann Art Haven, Cape Ann Farmers Market, the Educational Foundation for Rockport, Generous Gardeners, Manchester Essex Regional High School’s Green Team, Pathways for Children, Project Adventure (in partnership with Schooner Adventure), Rockport Exchange, Sawyer Free Library, The Open Door, The Sunrise Fund and Windhover Performing Arts Center.

“My fellow Board members and I encourage all Cape Ann area non-profits and municipalities with eligible projects to submit proposals for this funding cycle,” said CACF Board President Ruth Pino. “And remember, any Massachusetts resident can buy the Cape Ann License Plate. We need more Cape Ann plates on the road to ensure funding for worthy initiatives in the future,” Pino added.

Please join us for a FREE information session about this upcoming trip.

We are thrilled to officially announce our plans to move our offices and visitor center to a new location! The Chamber team is excited to share this new and engaging space with our members and the Cape Ann Community. More details on the space below…

Move Reflects Chamber’s Growth and Increasing Prominence

The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce today announced that they have reached an agreement to move into new and larger office space in one of the most traveled areas of Gloucester and Cape Ann, a milestone for the organization that reflects its growth and prosperity and its prominence in the community.

The Chamber’s new headquarters will be located at the intersection of Harbor Loop and Rogers Street, steps from the Gloucester’s historic waterfront and the businesses along Main Street. The new location will also be more accessible to the other Cape Ann communities and is adjacent to a large municipal parking lot.

Renovation and construction of the space – the former site of Captain Bill and Sons Whale Watch – has already begun, and the Chamber is expected to move into the new offices in April 2020.

The new Chamber location will include an expanded visitor center, an exciting and engaging space that will showcase all of Cape Ann.

The new headquarters will be 50 percent larger than the Chamber’s existing location, offering a space that will better accommodate the organization’s seven person staff and its growing membership. The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is the fastest growing chamber in the Commonwealth, and the fifth largest in the state, with more than 1,000 members.

“These new offices are a reflection of the vibrant future of the Chamber and the entire Cape Ann region,” said Ken Riehl, Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce CEO.  “We are proud of the increasingly important role the Chamber plays in improving the strength of the Cape Ann community, and this move will allow us to take this work to a new level.  I also want to take this opportunity to thank our current landlord Mac Bell. We have had a terrific 33 year stay at 33 Commercial Street.”

“Our goal with this move is to better serve Cape Ann with offices that are not only more accessible but also highlight all four of our communities,” said Chamber President Tony Sapienza. “These offices will be a resource for visitors and residents alike, and a hub for Cape Ann’s business, government and community leaders.”

Join us for the 37th Annual Essex ClamFest from 11AM to 4PM in Shepard Memorial Park in Essex. The festival is free to attend and it is $10 to take part in the Clam Chowder Tasting Competition.

CLAM CHOWDER TASTING
from Noon – 2 PM (while supplies last)
$10 to Taste & vote for your favorite

2019 CLAM CHOWDER COMPETITORS

C.K. pearl
Ipswich Clambake
J.T. Farnhams
Lobsta Land Restaurant
Shea’s Riverside Restaurant & Bar
Village Restaurant
Woodman’s of Essex
Windward Grille

Although the highlight of the day is the Chowder Tasting Competition, there is a great variety of activities, including local vendor and maker booths, live entertainment and plenty of food vendors on-site! Rain Date: October 27

** NO PETS ALLOWED

PRESENTING PARTNER: BankGloucester
GOLD SPONSOR: First Ipswich Bank
SUPPORTING SPONSOR: Solar Five

Also, National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day (from 10-1, outside the police/fire station), and that we will also be giving out flu shots in the Town Hall auditorium from 10:30-1

The Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce has launched an online edition of our Annual Auction. With many wonderful items generously donated by our members and business partners, this year’s online auction promises to be better than ever!  CLICK HERE to view over 100 items and place your bids!  The auction closes on Sunday, October 27 at 10 PM.

VIEW ALL ITEMS HERE