Champion of businesses big and small turns 50

The Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a year-long slate of events, has been part of the community’s business boom, especially on the east side, where major retailers such as Costco and Meijer are located, and in downtown, Executive Director Elizabeth Mueller said last week.

That means the Chamber represents an “extremely broad” array of businesses, Mueller said, from national chains and manufacturers to mom-and-pop shops.

“We are the unified voice of the business industry in Grafton,” she said.

Mueller attributed Grafton’s success to its location, as well as the community and business leaders.

“We are right off I-43. We are in the heart of Ozaukee County,” she said, noting that has made the east side an ideal location for large retailers such as Target, Home Depot, Costco and Meijer.

Those businesses bring lots of people into the community, Mueller said, noting the Chamber’s goal is to keep those shoppers in Grafton by bringing them to downtown for its restaurants, shops and events.

The downtown shops are owned by motivated people willing to work together to strengthen the shopping district, she said.

With the help of the Chamber, a group of downtown business owners recently resuscitated the Downtown Business Association, which promotes events such as the monthly Second Saturday, she said.

“We had that bigger development (on the east side) and now we are really seeing our smaller businesses developing,” Mueller said.

Grafton’s assortment of businesses means almost anything can be found in the village.

“I don’t know what Grafton doesn’t have,” Mueller said.

Mueller also said recent historical preservation efforts have helped make the village a destination for visitors.

Between historical building projects such as the conversion of the Rostad Aluminum foundry into business condos, the creation of Paramount Plaza to commemorate the village’s blues history and the establishment of the Historical Society, Grafton is well on its way to “catching up” with nearby communities in terms of historic preservation, she said.

Chamber President Hailey Nenonen agreed that Grafton’s history makes it an attractive community.

“The Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce continues to be an integral part of telling the story of Grafton,” she said. “Grafton’s roots run deep as a former mill town.

“In the 1840s, the Milwaukee River was used as a source of hydropower for mills. Today, the river still contributes to the vitality and beauty of the area.”

The Chamber, Nenonen said, does “everything.”

“We do business-to-business relationships, business-to-community outreach and tourism and community events,” she said.

Mueller noted that the Chamber’s membership base extends outside of Grafton. It includes businesses in Port Washington, which doesn’t have a Chamber of Commerce, and others from as far south as Milwaukee.

One of the Chamber’s most important jobs is hosting community events like the Christmas parade and its annual golf outing, along with many others through its partnership with Celebrate Grafton, Mueller said.

Local events build community and give businesses opportunities to gain exposure, she said.

Mueller said she meets with every business owner who joins the Chamber.

Those face-to-face meetings are invaluable, Nenonen said.

“(The meetings) help the Chamber connect new members to opportunities that best meet their needs, whether they are looking to connect with businesses, community members or visitors,” she said.

The Chamber’s success, as well as the village’s, is a testament to the community’s motivated and dedicated businesses, she said.

“If our businesses don’t succeed, then our Chamber doesn’t succeed,” Mueller said.

To celebrate its anniversary, the Chamber is organizing monthly donation collections following different themes.  Spring cleaning was the theme for March and baby showers for April.