Upper Thames Brewery hosts the agenda
Membership has its privileges . . . at a golf course, in a service club, at theatre, and of course at the Woodstock District Chamber Of Commerce.
Tuesday marked the annual General Meeting and it was combined with a Business After Five at Upper Thames brewery at their Bysham Park location.
Year-end financial statements, a look back at recent Chamber events, announcements of the new executive for 2026-27, recognizing a 49-year member, and great food and networking.
There's lots of info about the association to be read at www.woodstockchamber.ca (Membership rates, etc.), but the agenda on June 16 included the introduction of Allison Henkell as the incoming president. I've know Allison for many years through the Lions Club, and she is also one of the main coordinators for the Food Resource Hub locally. As a CPA tax accountant at BDO (a partner since 2014), Allison has the monetary background and business connections to be a leader in many areas, especially with the food bank, which started quite recently.
The out going president is Jason Stanko (pictured below left) of RBC Commercial Banking Centre, who was co-presenter of the agenda along with Chamber general manager Mike Crabbe.
It's great to see Kim Whitehead as operations assistant staying busy with the Chamber as she was sales manager at The Sentinel-Review newspaper when I was sports editor at our local little daily 30 years ago.
The surprise of the night was a video recognition of 49-year Chamber member Jim Harrison, who recently retired from Whitelaw Machinery. Another Chamber past president in Ifhan Hudda (From Anderson automotive group) honoured Harrison in a recorded speech.
On Main Street, Whitelaw has existed in the Woodstock business world since 1856. Jim Harrison wasn't the boss for all those years, but certainly more than 40 of them. He is also a past president of the Chamber. Today, I know Jim Harrison as a dedicated member of the Woodstock Museum Advisory Committee.
The Chamber is a super place for networking, whether it be the annual golf tournament (July 8 this year at Craigowan), or the annual Business Awards of Excellence dinner and presentations, the Sip & Sample Social, Coffee Connections, Gather & Grow networking breakfasts, and the monthly Business After Five gatherings which truly is a great opportunity for a Chamber member business to showcase its location.
One particular Business After Five was held recently as ArcelorMittal on Commerce Way in Woodstock. The event included a rare tour of their automotive steel parts facility. It was interesting for me as my Dad worked many years at Standard Tube on Givins Street and today that factory is also a ArcelorMittal production facility.
One other prominent event that the Chamber annually sponsors is the Breakfast With The Mayor at South Gate Centre.
Summer is just around the corner, but the Chamber is preparing for a busy autumn beginning with a Chamber After Five at Mostly Roses on Sept. 22.
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