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Milestones: Milford Chamber of Commerce
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Business New Haven
11/24/2003
By: Karen Singer
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Milford Chamber
of Commerce
5 Broad St. Milford, CT 06460
Tel: 203-878-0681 Fax: 203-876-8517
Web: www.milfordct.com
Ownership: Membership organization
Milestone: 50 years
Timeline: Although devising joint approaches to economic-development issues had brought Milford businesses together from time to time since the 1920s, the Milford Chamber of Commerce did not formally exist until May 14, 1954. Milford Citizen publisher Alfred Sanford was a driving force in its founding. Early activities included production of Milford's first demographic brochure, a study of the city budget and the establishment of a parking authority.
During the 1960s, the chamber began studies of downtown and harbor development and a devised a code of business ethics.
A tourist information center, a downtown parking lot and an Economic Development Agency all were created in the 1970s. The following decade, the chamber helped to create a downtown tourism district and started a monthly Business After Hours networking event.
Chamber membership flourished in the 1990s, as the economy changed from a manufacturing base to a service base in the 1990s.
The trend has continued into the 21st century. "We had a huge membership increase last year," chamber president and CEO Kathleen Alagno says, adding an intense three-day effort brought in 111 new members. The current roster contains more than 775 members, which Alagno explains is regarded as the "high end of small" chambers on the national level, but is considered a medium-sized chamber in Connecticut.
Achievements and Accomplishments: Over the decades the Milford chamber has earned numerous awards and accolades. Recent prizes include third place in the small chambers category at the National Membership Association of Membership Development and an award of merit for the chamber's Web site, which draws 11,000 visitors monthly and, according to Alagno, has helped to spike local tourism. "A lot of people are searching for their roots and history," she says, adding the city's annual oyster festival and festivals on the Milford Green also attract visitors.
Looking Back on a Changing Industry: Alagno, who has helmed the chamber for eight years, sees a clear link to the past with the group's current agenda.
"We're finding ways of making business work with city government to save dollars and, at the same time, increase services," she says.
The organization is working on ways to implement changes and suggestions recommended in the final report of a two-year downtown study by the Yale Urban Design Workshop.
"We're looking at the short, mid-term and long-term goals," Alagno says. Part of the plan involves developing restaurant and entertainment enclaves.
Meanwhile members of the chamber's board of directors currently are working with the director of the University of New Haven's School of Management to devise a long-term strategic plan.
"We're having joint ideas and visualization sessions on what we would like an ideal chamber to be," Alagno says. "From the results, we will probably make some changes in our structure to move us to the next level of chamber development.
"Our vision would be to be able to successfully fulfill our members' services and needs, and at the same time build a strong economic base," Alagno adds.
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