Brad Jenks serves as the first Chairman of the newly formed Village of Gurnee Chamber of Commerce. Triblocal.com caught up with Jenks, owner of Star Capital Management in Gurnee, to learn why the organization is necessary and how it intends to help local businesses and the village.

Q—Why did you and other members of the business community decide to form your own village chamber?

A—The Village of Gurnee is the retail and tourism hub of Lake County and is home to over 1,100 businesses. Prior to beginning the Chamber, there wasn't one organization that was supported by the Village that was focused 100 percent on the local business community. A community with this much business needed a chamber to provide a voice and platform of sharing for the local businesses.

Q—What makes Gurnee unique as a business community?

A—Gurnee is exactly halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago so it's close to two major metro markets. It's the only community in Lake County with a four-way interchange on the tollway, so it is easily accessible no matter where you're coming from. It's also the perfect combination of big box business, Fortune 500 companies, local small businesses and professional services.

Q—What do you hope to accomplish in your first year as a chamber and how will you accomplish those tasks?

A—Our goal s to lay the foundations for a Chamber that is not only a networking tool for business-to-business relationships, but also a consumer-driven organization. We will soon have our website fully functioning so it becomes a consumer's first resource for finding out about the local business community, special offers and events. Another goal is have 200 members in the first year; we're currently at 75 members in the first two months.

Q—How does a chamber benefit the community, and specifically how will the Gurnee chamber benefit the village?

A—The more communication that Village Hall has with its businesses, the better that relationship will be. The Village is interested in supporting local business and being proactive in providing resources and services to those local businesses. If businesses aren't supported in the community, the community will suffer. Businesses will leave town, and future businesses will locate elsewhere. The community suffers from a declining tax revenue stream. Without the businesses in town, the Village would go broke.

Q—What are some of the roadblocks you see ahead and how will you get past them?

A—Our biggest roadblock is communication with the local businesses. Getting the word out is key to getting new members, and making each of our upcoming events a huge success. So far we've been lucky in that the enthusiasm of the members has been infectious, and we're getting new members every day.

Q—What will you do as a chamber to help local businesses thrive during these difficult economic times?

A—At our first meeting, we discussed about commercial waste hauling and the costs associated with getting rid of your waste. It’s seemingly unappealing, but negotiating contracts, cutting expenses and helping your bottom line is something all businesses can benefit from. We also intend to help businesses in the revenue side of the balance sheet as well. Networking and meeting potential clients or business partners, communication with the public and promoting local businesses to the community are our main focuses.

By Sheryl DeVore
Triblocal.com Reporter