About Us

The Chamber

Records show that business leaders in Cortland began discussing the creation of a business organization as early as 1896.  The Cortland County Chamber of Commerce was formed on November 12, 1903 as the Cortland Board of Trade. The Board of Trade changed its name to the Chamber of Commerce in 1911, and its articles of incorporation were approved in 1945. Today, the Chamber staff, Board of Directors and many volunteers serve nearly 550 members in and around Cortland County.

The Cortland County Chamber of Commerce, headquartered in downtown Cortland, NY, is the region’s leading business advocacy organization representing all of Cortland County, the villages of Groton and Dryden in Tompkins County, and the village of Tully in Onondaga County.  We support over 500 members representing over 14,000 employees through business-to-business connections and consistently provide opportunities and resources to help our members grow and thrive.

Our Chamber teams up with our Chamber partners as members of The Business Council of New York State, and statewide, our Chambers represent 110,000 businesses and 3.6 million employees.  Our strength in numbers is key as we provide leadership and advocacy statewide.

We participate in professional development programs through the Chamber Alliance of NY as well as The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, a national organization.

What Is A Chamber, Exactly?

A chamber of commerce is basically a network or association of businesses, non-profits (and sometimes other local stakeholders) that work together to promote economic growth, support local businesses, and advocate for favorable business policies.

• It’s not a government agency — chambers are typically non-profit organizations. 

• Businesses join voluntarily — local business owners decide to become members. 

• Funding comes primarily from membership dues, plus event sponsorships, and other non-dues revenue.

What Do Chambers Do?

1. Advocacy & Lobbying

   • They represent the interests of their member businesses to local, regional, or national governments. 

   • They can push for pro-business policies, infrastructure improvements, etc. 

2. Economic Development

   • Chambers often try to attract investments, encourage business growth, and help develop their communities. 

   • They may run or partner on projects to improve local economic conditions (like improving infrastructure or public works).

3. Networking

   • They create opportunities for business owners to meet, connect, and build relationships.

   • They run events (meetups, mixers, conferences) where businesses can find partners, clients, or mentors.

4. Information & Education

   • Chambers provide business advice, training, and resources (like workshops and webinars with the latest updates from the business council).

5. Public-private Collaboration

   • They often act as a bridge between local government and the business community. 

   • They help coordinate on things like community development, and local planning. 

Why It Matters / Why Businesses Join

• Collective Voice: By working together, businesses have more influence than they would individually. 

• Credibility & Visibility: Being part of a chamber can give a business more legitimacy and exposure in the community. 

• Support & Growth: Especially for small businesses, chambers provide support, resources, and a network to grow. 

• Economic Impact: Chambers try to improve the local economy, which helps both businesses and the community.