UTICA — The Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce today announced it is rebranding as the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, effective today.
The name change “literally puts us back on the map,” John Kenealy, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, said in a news release.
“As we have partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on different events, we have found that while most people from other parts of the country have an awareness of Utica, they do not have the same familiarity with the Mohawk Valley,” Kenealy said.
“Renaming and branding as Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce is extremely timely with Nano Utica, the Utica Tower and the Utica Comets,” Pamela Matt, the chamber’s executive director, said in the news release.
The organization contends it has always been the primary chamber of commerce for the Utica area since its inception 117 years ago. In its news release, the organization referred to itself as “THE Chamber of Commerce for the Greater Utica area.”
Throughout its existence, the organization has modified its name to fit “the changing times and the changing community.”
As the chamber enters its 118th year of advocacy for the business community, the name change also helps the organization return to its “historical roots,” the chamber said.
The organization will continue to represent the same footprint in Oneida, Madison, and Herkimer counties, “while embracing the importance the city of Utica has to the entire region,” the chamber said.
The rebranding includes a new logo with the phrase “Greater Utica” emphasized. The organization is displaying the logo on its website.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com