| As part of the chamber awards banquet the officers for 2005 are sworn in by Commissioner Drew Sitterud. Chairman Mike Hurdsman, Treasurer Sharon Earl, Emery County Sheriff Lamar Guymon,Commissioner Gary Kofford, Mike Nelson and Patsy Stoddard. |
The Emery County Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual awards and installation banquet on Feb. 11. The chamber honored a business from each town in the county for their outstanding service to the citizens of Emery County.
From Emery-LiveEarth Products, Ferron-Gillys, Orangeville-Food Ranch, Castle Dale-Ace Hardware, Huntington, BKs Stop n Shop, Cleveland, Guymon’s Machinery and Fabrication, and Elmo-Turnquist Retreat and Cottages, Green River-Rays Tavern. The new business of the year award was presented to ALCO.
Chamber chairman, Mike Hurdsman said the purpose of the chamber is to foster the economic welfare of the businesses in the county. He said results of recent surveys indicate that $25 million left the county which could have been spent here. This amount of money being spent in the county could have a significant impact on the economy in the county. It is the job and responsibility of the chamber to promote business and financial growth of existing businesses. Hurdsman believes that there will not be any one business to come into the county which will be a cure all, but that economic growth must be encouraged amid the businesses already existing in the county. “If each business could expand enough to hire just one more employee, think of the growth that could be generated,” said Hurdsman. He said with 450-500 businesses in existence in the county, we need to support our own and also work with city and county governments to foster the local business climate
Hurdsman said when they were starting their business, Castle Service in Huntington they had a lot of support from other businesses; even businesses they were in competition with called and offered their congratulations and support.
Hurdsman said we need to partner and help each other out in the county and pool our resources together. He said we need to become more involved with Green River and pull both ends of the county together. “Emery County is the crossroads of the west and we have the opportunities, resources, minerals, gas and other assets to promote sell and develop our county. If we don’t change we are going to die.
“We need to grow to maintain our lifestyle and we need to be open to new ideas. We need to help make each other successful.
“The things people need are here, we can’t grow without services. People need to help others get started and help promote growth,” said Hurdsman.