Chamber board members and ambassadors joined Chamber Executive Director Renea Slayer and Syracuse-Wawasee Trails Executive Director Erlene Yentes for the ribbon cutting to celebrate both organizations’ shared office. In front from left are Kim Strawbridge, Lake City Bank; Kate Leach, Encore Sotheby’s; Marlies West, Goshen Home Medical; Yentes; Dan Buchman, State Farm; Jim Layne, Syracuse chief of police; Salyer; Lindsey Parker, Tippy Creek Winery; Steve Fields, Fairfield Inn; and Jeanetta Slabaugh, Crossroads Bank. In back are Chris Scheeren, Blue Barn Berry Farm; Erick Leffler, Dynamic Spine; Jon Everingham, Wawasee Community Schools; and Denny Pressler, Stoney Point LLC. InkFreeNews Photos by Sarah Wright.

By Sarah Wright
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce and Syracuse-Wawasee Trails hosted a ribbon cutting at their new location, 207 N. Huntington St., Thursday, Oct. 1. Several chamber board members and ambassadors turned out to help celebrate the occasion.

“The reason for the move was to have more space to help our member businesses,” Renea Salyer said. “The location is also more accessible with parking close to the building.”

The chamber is leasing the building from Doug Schrock with Schrock Realty. Schrock completed several improvements to the office prior to the chamber and trails moving in and also spruced up the landscaping, also featuring a red canoe donated by Bob and Cindy Baugher. The canoe is fittingly a Sea Nymph, a racing canoe manufactured on the site many years ago.

Renea Salyer, Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce executive director, displays some of the brochures available in the new office’s sitting room.

Inside, there is a reception area, offices, a conference room, kitchenette and sitting area. Both organizations will use the conference room for meetings, and it is available to facilitate meetings for both members and nonmembers.

“We have a lot of brochures on members and attractions in Syracuse and the county. We also have a list of all restaurants,” Salyer said, noting there are a lot of referral business cards the chamber hands out, too.

For the trails, Executive Director Erlene Yentes said, “I’m grateful the trails was able to move with the chamber. The new office gives us more visibility and a little more room.”

Both Salyer and Yentes noted the close relationship between the chamber and trails. Yentes said, “I think the trails and chamber work well together and we will continue to work closely together on future endeavors.”

Salyer shared there is an opportunity for another organization to sublease, with one office still being available.

For information about the chamber, visit www.swchamber.com. For the trails, visit www.syracusewawaseetrails.com.