Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1391138
42 Worcester Business Journal | Book of Lists 2021 | wbjournal.com Top chambers of commerce Ranked by total membership Chamber Membership Full-time equivalent employees Head of chamber Board chair/ company affiliation Year founded 1 Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce 311 Main St., Worcester 01608 508-753-2924 • www.worcesterchamber.org 2,000 10.0 Timothy P. Murray president & CEO Robert D. Cox, Jr. Bowditch & Dewey Worcester 1875 2 North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce 860 South St., Fitchburg 01420 978-353-7600 • www.northcentralmass.com 650 15.0 Roy Nascimento president & CEO Rachel Lopez Resource Management Fitchburg 1984 3 Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce 2 Shaker Road, Suite B200, Shirley 01464 978-425-5761 • www.nvcoc.com 515 2.0 Melissa Fetterhoff president & CEO Dana Roberts Fidelity Bank Leominster 1984 4 Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce 30 Lyman Street, Suite 6, Westborough 01581 508-836-4444 • www.corridornine.org 500 3.0 Karen J. Chapman president & CEO Rebecca Roman Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital Westborough 1979 5 Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce 670 Linwood Ave., Suite 5, Whitinsville 01588 508-234-9090 • www.blackstonevalley.org 450 2.0 Jeannie Hebert president & CEO Joshua Lee Smith Bowditch & Dewey Worcester 1979 6 Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce 11 Florence St., Marlborough 01752 508-485-7746 • www.marlboroughchamber.org 400 N/A Robert Schlacter president & CEO Tim Nelson Boston Scientific Marlborough 1924 7 Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce 29 Parker St., P.O. Box 1381, Gardner 01440 978-632-1780 • www.gardnerma.com 350 2.5 Carol Jacobson president & CEO Tracy Hutchinson GAAMHA Gardner 1889 7 MetroWest Chamber of Commerce 860 Worcester Road, Framingham 01702 508-879-5600 • www.metrowest.org 350 2.0 Jim Giammarinaro president & CEO Lisa Thompson Sturbridge Growth Partners Medfield 1895 7 The United Regional Chamber of Commerce 310 South St., Plainville 02762 508-316-0861 • www.unitedregionalchamber.org 350 N/A Jack Lank, IOM president & CEO Rebecca Marshall-Howarth The Last Word Attleboro 1917 10 Milford Area Chamber of Commerce 258 Main St., Suite 306, Milford 01757 508-473-6700 • www.milfordchamber.org 330 2.0 Laura O'Callaghan president & CEO Jamie Doucette Doucette & Doucette CPA Franklin 1922 11 North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce (a) 80 Freedom St., Athol 01331 978-249-3849 • www.northquabbinchamber.com 301 1.5 Melissa Eaton executive director Tabitha Fournier Athol Savings Bank Athol 1982 12 Chamber of Central Mass South 46 Hall Road, Sturbridge 01566 508-347-2761 • www.cmschamber.org 250 1.5 Alexandra McNitt executive director Erika Travinski The Center of Hope Foundation Southbridge 1945 13 Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce PO Box 575, Hudson 01749 978-875.0197 • www.assabetvalleychamber.org 246 1.0 Sarah Cressy president & CEO Katie Quinn Mullahy's Cheese Shop Hudson 1986 14 Webster Dudley Oxford Chamber of Commerce 505 South Main St., Webster 01570 508-943-9700 • www.wdochamberma.com 235 N/A John E. Milas executive director Ross Lavoie Oxford Insurance Oxford 1945 F O C U S P R O F E S S I O N A L S E R V I C E S We can't get quality job candidates Is your company able to fill open jobs with quality candidates? Despite unemployment hover- ing between 6-7% locally and nationally, many employers are saying they are having a hard time finding people for open positions, particularly in industries like manufactur- ing where demand has risen during the pandemic. Among the contributing factors cited for this phenomenon are high- er, federally subsidized un- employment checks; workers with children being unable to send them to school; others permanently leaving the work- force; and the candidate pool not having the right training. When polled online in May, nearly three out of four WBJ readers said they are not get- ting enough good candidates to fill their job openings. COMMENTS "As long as the government continues to pay people an excessive amount to not work, unemployment will remain unnecessarily high." "Same here. People are making too much money on unemployment and sooner or later, our companies will pay higher unemployment taxes!" 6% Yes, we are getting a solid number of resumes. 13% Yes, although there are fewer candidates and it takes more time than it used to. 74% No, we are really struggling to fill our openings. 8% Our company is not hiring right now.