The Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce is celebrating 100 years of incorporation in 2026. The year started with its annual meeting and awards earlier in March.
“We have four focuses,” Elkhart Chamber President Levon Johnson said in a press release. “One is making sure we’re a leading resource for our business community, two is creating connections, three is about supporting different businesses with different needs, and lastly is the promotion of the greater Elkhart area and our individual business members as well. Those four things make up the focus of what we do.”
The meeting attracted about 500 business partners March 6 at the Lerner Theatre. Dignitaries who spoke included Johnson, Lake City Bank President Kristen Pruitt, and several government leaders, including U.S. Sen. Todd Young, U.S. Congressman Rudy Yakym and Elkhart City Mayor Rod Roberson.
Warrick & Boyn LLP’s Gary Boyn, Conn-Selmar’s Mike Kamphius, and NIBCO Inc.’s Ashley Martin led a panel discussion about the importance of community connections for owning a successful business.
“We are definitely committed to Elkhart — this is our home,” Martin said. “This is where we started over 120 years ago, so it’s very important that a lot of what we do stays here.”
The meeting included awards:
- Business of the Year – Welmpact Group
- Nonprofit of the Year – Heart City Health
- Century Plus Community Award – Century Chemical Corp.
- Woman of the Year – Bethany Hartley, South Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership
- Ambassador of the Year – John Snyder, Office 360
“Every day, women across this region are doing the work, growing businesses, strengthening communities and creating opportunity,” Hartley said in a LinkedIn post.
The Elkhart chamber has about 1,000 members. It was founded in December of 1919 but was incorporated by the state of Indiana in 1926.
“As we continue to recognize the 100th Anniversary of your Greater Elkhart Chamber, remember we are here to be your leading resource for building connections that support and promote the strengthening of your business/organization,” Johnson said in his March 9 newsletter.
