Woodbury Chamber of Commerce

Under the direction of its first-ever executive director, the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce builds on a rich history.

By: Sandy Swanson | From the issue: November 2011

Woodbury Chamber of Commerce: Travis Martinson

Photo: Marshall Franklin Long

Woodbury Chamber of Commerce's first executive director, Travis Martinson.

Woodbury residents of 25+ years may recall when Valley Creek Road was the city’s only exit off I-494. At the corner of Valley Creek Road and Woodlane Drive was a small business center, with PDQ, Ronnally’s Pizza, Woodlane Flowers, a dry cleaner, a dentist and a few others. This handful of small businesses, along with insurance agents, lawyers and accountants, promoted local commerce through the Woodbury Business Association long before Target, Walgreen’s, Cub Foods and Wal-Mart ever pinpointed the city.

As Woodbury’s population exploded in the 1980s and ‘90s, businesses mushroomed in support. The association expanded accordingly, and soon leadership realized they needed to become something much more. On Nov. 21, 1985, the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce was officially incorporated as a 501(c6) nonprofit association.

“Networking is a Chamber mainstay,” says Wade Anderson of Woodlane Flowers. Anderson’s father, Gail, is a founding Chamber business member. “Business owners have international purchasing options through the Internet and other resources, but active Chamber membership puts you face-to-face with real people—business associates, right within your own community. It’s becoming more critical to buy local and keep the dollars where you live, work and play. Doing business with those in our own community is invaluable.”

Long-term successful Chamber programs include monthly luncheons with guest speakers, the Woodbury Country Mile, the Scholarship Golf Classic, Woodbury Ambassadors who orchestrate business grand openings/ribbon cuttings, and the annual Community Awards Gala honoring Business, Citizen and Educators of the Year.

In 2010, the Chamber board determined it was time to kick things up several notches. “To increase member value, and to become a major league chamber for a prominent city like Woodbury, we knew we needed a visionary leader who could run operations like a business and spur growth from a strategic, big-picture perspective,” says Chamber board chair Mark Streed from Meshbesher & Spence. “It’s only fitting since we are the voice of business in this strong community.”

After moving to new offices in the Spire Federal Credit Union building in early 2011, Travis Martinson was hired as the first-ever executive director of the Woodbury Chamber of Commerce. “During interviews, I stated a goal of raising membership by 100 in the first year; we’re already up 75,” Martinson says. “Taking it further, I predict we’ll be a Top 10 Minnesota chamber within five years. I’m motivated, seeing nothing but pure potential and clear horizons. We’re just scratching the surface. Woodbury’s not even done growing yet!”