Chamber Highlights
Curious about the latest achievements and milestones from our vibrant Chamber business community? This is your one-stop shop for member news, including business launches, expansions, and recognition. Catch up on the highlights from our Chamber Connects too!
Annually the Cook County Chamber of Commerce highlights Chamber members for their outstanding business in Cook County in the following categories:
Chamber Business of the Year: This award is presented to a business that has made a significant contribution to the prosperity of the Cook County community.
Community Business Leader of the Year: This award goes to the business leader who has made noteworthy and impactful contributions to the community. This leader serves in leadership capacities outside of their day to day business life.
Entrepreneur of the Year: This award is presented to the person who has taken on greater than normal personal and financial risks to advance their business ultimately adding to the economic viability of the Cook County community.
Norman Deschampe Award: This is a special award that honors the legacy of leadership brought to our community by the late Norman Deschampe. The award is bestowed to an individual whose dedication to the business community is exemplary.
Want to share your business success with us? Contact us to have your achievements celebrated today!
Angel Schinze Administrative Support Specialist
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Thank You, Secretary of State Steve Simon!
Last night, our Chamber, community members, and business leaders gathered at the Johnson Heritage Post for an informative session with Secretary of State Steve Simon!
We discussed new voter outreach tools, like Voter 101s. We also learned about the Interactive Reports for the Minnesota Business Snapshot (MBS), including the Business Entities by Community and Industry report.
Missed the Handouts? If you would like the materials from the session, please email us at admin@cookcountychamber.org!
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🎉 Chamber Connect Recap! 🎉
What a fun night at last night's Chamber Connect!
A huge thank you to our incredible sponsor, Solbakken Resort, for making it possible! Attendees enjoyed a delicious spread of food and had a blast playing some games and networking.
We appreciate everyone who came out! Don't forget to join us on December 17th from 5 pm to 6:30 pm for our Holiday Party Chamber Connect at Java Moose!
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✂️ Ribbon Cutting: The Heights Apartments!
We were thrilled to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday at the new Heights Apartments! 🎉
This is more than just a new building; it's a critical step forward in addressing the need for housing options here in Cook County. The Heights offers 36 new units to support our growing workforce and community members.
A massive thank you to the developers and the many local partners who made this project a reality—proving what we can achieve when we invest in our community's future.
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✂️ Ribbon Cut! The YMCA Gym is Ready for Action After Major Upgrade! 🏀
The Chamber celebrated gym improvements at the Cook County Community YMCA with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday!
Thanks to the hard work of Charles “Chico” Hathaway and the incredible generosity of our community, this project went far beyond a new scoreboard. The gym received a full facelift, including:
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Bright New LED Lights!
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Upgraded Ventilation!
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New Equipment & Curtains!
This restoration showcases the best of our community spirit! Stop by the Y and check out the new improvements!
➡️ Huge thank you to everyone who made this possible!
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✨ Unveiling the Vision: Sisu + Löyly's New Nordic Bathhouse
A new Nordic Bathhouse project is underway. The facility is being designed for a world-class experience, with features including rooftop hot and warm pools offering panoramic views of Lake Superior, a steam room, an event sauna, and an indoor cold plunge option. In recent news, Sisu + Löyly received a mention in the New York Times print edition last week, and its floating sauna will be photographed in the next issue of Outside Magazine, highlighting the growing trend of floating saunas. Sisu + Löyly is proud to have been the very first floating sauna open to the public in the United States and enjoys cheering on new projects in the field.
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🌳 Celebrating A Greener Cook County!
Let’s Plant Trees, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been giving away free trees since 2023, and the program has seen substantial growth. The organization just launched its 2026 free tree program. This spring, it plans to distribute 50,000 native tree seedlings across northeast Minnesota, with thousands specifically reserved for Cook County residents. The ability to execute this program in its local community is deeply meaningful to the nonprofit.
The online store went live a few weeks ago, and 22,000 trees have already been pre-ordered! Residents can choose from seven native species and reserve their trees at no cost. The response has been amazing, showing the strong desire within the community to plant native species on private land this spring.