Political Quotes

“I rise today to recognize the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce on their 150th anniversary. I am proud to highlight their many accomplishments and significant contributions to my hometown of Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania. Eleven years after the city of Scranton was incorporated, 13 visionary and ambitious men met in the upstairs of a grocery store and formed the Merchants Association to encourage the economic growth of the city. Scranton was an industrial center of mining and railroads, and the association's first order of business was to establish equitable freight rates. Later, the association was renamed the Scranton Board of Trade and in 1923 was officially chartered as the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. For a century and a half, the chamber has actively served the region, always with the mission of cultivating a healthy business ecosystem that could attract, preserve, and create jobs in the area. In fact, the chamber has always been a national leader and trendsetter within the business community. In 1945, as many Scrantonians were serving in World War II, the chamber spearheaded a community effort to save jobs at the Murray Bomber Wing Plant, which resulted in the launching of the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company. This innovative effort created what is considered the American standard model for economic development.…”