Businessman launches chamber from Yorkville to Elgin

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Updated: March 16, 2012 8:05AM

David Berens wants to help businesses grow. He also wants to bring businesses together. That’s exactly why Berens started the Fox Valley Chamber of Commerce this year.

Berens, of Aurora, said that local chambers focus too much on business advocacy and community events, and not enough on business growth and development.

“Our chamber was built for business by business,” said Berens, who stressed the Fox Valley Chamber’s bent on networking and collaboration.

Fox Valley Chamber of Commerce is targeting businesses between Yorkville and Elgin, along I-80 and I-90. Berens wants the organization to “fill a gap” that regional chambers to the north and south have left, and it would take a “small fortune” to join the many local chambers in the Fox Valley area.

But in no way does Berens see his new chamber as competition to existing chambers.

“We look forward to partnering with other chambers,” he said. “We want to be a friendly chamber.”

The Fox Valley Chamber launched in mid-January and has about 50 members. Berens hopes to have 100 members by the end of February, and 1,000 members by the end of the year. About 1,500 members is the targeted “steady average” for the chamber.

Berens owns Dynamic Sales Innovations, a sales training company at 600 N. Commons Drive in Aurora. As a business owner, Berens said he belongs to four different chambers. He wants his chamber to be an affordable alternative to joining multiple chambers.

Since he built his business exclusively through networking, he said, “The chamber piece was kind of in our blood.”

Berens admits that he is essentially working two full-time jobs, but says, “I thrive on things like this.”

Along with standard chamber offerings like networking groups, Berens is excited about some of the ideas he has planned for the new chamber.

“Chamber bucks” is one of those ideas. Berens wants to provide member businesses with vouchers to spend at other member businesses that will keep money flowing into the local business community.

Berens said the idea is unprecedented, and the vouchers — paid for by the chamber — equate to extra funds that will help businesses to grow.

“We’re looking to do some really unique things,” he said.

For more information, visit www.foxvalleychamber.com or call 331-454-7400.