Chamber History

Filled with firms owned by local families, the largest major business event in the early history of Latham was the opening of the Latham Corners Shopping Center, now the Latham Circle Mall, in 1958. The steady growth of Latham was enhanced by the new 35-store shopping center. In looking for a venue to advertise area businesses, the merchants of the new mall became the Latham-Colonie Division of the Albany Chamber. This division was dissolved many years later.

In the early seventies, the Latham Business and Professional Association (LBPA), a completely volunteer business organization, was formed. At its first General Meeting held May 13, 1975, the following officers were named: Dan Urban, Holiday Inn, President, Tom O'Hare, O'Hare Frostop, 1st Vice President, Mark Smith, Smith Pontiac, 2nd Vice President, Melody Pisano, Melody's Stationery, Secretary, and Frank Prindle, Manufacturers Hanover, Treasurer. The LBPA continued as a volunteer organization until September 1985.

For some time, the LBPA Board of Directors wanted the organization to become a viable business entity and in September 1985 voted to become the Latham Area Chamber of Commerce. Two months later, after drafting and instituting the new Chamber bylaws, the Latham Area Chamber of Commerce opened its first office at 459 Troy Schenectady Road with Joseph Patanian of Latham Cleaners as Chairman of the Board for the first two years and Nancy Kruegler as Executive Director for many more. Recognizing that many of the Chamber's efforts benefited the business community beyond the borders of Latham, the Chamber's byline read "Serving the Business Community in the Town of Colonie". The following twenty years saw great development to both Colonie and the Chamber; membership grew to approximately 550 businesses from all areas of Colonie and the Capital Region.

During the summer of 2005 a metamorphosis occurred; Nancy Kruegler retired, the Chamber office moved to its current location at 950 New Loudon Road, and to better reflect its mission and scope, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to change its name to the Colonie Chamber of Commerce with a new byline: