Businesses Are Popping Up Around the Greater Vail Area and It’s a Good Thing by Jeff Logsdon, President of the Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce
Drive East from Houghton and Old Vail to Colossal Cave Road. Turn right and cross the first set of train tracks. Notice something? Construction is underway. Businesses of all shapes and sizes are popping up in our area. From large chains, such as T.J. Maxx and Ross, to locally owned businesses such as Hughes Federal Credit Union, a Thrift Store, and a new food bank, we’re seeing an influx of new business arrive in the greater Vail area. At the Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce, we believe this is a very positive thing for the community.
But, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we want to take a minute and recognize some of the concerns expressed by some people. The most common is the fact that many people moved to the greater Vail area to live a more rural lifestyle. Won’t construction and commerce steal from that? Perhaps, but not if it’s built up in the right way.
The tagline of your local chamber is Influencing Vail’s Future. We take this seriously, and it guides us in influencing what type of new commerce comes to town. One facet of that is to honor businesses doing great work and giving back to the community.
Mark Tate, the chamber member of the year, serves on several boards around town, including the Greater Vail Community Resources and the Rincon Valley Fire District board. Rita Ranch Automotive & Tire, a local business, regularly gives a portion of their profits back to the school district. And, Rob Sanchez with VIP Mortgage regularly holds fundraisers for the schools. These are just a few examples of the types of businesses we welcome, appreciate, and encourage in the greater Vail area.
We’re a chamber filled with businesses excited about seeing this community succeed. To do this, we regularly celebrate business at our annual VailFest (previously known as Vail Country Fair). If you’re a business eager to connect with the Vail community, we encourage you to find out how you can have your business represented at this exciting event. If you’re a resident in Vail, we encourage you to mark your calendars. VailFest will happen on October 21 at the Pima County Fairgrounds. See you there!
