“It’s been a really great year for the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce and its members in the 23 communities we serve,” said Katie Doherty, President and CEO. “We’ve welcomed many new members—almost 700 now, and our retention rate is up, as well. We’ve been holding one or two new business ribbon cuttings every single week,” she observed.
Most of the members are small businesses or sole proprietorships, but Doherty added that the Chamber is happy to welcome and support any new area business, whether they are a member or not. “Any newly opened business has lots of expenses. The initial investment, the overhead… we want to simply cheer them on, and knowing when they see all that we can do to help them succeed, they will join us when they can.”
The Chamber relocated in late 2023 from Western Avenue in Augusta to the renovated historic landmark Worcester House in downtown Hallowell. It’s a convenient central location, with great parking, near Augusta and minutes off Interstate 95.
“Our new site has proven to be much more of a lively member hub, with multiple spaces for members’ use,” said Doherty. They now have large and small conference rooms as well as co-working spaces that are proving to be popular. “They’re all being booked on a frequent basis.”
Having inched up from the fifth to fourth largest chamber of commerce in the state this past year, the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce is one of three finalists for the annual Chamber of the Year Award from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. The Bangor Region Chamber and Rangeley Lakes Chamber were also in the running.
“This nomination is not just a win for us,” Doherty reflected. “It’s a celebration of our members and the work we all do together to make the Kennebec Valley a thriving place to live, work, play and stay.”
As for challenges confronting the Chamber and its members, “It’s been the same thing ever since COVID-19,” said Doherty. “Hiring, recruitment, housing and childcare.” In addition to advocacy on behalf of its members, the Chamber continues to offer them an array of learning, collaborating, connecting and networking opportunities, including member-hosted Business After Hours gatherings, the Chamber Connection, Women’s Network Luncheon, the Kennebec Leadership Institute, and CYNERGY meet-ups for area professionals.
For younger central Mainers, there are the annual 7th Up Business Tours. This fall, the Chamber partnered with 22 area businesses so that more than 300 seventh graders from Cony Middle School and Gardiner Middle School could meet with managers and shadow employees, learning about local employment opportunities. As the Chamber summed up on its Facebook page, “We’re developing a future workforce, right here at home!”
The return of the Ironman 70.3 Triathlon this summer was a great success, becoming Augusta’s largest triathlon to date, in terms of number of athletes participating. Looking ahead, Doherty said that early registrations for the 2026 Ironman, which will be another pro event, are already up 20% from previous years. What’s the draw? She credits the Kennebec River and the scenic countryside, along with the historic downtowns and the warm welcome extended by volunteers, spectators and businesses alike in our local communities.
There’s also evidence that the annual Ironman phenomenon had a tremendous impact on the local retail and hospitality economy. The Augusta site of Dick’s Sporting Goods will be relocating from the Marketplace to a new site next to Target that will accommodate its planned expansion to twice its current size.
New Augusta lodging accommodations are also in the planning stages. A boutique hotel is slated to open in the old federal building on Water Street in the fall of 2027, and the former K-Mart plaza on Western Avenue will be transformed into a new hotel as well as housing and retail space.
The winners and finalist nominations have been announced Chamber’s 2026 “Kenney Awards”, an annual gala and ceremony recognizing the significant accomplishments and achievements of area businesses, nonprofit organizations and professionals who have gone above and beyond. The next event will be Friday, Jan. 23. Tickets for the event can be reserved beginning in December. While some award recipients are selected by the Chamber, other category winners will be determined by live vote: Small Business of the Year, Non Profit of the Year and the Beacon of the Valley Award.
Based on previous attendance, the Chamber expects about a thousand people to gather at the Augusta Civic Center for great food and drinks, live music and above all a fabulous, memorable celebration of the Kennebec Valley business community.
Learn more about the Chamber, including its many events, programs and services, and membership, at augustamaine.com or by calling (207) 623-4559.
