Spotlight

The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that the chambers in Syracuse and Utica, N.Y., will offer members shared benefits under a partnership announced June 7 in both cities. The two chambers have worked together on several issues in recent years, said CenterState (Syracuse) President Rob Simpson. He said the partnership, called the CenterState Chamber Alliance, will strengthen those efforts. Sam F. Berardino III, chairman of the Mohawk Valley Chamber in Utica, said the partnership would allow members of the two organizations to share benefits, get better group-pricing discounts, network across the “super region” and advocate for business more effectively. CenterState has about 2,000 members while the Mohawk Chamber has 900. Beradino said the partnership was a break from the past. “Along the Erie Canal every lock was its own municipality, had its own chamber of commerce and its own provincial interests,” he said. “To be competitive globally, we need to stop being competitive locally.”