COATESVILLE, PA — August 26, 2026 — The Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce celebrated a remarkable milestone Tuesday evening, August 25th, as business leaders, community partners, members, former board members, volunteers and friends gathered at the Stottsville Inn for “A Tradition of Impact: Celebrating 110 Years of the Chamber.”
The anniversary celebration marked more than a century of the Chamber’s commitment to the businesses and communities of Western Chester County. It was an evening dedicated not only to honoring the organization’s history, but to recognizing the people and businesses who have carried that legacy forward and continue to shape the region’s future.
“For 110 years, the Chamber has been a place where businesses come together, relationships are built, and opportunities are created,” said Rachel Cathell, Executive Director of the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce. “This celebration was about honoring the generations of business leaders who invested their time, talent and vision into our region, while looking ahead to the work that remains to be done.”
The Chamber’s story began in 1916, when A.F. Huston of Lukens Iron and Steel Company, Harry I. Schotter of the Electric Light Company and F.W. Harris of the Midvale Steel Plant called business leaders together to form a chamber of commerce.
At the time, the founders recognized that the challenges facing the community could not be addressed by individual businesses working independently. They brought leaders together around a shared belief that a stronger business community could create a stronger region. That same principle remains at the heart of the Chamber. Board President Alissa Griffith says, “One thing has remained remarkably consistent: our members care deeply about their business and their community and recognize that we are stronger together. I encourage everyone to invest your time and talent in the community where you do business, so that this cycle of support, that is so much part of our Chamber, continues for another 110 years.”
What began as a gathering of industrial leaders in Coatesville has evolved into a regional business network of over 400 businesses across 24 municipalities serving a diverse and growing Western Chester County community. Today, the Chamber connects businesses with one another, elected officials, nonprofit organizations and community partners through networking, education, advocacy, events and regional promotion.
The anniversary celebration provided an opportunity to recognize that the Chamber’s history has never been about an organization alone. It has been about business owners who opened their doors, community leaders who volunteered their time, board members who helped guide the organization, members who supported one another; all choosing to invest in the region. The event also featured a display drawn from the Chamber’s 110 years of archives, offering guests an opportunity to look back at the businesses, leaders and moments that helped shape its history.
“Celebrating 110 years is more than just looking back,” Cathell said. “It is about recognizing where we have come from and understanding our responsibility to continue creating an environment where businesses can connect, grow and contribute to the strength of our communities.”
The Chamber’s mission moving forward will remain rooted in the same fundamental idea that brought business leaders together in 1916: we are stronger when we work together.
The Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce extends its sincere appreciation to every member, volunteer, board member, community partner and business leader who has been part of its 110-year journey.
About the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce
The Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce is a regional business organization dedicated to connecting businesses, strengthening relationships, supporting economic growth and advocating for a thriving business environment throughout Western Chester County. Through networking, education, advocacy, events and community partnerships, the Chamber works to create opportunities for businesses and the communities they serve.
Photography by Gary Altoonian Photography
