Business in safe hands ...

“Gentlemen!” The distinguished-looking man with the flowing beard gave two short taps on the table with his ruler, and the Mayor’s Parlour went quiet as the chatter of the thirty or so men in the room came to a sudden and respectful halt ... thus started the meeting chaired by Edward Vickers, head of Vickers, Naylor & Co., which led to the formation of The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce on 2nd March 1857.

For over 150 years since then, the Chamber has served the interests of it’s members and the business community in Sheffield, a city name synonymous with manufacturing excellence. Today, Sheffield continues to be a leading manufacturer in medical technologies, aerospace and automotive components. It is also home to growing creative, digital and bioscience industries as well as a thriving service sector.

The modern Sheffield Chamber of Commerce is a leading partner in the economic development of both the city of Sheffield and the sub-region, consistently ranked as one of the top ten Chambers of Commerce in the UK and the leading business support and representation organisation in South Yorkshire.

The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce also owns the city’s primary agency for business start-up, Sheffield Enterprise Agency (SENTA), and is the lead partner in the South Yorkshire International Trade Centre (SYITC).

The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce has over 1,800 members ranging from the region’s largest organisations through to sole trader business start-ups, with membership representing over half of the region’s workforce. As well as progressive business support and representation services, the Chamber promotes over a dozen of it’s own focus groups including manufacturing, black and ethnic minority business, retail, women in business and environmental. Corporate accreditations include Investor in People, CommunityMark and Customer First.

“The Chamber can take great satisfaction from the fact that, through its pivotal role, it has won the respect of the city and earned itself an honourable place in the annals of Sheffield’s illustrious history and will be a cornerstone for the city region’s ongoing and future developments.”

Rt. Hon. Richard Caborn MP, Minister for Sport.