Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center

Promoting our community while helping our members thrive

Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce members

Welcome to the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce!

Our purpose is to serve as a catalyst for economic vitality by providing advocacy, information and services to our members AND to promote the City of Lanesboro and the Lanesboro area as a desirable place to visit, live, work and play.

Apply for membership with LACC

We are the Voice of the Lanesboro Area Business & Tourism Community

The Lanesboro Chamber was established in 1995 as the Agriculture, Commerce & Tourism Association (ACT) and renamed in 2002 to The Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (LACC).

We serve the community by promoting Lanesboro, Whalan, and the surrounding area as the best place to live, work, and play.

We are a 125+ member non-profit 501(c)(6) organization which is open to individual supporting members, non-profit members and businesses through an annual dues investment. Along with looking out for the business needs of our members, the Chamber also operates the Lanesboro Visitor Center, ensuring that local businesses benefit from visitors and tourism activities.

Our values:

Collaboration: The Chamber understands the importance of collaborating and building coalitions. By working together, we can build a better tomorrow.
Culture: We are dedicated in our commitment to improving the health of the business community and the community as a whole, and we see that the two are inextricably linked.
Commitment: We have dedicated ourselves and our work to achieving great things. And we understand this requires a very practical and pragmatic approach to this work.

Membership Information

Being a member of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce brings a wealth of options and opportunities. You will have access to many marketing, networking, and educational opportunities only available to LACC members. Depending on your type of business and location in the area, there are different membership options available. Check those out lower down on this page.

CORE LACC MEMBERSHIP PROMOTIONAL BENEFITS

The following promotional benefits are available to all Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce business members no matter your membership level!

Lanesboro.com website listing & webpage

Post to online events calendar

Access to advertise in annual visitor guide

Invites to members-only events

We recommend your business to visitors

Receive weekly Depot Delivery emails

Your brochures in our visitor center

Interactions with our social media channels

Additional benefits apply based on membership level. See full member benefits below!

Apply for membership!

Is membership with the Lanesboro Area Chamber a good investment for your business? Hint: The answer is YES! Apply today!

Apply now!

A group of people who are members of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce

Membership Levels

Lanesboro & Whalan Membership

Business: Spotlight (within 55949)

$550 annually

All benefits of Classic membership, plus enhanced visibility. Valued at $2,800 annually.

See full membership benefits

Lanesboro & Whalan Membership

Business: Classic (within 55949)

$299 annually

Business promotion, networking, education, and much more. Valued at $1,200 annually.

See full membership benefits

Root River Valley Neighbors Membership

Business: Neighbors (outside 55949, non-lodging)

$299 annually

Promote your business to visitors of Lanesboro and Whalan!

See full membership benefits

Open to anybody, anywhere!

Individual: Non-business (anywhere)

$50+ annually

You don’t have to own a business to be a member!

See full membership benefits

The primary membership territory of the Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce is within the 55949 zip code, with membership (Neighbors & Individual levels) eligibility extending to the general Root River Valley area (non-lodging businesses within Fillmore and Houston counties). The LACC board of directors may review membership applications from businesses outside of this membership territory and make an eligibility determination on a case-by-case basis. Membership dues to be paid annually by the specified deadline in order to be considered a member in good standing and for inclusion in our annual visitor guide and receipt of other membership benefits.

downtown lanesboro looking south down main street

More Information

Frequently asked questions

Why should I join the chamber?

As a valued business member, you’ll unlock a world of opportunity through networking, promotional resources, and impactful advocacy.

Your involvement also helps shape the prosperity of our vibrant business community. With full membership privileges, you gain the ability to cast your vote on chamber affairs, run for a board seat, and provide input on chamber initiatives, in addition to gaining all the benefits of membership. Network with peers, leverage business referrals, explore advertising avenues, and stay informed with chamber communications. It’s more than membership—it’s your gateway to the Lanesboro area business community!

How is the chamber funded?

Who makes up your board and staff?

2024 LACC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIR: Kara Maloney (Lanesboro Arts, Lanesboro)
VICE CHAIR: Laryssa Hanson (Merchants Bank, Lanesboro)
TREASURER: Sheryl Johnson (Cedar Valley Resort, Whalan)
SECRETARY: Alison Leathers (Cottage House Inn, Lanesboro)
MEMBER: Jeremy van Meter (Commonweal Theatre Co., Lanesboro)
MEMBER: Marti Gray (James A. Thompson House B&B, Lanesboro)
MEMBER: Brett Clarke (Lanesboro Public Schools, Lanesboro)

LACC STAFF

Executive Director: Joe Goetzke
Visitor/Member Services Coordinator: Jonathan Levine

How can I get more involved with the chamber?

Let’s Connect! Give us a call at 507-467-2696 or email chamber@lanesboro.com to start a conversation about your passions and interests.

Opportunities include:

Committee Engagement (members): Shape the future by serving on one of our talent team committees. Reserved for individual and business members.
Board Brilliance (business members): Consider joining our esteemed board to make a lasting impact. Reserved for business members.
New Business Nurturing: Help us roll out the welcome mat for budding enterprises by being a mentor to new business owners in town.
Volunteer: Become a visitor center greeter during the busy season and help Lanesboro put it's best foot forward for our visitors! Also, if you have a green thumb, help with beautification efforts around the visitor center.

Your voice matters, and your passion fuels our collective success!

What voting rights come with membership?

As a business member you have the right to voice your opinion on chamber affairs!

Voting rights for business members includes:

Voting at the annual meeting - select the board of directors, approve the annual budget, and vote on any changes to the bylaws.
As a board member - attend monthly meetings and vote on any action taken at the board level.

Additionally, we often ask for our members' perspectives on the potential direction of chamber business and economic development opportunities.

Are there expectations of chamber members?

We encourage you to use your voice, share your perspective, and fully leverage the benefits of LACC membership!

As with anything, chamber membership is what you make it - our staff is here to help you take full advantage of our exclusive membership rights and benefits.

While not mandated under chamber membership, some great ways to be involved are:

Serve on a committee and/or run for a board seat.
Vote and participate in chamber surveys when asked.
Share your perspective and ideas about new opportunities or ways the chamber can better serve its members and promote the community.
Help educate others about the chamber, its initiatives, the benefits of membership, and our general operations and decisions.
Let your staff know about your business' membership with the chamber and the goings-on in and around town.

How does the chamber advocate on my behalf?

While we are a separate entity, and do not receive funding from the city of Lanesboro, we work closely with city administration and the city council in the pursuit of the general prosperity of the community.

We stay informed on things happening at the city, county, state, and federal level so we can advocate on behalf of our membership when appropriate. We communicate with our membership about issues at the local, state, and federal levels that may affect them and/or our community and we encourage them to voice their opinions as well.

When applicable, we host candidate forums to provide our members and the community the opportunity to ask questions of and hear from candidates for local office.

Our staff regularly attends the meetings of and/or serves on the following boards and commissions:

Lanesboro City Council
Whalan City Council
Fillmore County Commission
Lanesboro Business Promotion Group
Lanesboro Economic Development Association
Root River Trail Towns
Lanesboro Entrepreneurial Action Network
Southern Minnesota Tourism Association
and more

⭐ How do I become a member of the chamber?

After you've reviewed the member levels and associated benefits, you can visit lanesboro.com/apply to fill out your membership application!

We will typically respond within two business days to let you know next steps!

If you have questions, or would like to apply for membership over the phone, do not hesitate to give us a call at 507-467-2696. Or you can email us at chamber@lanesboro.com.

We are here to make your membership experience a great investment for you and your business!

Your chamber at work:

We support and promote our members in the Lanesboro area business community
We operate the visitor center in downtown Lanesboro
In partnership with the Lanesboro EDA, we provide information and resources to new/prospective business owners
We design & print ~20,000 Lanesboro Area Visitor Guides annually and distribute them to 1,000+ regional locations
We provide assistance and recommendations to visitors seeking information about visiting the Lanesboro Area
We run and maintain lanesboro.com and provide business listings and landing pages to our members
We host the popular online calendar at lanesboro.com
We staff the chamber office and visitor center year-round
We assist with ribbon cutting ceremonies, press releases, and more for Lanesboro & Whalan businesses
We partner with the city of Lanesboro to help beautify downtown and the area around the visitor center

Partnerships & Associations

We maintain partnership with local governments, state and county institutions, including the city of Lanesboro, the city of Whalan, the Lanesboro Economic Development Authority; local business groups: Lanesboro Downtown Business Promotion Group and Lanesboro Lodging Group. We are also a member of the following organizations: