Osprey celebrates the opening of its own chamber of commerce

Thursday, July 12 marked the first meeting of the newly formed Osprey Nokomis Chamber of Commerce, which representatives from approximately 50 businesses attended, 30 of whom became members on the spot.

The original Osprey Chamber of Commerce closed in 1972, due to dwindling membership and a lack of support, and despite several revitalization efforts in recent years, no chamber has been formed until now.

Plans for the new Osprey Nokomis Chamber of Commerce were put into motion three months ago by Osprey business owner Ven Konuru, who felt a need for a local chamber that would allow business owners to promote their businesses without having to rely on neighboring chambers.

“I was trying to think of the best way to go about promoting my own business,” said Konuru, owner of Jeevy Computing and president of the Osprey Nokomis Chamber of Commerce. “I realized that I either had to go to Sarasota or Venice, and that there was no way Osprey business owners would be able to get enough attention.”

By belonging to neighboring chambers of commerce, such as the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce, Osprey business owners were unable to reap the inherent benefits of belonging to a chamber of commerce due to proximity challenges.

Konuru brought his idea to other local business owners, who shared the same sentiments, and they began holding preliminary meetings before registering with the state, completing all the formalities and, finally, holding their first official meeting.

Formed in the early 1960s, the original Osprey Chamber of Commerce was representative of its small-town roots, with an average membership of 30.

Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, who grew up in Osprey, and whose father, Ed Thaxton, served as a president of the original chamber, sees an opportunity to reclaim some of Osprey’s unique character.

“Through the years, Osprey has changed remarkably,” he said. “The sense of place that (the former chamber) fought to defend and maintain was largely wiped out, which was a big hit for us. The new chamber, from a business perspective, is trying to bring back that sense of place.”