About

The Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce is the collective voice of area organizations and businesses striving to help empower people, embrace opportunities, and inspire unity in the community to continue attracting next-generation leaders.

We are a membership-driven organization creating an engaged and informed business culture. We promote economic growth and community prosperity by instituting or supporting networking, education, and community-enhancing initiatives.

Mission

Our mission is to foster collaborative partnerships to build a thriving community through ongoing visibility, involvement, and support for Chamber members.

Vision

Our vision is to be a trusted and widely recognized networking partner across Nebraska. We provide valuable resources and opportunities to Chamber members for business and event promotion while initiating community engagement to facilitate a flourishing economic environment.

Core Values

CONNECTION — Community Driven.
CHAMPION — Member Supported.
CULTURE — Business Focused.

Our History

The Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce traces its origins back to the 1904 Holdrege Commercial Club. This club brought together 43 members from around the area to promote community projects and bring people together. The initial goal was to plan roads, streets, and alleys. Some of their projects included the 1908 Lincoln Street Housing Project, the Holdrege baseball club fields, City Park (now Veterans’ Memorial Park), the City Auditorium, the Dale Hotel, the Nebraska Children’s Home, and the Tri-County Project.

During the Great Depression, the HACC assisted the community by issuing a temporary script currency when the US Treasurer put a brief stop on issuing metal coinage.

In 1954, the State of Nebraska officially certified the incorporation of the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce.

During the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic in 2020, the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce offered online sales of gift cards to local businesses forced to keep the public out in the name of safety.

Today, the Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce continues to be the collective voice of area organizations and businesses striving to help empower people, embrace opportunities, and inspire unity in the community to continue attracting next-generation leaders.

The HACC is a membership-driven organization creating an engaged and informed business culture. The Chamber promotes economic growth and community prosperity by instituting or supporting networking, education, and community-enhancing initiatives.

- By Micah Huyser, Nebraska Prairie Museum Director & HACC Board of Directors

“The purpose of this organization shall be the advancement of the civic, commercial, industrial and agricultural interests of the City of Holdrege, Nebraska and the surrounding territory; the promotion of the general welfare and prosperity of the City of Holdrege, Nebraska, Phelps County, Nebraska and its surrounding territory, and the stimulation of public sentiment to these ends; the providing of such social features as will promote these purposes; and to provide a medium for the cooperation of retail businesses, wholesale businesses, industry and agricultural interests in the said territory and community.”

-1954 Constitution of the Holdrege Chamber of Commerce

Our Community

Nestled in the heart of Phelps County, Nebraska, our community thrives on its rich history, strong values, and a collective spirit of support. From local events that bring us together to the warmth of neighbor interactions, our community is a place where everyone’s contribution matters. With a deep appreciation for tradition and a forward-looking outlook, the Holdrege area is a place where businesses are appreciated, friendships are nurtured, and families call it home.

Past Presidents

1904    F.A. Dean
1905    F.A. Dean
1906    F.A. Dean
1907    F.A. Dean
1909    Gust Abramson
1909    H.E. Erickson
1910    J.A. Andrews
1911    E.A. Roth
1913    Max Uhlig
1912    Max Uhlig
1914    F.W. Kiplinger
1915    William Nelson
1916    William Nelson
1917    L.T. Johnson
1918    L.T. Johnson
1919    Charles Engstrom
1920    E.E. Brown
1921    C.H. Kingsburg
1922    C.H. Kingsburg
1923    C.A. Galloway
1924    C.A. Galloway
1925    R.W. Wintersteen
1926    Robert W. Perry
1927    L.E. Chadderdon
1928    L.E. Chadderdon
1929    H.W. Ekberg
1930    H.W. Ekberg
1931    Charles B. Morgan
1932    Claude B. Miller
1933    J.H. Taylor
1934    Ira Sheets & J.S. Hatcher
1935    J.S. Hatcher
1936    L.T. Johnson
1937    D.C. Leffler
1938    Richard C. Brown
1939    __________________
1940    C.A. Brown
1941    Frank A. Anderson
1942    __________________
1943    Ted Folk
1944    Richard C. Brown
1945    Homer Hamilton
1946    Roy Kizzier
1947    Clay M. Westcott
1948    Lansing Anderson
1949    Frank Slemmons
1950    Irving Walker
1951    James F. Swanson
1952    A.W. Storms
1953    Charles K. Niehaus
-Incorporated in 1954-
1954    Ernest L. Perry
1955    LaMont M. Lundstrom
1956    Willard F. Anderson
1957    F.M. Brown
1958    Glenn Anderson
1959    D.C. Pearson
1960    E.J. O'Shea
1961    Jack Gilbert
1962    Henry Dahistrom
1963    Robert H. Miller

1964    Charles H. Gabus
1965    Lester B. Hendrickson
1966    Carl R. Hendrickson
1967    Joy C. Sayler
1968    M.C. Strong
1969    F.M. Brown
1970    A.M. "Bud" Meyers
1971    Orval Harms
1972    Clinton Carlson
1973    Bob Benjamin
1974    Frank Bard
1975    Emil Ruzicka
1976    Rex Kelly
1977    Kent Pearson
1978    Bill Erickson
1979    Frank Dragoun
1980    Bill Tringe
1981    John Burkholder
1982    Wayne Quincy
1983    Tom Carlson
1984    William F. Nelson
1985    David E. Anderson
1986    Tom C. Hilsabeck
1987    Marlo Kreuzter
1988    Don Skeen
1989    Dale DeRiese
1990    John Boehler
1991    Patricia Nelson
1992    LaMont Grubbs
1993    Jean Issler
1994    Ed McClymont
1995    Doug Whitefoot
1996    Cass Orcutt
1997    Lloyd Horner
1998    Tim Rehm
1999    Vickie Hohlfeld
2000    DeEtte Bailey
2001    Rhonda Johnson
2002    Charles F. Birgen
2003    Ron Karr
2004    Theodore Collin
2005    Mike Milius
2006    Barb Malm
2007
2008    Charles Wiiest
2009    Jeff Morgan
2010    Karen Stute
2011    Monty Vonasek
2012    Monty Vonasek
2013    Luke Thorell
2014    Erin Sandy
2015    Brad Johnson
2016    Allison Fritsche
2017    Ben Loberg
2018    Karen Aldama
2019    Karen Aldama
2020    Greg Barnes
2021    Kelsey Stevenson
2022    Tana Fye
2022    Shannon Adam
2023    Shannon Adam
2024    Holly Rahmann
2025    Kimberly Hines

“The [Holdrege Area] Chamber has offered me business ideas and solutions, including going above and beyond to help me plan my 20th anniversary event.”

“We appreciate the marketing opportunities available to us through the [Holdrege Area] Chamber… to keep the community informed of happenings.”

“Being a member of the Chamber links you to the community and helps outside businesses get connected.”

“[embecta] brings people into town from a wide area and it helps bring money into the community. [The Holdrege Area Chamber] gives back to us just as much as we give back to them.”

“I’ve met a lot of people at Chamber events and have received a lot of great contacts that we’ve been able to do partnered events with later on.”

“[The Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce] definitely works hard to make sure their members are successful in their business ventures.”