The Kingston Chamber accomplishments range from the Annual 4th of July Parade to provider of a variety of business services and the diligent marketing of our merchant community. Members’ benefits include health insurance coverage, political representation, business information and networking opportunities. The Chamber represents our community to new citizens and businesses through relocation information and is a strong voice in lobbying for interests that will support the mission and vision of the community, it’s economic well-being, and our overall quality of life.

Exciting recent services offered by the Chamber will no doubt benefit businesses bottom lines and generate enthusiasm for our community. One of the most exciting developments is the recent acceptance of a new insurance program for members.

The Kingston Chamber recently negotiated a deal for member’s that will provide a variety of health insurance products and reward members with health care options that normally small or individual businesses would not have access to. "The Kingston Chamber is ‘piggy backing’ on the Bainbridge Island Chamber’s policy, who is ‘piggy backing’ on other chambers, making it possible to offer low rates and comprehensive health insurance packages to business members," said Jonathan Carney, of Carney-Cargill Incorporated of Bainbridge Island, Washington.

The insurance products offered by Carney-Cargill are: Health, dental, vision, group life, group disability and long term care insurance. "We have plans available that are flexible and fit a variety of people and their businesses," said Carney. "Some plans even offer coverage for pregnancy, mental health, chiropractic, acupuncture, and pharmaceuticals," added Carney. "We want to make sure the Chamber has as many products as possible to offer their members and we are excited to get the message out to the business community so that they can enjoy this important benefit of being a member," says Carney, who will be sending out a mailer to all Chamber members announcing the new insurance coverage opportunities and information.

A plus to this insurance program is that it allows for coverage of an individual business person under group policy power. "The big difference between individual policies and group policies, is that with group policies you don’t have to divulge any medical information about yourself, whereas under individual policies, you have to respond to 20 pages of personal information," says Carney.

Pricing is up to each individual business to decide. "The pricing for all our insurance plans will depend on how comprehensive each business needs their plan to be. We have high-end products that apply to one person or an entire company. Overall, there are good plans that run the gamut from very inexpensive to very comprehensive," says Carney.

Carney – Cargill are an asset to the Chamber members as well because they will provide their expertise in the health insurance industry by helping advise businesses on finding the right plan that fits their needs and individual situations. "Chamber members are getting qualified expertise in addition to the insurance coverage because we provide education for people, helping them make decisions based on knowledge of policies and how insurance companies work," said Carney. The company plans to offer classes for Chamber members centering around how to maximize health insurance plans and understand how the industry works. "We want to help the chamber provide great things for their members and support them in continuing to provide good things to the community," says Carney.

Be sure to visit www.kingstonchamber.com regularly. It’s a beautiful and informative site filled with a calendar of events, community and business focused articles, relocation information and a comprehensive membership directory of member’s contact information.

Offered on a quarterly basis, the Extraordinary Luncheons are informational lunchtime seminars on topics of interest pertaining to our local business community. For example, the most recent luncheon provided an informative overview of the White Horse Development and the new Aqua Express Ferry System, educating many of the members on the exciting changes happening within Kingston. Members attending these events benefit from receiving useful information, as well as an opportunity to network with other local businesses. The Luncheons are held at the Kingston Cove Yacht Club and lunch is served. Stay tuned to the Calendar of Events at www.kingstonchamber.com, for the announcement of the next Extraordinary Luncheon.

It’s time to elect next year’s Board of Directors. Nominations are now being accepted for the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Applications and directions for nominations may be picked up at the Chamber office in the Community Center. The Chamber is made up of 8-12 Board of Directors and each nominee must meet the requirements as outlined in the application, in order to be considered for nomination. The nominations are due by November 15th. Ballots will then be distributed to members and voted on by December 1st.

The Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce is conveniently located in the Kingston Community Center and is your source for community and business information. The Chamber is always seeking new volunteers to help with various office duties, light secretarial work and in providing assistance to visitors at our office.

Please regularly visit our new website for the membership directory, calendar of events, articles and more. Go to: our Contact page or call us at 360.297.3813.