Jul 9

Jul 9 Chamber holding small business conference for women, vets and minorities

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce is inviting women, minorities and veterans to attend an upcoming small business conference.

The chamber's Supplier Diversity Conference will be held July 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Rochester. The event is free and open to the public; however, attendees must register in advance.

The conference is "designed to provide education and networking opportunities to businesses, and to foster relationships between these suppliers and buyers in larger organizations," according to to the chamber.

Representatives from Mayo Clinic, Hormel, Knutson Construction, Fastenal, Viracon and Custom Alarm will be in attendance to connect with businessses. DMC and the City of Rochester will also be represented, along with numerous government and private small business support organizations.

"This conference is a step toward creating a more inclusive and cohesive economic region in southeast Minnesota," said Chamber President Rob Miller.

The all-day conference features Jeff Ettinger, CEO of Hormel, as the keynote speaker. Mr. Ettinger’s keynote is entitled, “What does diversity mean to Hormel and the community in a globally competitive world?”