On the Town: Chamber members, guests tour West Coast Customs
Close to 200 members and guests of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce got a special treat as they were given the opportunity to peruse an assembly line of customized vehicles and take part in small group tours of the worldwide headquarters of West Coast Customs this past week.
Each month, the chamber partners with a member business to hold a Business Connection mixer that gives chamber members the chance to network, share information about their business and explore the host’s facilities.
The selection of West Coast Customs to serve as last week’s host gave even longtime residents and Burbank business representatives pause as, time-after-time during tours conducted by the company’s employees, the most repeated phrase was: “I never knew this was here.”
Founded in 1993 by Ryan Friedlinghaus, West Coast Customs employees are cutting-edge artists, engineers and mechanics who build and customize every form of transportation from golf carts and motorcycles to high-end sports and luxury vehicles and aircraft.
From the 60,000-square-foot headquarters on West Empire Avenue, Friedlinghaus oversees what has become a worldwide operation with facilities in Dubai, Mexico, Germany, Malaysia, Russia and Japan.
Guests who participated in last week’s mixer were greeted by the chamber’s operations manager, Kimberly Thompson as well as Chris Hunter, who serves as the organization’s membership director, Eric Foster, the chamber’s board chairman, Chairman-elect Nancy Guillen and immediate past Chairman Mike Thomas.
Along with its monthly mixers, the Burbank Chamber of Commerce also hosts monthly Business Connection luncheons that feature a speaker, exhibit tables and an opportunity for each attending member to present a brief “commercial” highlighting their business.
The chamber also holds the State of the City luncheon each October that provides the mayor a forum to present the accomplishments and goals of the city. It also holds an annual gala and golf tournament at Burbank’s DeBell Municipal Golf Course.
For more information about chamber functions, services and memberships, call (818) 846-3111 or visit burbankchamber.org.
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DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
