Community News
Guam Chamber of Commerce hosts Jubilee to mark 100 years of business progress on Guam
Guam Chamber of Commerce
May 12, 2024
(Guam Chamber of Commerce)
(HAGÅTÑA, GUAM – MAY 10, 2024) – In honor of its 100th anniversary, The Guam Chamber of Commerce hosted its Centennial Jubilee on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Guam. During the event, the Guam Chamber honored the 2024 Guam Business Hall of Fame Laureate, Robert “Bob” Salas, and recognized 44 member companies that are celebrating milestone anniversaries ranging from 20 to 110 years.
Each May, the Guam Chamber holds a gala event to celebrate its anniversary and progress made in business from the previous year. The Centennial Jubilee was inspired by The Bee Gees, and the more than 460 guests came dressed in retro and formal gala wear.
Ernie Galito, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Guam Chamber of Commerce, said, “The Guam Chamber of Commerce has been an unwavering pillar of support for our island’s business community for a century. We continue to celebrate a hundred years of history on Guam and the enduring spirit of enterprise and innovation that defines our people.”
Chairman Galito added, “Our centennial celebration allows us to reflect on the visionary founders who laid the cornerstone of our Chamber. Their courage and foresight set the stage for Guam’s economic journey, a legacy that echoes in every success story and thriving business that calls Guam home. Today, each of our members plays an integral part in shaping Guam’s economic and social landscape.”
Bob Salas named Business Laureate for 2024
Robert “Bob” Salas (Guam Chamber of Commerce)
The Guam Chamber announced this year’s Business Laureate during the event’s program. Robert “Bob” Salas, founder of Landscape Management Systems (LMS) was named to the Chamber’s Guam Business Hall of Fame.
LMS, founded in 1994, is a full-service program management company including engineering and construction services adding to his landscape services portfolio. Before establishing LMS, Salas was a private developer and contractor for property development projects in Guam, such as the Leo Palace Resort, Mangilao Golf Course, Fish-Eye Observatory, and Cocos Island. As a small landscaping business, the company quickly earned a reputation for showcasing native plant designs in the company’s artistic landscaping projects. LMS developed and designed the annual GVB Holiday Illumination Village in Tumon for several years, making it both a community and tourist attraction during the holiday season.
Salas’ numerous awards and recognitions include the Guam Contractor Association Contractor of Year (2017), Excellence in Construction Awards (every year for the past decade), National Safety Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (2016), and the Guam Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Small Business Award (2013).
Guam Chamber announces vision for 2024 and beyond
During the Chairman’s remarks, Chairman Galito announced the Guam Chamber’s mission for the year ahead, Board members and members will be raising issues and solutions to improve Guam’s economy, advocating for government efficiency and streamlining the permitting process, and transitioning the Business Privilege Tax to a Sales Tax. The Chamber will also support legislation and programs that tackle socio-economic issues, such as public education, healthcare, housing inventory, crime, and workforce development. Lastly, members will promote responsible development and the balancing of cultural, ecological, environmental, and historic preservation concerns with military construction projects.
Chairman Galito shared,” We stand at the precipice of a future brimming with challenges and possibilities. We can ensure Guam’s continued economic prosperity by fostering collaboration, harnessing new technologies, and advocating for a thriving business environment. The Guam Chamber of Commerce has the perfect position to lead this charge for the next 100 years, and we welcome new and old partners to join us and take an active role in making Guam the best place to live and do business.”
The Chamber also announced that Centennial celebrations will continue later this year with plans to host a new event, The Chamber Games and BBQ Competition on September 21 at the LeoPalace Resort, the Guam Chamber of Commerce Museum Exhibit 100 Years of Partners in Progress in December, and the Micronesian Economic Forum at the Hyatt Regency Guam on December 3, 4, and 5. The Chamber also plans to curate the past century in a Guam Chamber of Commerce 100-Year Time Capsule and publish the Guam Chamber of Commerce 100 Years in Retrospect hardcover coffee table book.
Thank you to Centennial Jubilee Sponsors
The Chamber expressed its heartfelt gratitude to its sponsors, especially its Centurion Plus Sponsors, Atkins Kroll Chevrolet and First Hawaiian Bank. The Chamber also thanks Centurion Sponsor SPPC and the event sponsors who made the Jubilee possible: B.N.B; Citadel Pacific. Ltd; Triple J Enterprises, Inc.; Bank of Guam; Black Construction Corporation; Pacific Federal Management; Ada’s Trust & Investment, Inc.; Docomo Pacific; Coast 360 Federal Credit Union; and Jones and Guerrero Company, Inc.
Guam Chamber of Commerce Members Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries in 2024
As part of its Centennial Jubilee, the Chamber will be recognized members’ milestone anniversaries:
110 YEARS (1914)
Atkins Kroll Inc.
75 YEARS (1949)
Academy of Our Lady of Guam
Ambros Inc.
70 YEARS (1954)
Assurance Brokers Inc. dba AB Risk Solutions
Bank Pacific
Marianas Finance Corporation
65 YEARS (1959)
Guam Contractors Association
Hanson Permanente Cement
60 YEARS (1964)
Kloppenburg Enterprise, Inc.
55 YEARS (1969)
American Cancer Society
Crowne Plaza Resort Guam
Pacific Data Systems
50 YEARS (1974)
Ambyth Shipping & Trading
Glimpses of Guam, Inc.
Guam Memorial Life Plan
45 YEARS (1979)
Del Carmen Investments
Louis Vuitton Guam, Inc.
PTI Pacifica, Inc. dba: IT&E
Tove’s Flower Shop
40 YEARS (1984)
Shooting Star Productions
Triple J Enterprises, Inc.
Western Sales Trading Co.
35 YEARS (1989)
Blue Pacific Realty
Burger King
Pacific American Title Insurance
Pacific Islands Development Bank
StayWell Insurance
Sylvan Learning Center
30 YEARS (1994)
AM Insurance
Hagens Inc. dba: Pacific Pest Control
Landscape Management Systems, Inc.
Seabridge, Inc.
25 YEARS (1999)
Baldyga Group, LLC
CarsPlus, LLC
Manhattan Guam, Inc. dba Royal Orchid Guam Hotel
Sagan Fina’Na’Guen Fino Chamoru Day Care
Toni A. Geisinger
Aquarium of Guam
20 YEARS (2004)
Guam Copier
Moy Communication, Inc. dba: Hit Radio 100 and COOLFM 92.7
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA Guam)
Sentry Hospitality Corporation, managing Wyndham Garden Guam and Grand
Plaza Hotel
The Vernon Company dba Marketing Connections
Torres Law Group