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What is the St. Lucie County
Chamber of Commerce?
The St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce maintains various roles
in our community: First, to be the voice for business; to unite
the business and professional people in our community in an effort
to expand the economy of the area; and to build upon our membership
diversity to provide businesses numerous opportunities. Our mission
is to help businesses prosper through advocacy, education and exposure.
Consider joining our 1,400 members in order to
take advantage of numerous opportunities. We offer exposure of your
business through networking events, ribbon cutting ceremonies, and
valuable marketing opportunities at no charge to the business. We
also host events throughout the year which help with business to
business marketing as well as business to consumer marketing. With
three (3) visitor center locations, we provide an easy outlet for
your business to reach out to visitors or residents looking for
information or referrals within our community.
In order to educate the business community about
issues having a direct impact on our business climate, we hold monthly
workshops with guest speakers on topics ranging from tax preparation
and planning to the economic impact of a new power plant in our
community. Our monthly newsletter also provides pertinent business
information.
Finally, the Chamber of Commerce serves as a business
advocate. Our Local, State and National Affairs Committee along
with our Board of Directors carefully monitor all aspects of government
regulations impacting our businesses and community. We travel to
Tallahassee at least once a year to meet with legislators. We watch
local ordinances and get involved with economic development issues
such as the recruitment of the Wal-Mart Distribution Center, the
facilitation of a hurricane assistance loan fund and the passage
of a bond referendum for construction of the West Virginia Corridor.
Building upon our community partnerships and with
the work of various Chamber committees, the Chamber is able to serve
its diverse membership with planning and assistance in the areas
of education, tourism, business and industry, minority affairs,
Hispanic affairs, local and state government affairs and membership.
Chamber membership provides an effective way to
advertise your new or existing business. Those that are active in
the events and with our committees enjoy the greatest success for
their business. Anyone can join the chamber, so please call 772-340-1333
for more information. We look forward to hearing from you soon and
making you a part of our wonderful, vibrant community.
Linda W. Cox, Executive Director
History of the St. Lucie County
Chamber of Commerce
The Fort Pierce-St. Lucie County Chamber began
in 1906 as the local board of trade. Sometime later, the name was
changed to the Fort Pierce-St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce.
Its office was located at various sites throughout the years, most
notably on North U.S. 1 in the space most recently occupied by the
Jaycees. In 1977, an office was constructed on land owned by the
City of Fort Pierce on Virginia Avenue next to the County Administration
complex.
In 1977, the G.O. Team was formed and entered into
a contractual relationship with the Chamber. The Chamber provided
staff, equipment and office space for the management and implementation
of the G.O. Team’s programs. That relationship was ended in 1990,
with the G.O. Team, known at that time as the St. Lucie County Economic
Development Council, moving into office space of its own.
In 1982, the Greater Port St. Lucie Chamber was
formed to better serve the interests of the businesses in southern
St. Lucie County. The Greater Port St. Lucie Chamber constructed
an office in the mid-80’s on Port St. Lucie Boulevard.
The St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce, Inc.,
its present form, resulted from the merger of the Fort Pierce-St.
Lucie County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Port St. Lucie Chamber
of Commerce and the economic development council known as the G.O.
Team, Inc. on October 1, 1993. The merger occurred because businesses
recognized the value of having one business organization to represent
them. The central offices were then established in the Virginia
Avenue office; consolidating management and reducing expenses. At
that same time, a Fort Pierce Area Council and Port St. Lucie Area
Council were formed to insure that the needs of both cities were
adequately represented. Those Councils also enjoy an Executive Level
seat on the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
In November, 1999, the St. Lucie County Chamber
of Commerce entered into an agreement with the City of Fort Pierce
to operate a Fort Pierce Visitor Center in the Seven Gables House
in historic downtown Fort Pierce. Over forty dedicated volunteers
assist residents and visitors with local tourist information and
a historical perspective of our area.
The Chamber spun out its industry recruitment efforts,
formerly the G.O. Team, and formed the Economic Development Council
of St. Lucie County in 2000. The EDC is separate and independent
of the Chamber; however, to insure cooperation, the presidents of
both organizations serve on the Board of Directors of the other.
In order to meet the needs of our growing Hispanic
population, the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce formed its
Hispanic Council in 2005. This Council was formed to continue the
Chamber’s goal of having one, unified Chamber serve the businesses
of St. Lucie County. This Council has an Executive level seat on
the Board of Directors. Its Mission is to offer the St. Lucie County
business community an opportunity to understand how best to enhance
business relationships with the Hispanic Community and promote the
understanding of our cultural diversity. The council will also assist
the Hispanic Business Community to adequately integrate into the
St. Lucie County Business Community at large.
In 2006, the St. Lucie County Chamber of Commerce
sold its building on Port St. Lucie Blvd., and relocated its Visitor
Center Services to the Port St. Lucie City Hall. In City Hall, a
dedicated team of volunteers enjoy welcoming new residents and visitors
to our community.
In 2007, the Chamber relocated its Administrative
Offices to St. Lucie West, directly across the hall from the Economic
Development Council of St. Lucie County, the St. Lucie County Government
Economic Development Division, and Senator Ken Pruitt. This move
allowed the Chamber to consolidate its management, administrative
and sales staff under one roof while maintaining our Visitor Centers
in both downtown Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie City Hall. The Virginia
Avenue office continues to be used for meeting space and event management.
Today, the Chamber has 1400 members, eleven staff
members and four locations. We continue to serve as the “Unified
Chamber of St. Lucie County”, proudly serving Port St. Lucie, Fort
Pierce, and all of St. Lucie County.
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