FAQ's about your membership and a consolidation

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Q. Why is a consolidated chamber desirable?

A. St. Charles County is an economic region, comprised of thousands of companies who share the same concerns about the growth and prosperity of their businesses and communities. Benefits of a single, consolidated chamber of commerce for members include: A unified strategic plan for business and community growth - and a single point of accountability for plan implementation and results; efficiencies in service delivery, economies of scale and lower overhead by operating under a single board and staff; a single membership dues payment vs. dues payments to two organizations doing similar work; a stronger voice and heightened presence in St. Charles County, in support of business priorities; and immediate access to a full array of business services, professional government relations services and expanded business development opportunities at no additional cost. A consolidated Chamber of Commerce can offer its members everything from increased political clout to the staffing and wherewithal to respond almost immediately to pressing business concerns.

 Q. Why Now?

A. While former leaders of the St. Peters and St. Charles Chambers of Commerce have discussed merging in past years, with the recent exit of leadership and the current economy, board members of both chambers agreed the timing was right for the two organizations to become a single, powerful one.

Q. How would the new Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce be governed? 

A. The Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce chamber would be governed by a board of directors that represents the region with the current President/ CEO of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce remaining in the leadership role.

Q. Where will the Greater St. Charles County Chamber be housed?

A. The Greater St. Charles County Chamber would be located at the current site of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce – 2201 First Capitol Drive in St. Charles. The St. Charles Chamber of Commerce owns the building and lot. As the building has plenty of office space, there is no need to lease off-site office space.

 Q. How will the consolidation be implemented?

A. A Task force of both St. Peters Chamber and St. Charles Board of Directors approached the opportunity to with open minds and a clean slate. There were no pre-conceived ideas of potential outcomes and all options were on the table for discussion.
The task force studied the budgets and organizational structures of both the St. Peters and St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. Opportunities were found to strengthen services available to the business sector and the community by unifying the vision and resources into a newly-formed organization. Looking at national trends, members also saw a pattern in consolidation of Chamber efforts.

Q. I am already a member of one or both Chambers. How will a merger impact my dues payments?

A. The Task Force is currently analyzing the existing dues structures to determine how to retain maximum benefits for each member. Generally, businesses can expect that their dues would not increase as a result of the merger. Businesses that are members of only one of the Chambers would enjoy the benefits of participating in a larger array of programs and business development opportunities for the same basic dues. Businesses holding memberships in both Chambers would also enjoy additional benefits, but will only be paying to belong to one consolidated organization. Ultimately, a new Greater St. Charles County Chamber Board of Directors would be responsible for establishing a final dues structure for the new organization, and in the year ahead, all members would likely be invited to consider additional investment and promotional opportunities through a Total Resource Campaign and other initiatives.

 Q. How would the consolidated chamber impact small business?

A. Programs and services geared toward small business would continue to be a top priority for the Greater St. Charles County Chamber. More than 90 percent of St. Peters and St. Charles Chamber members own and manage small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Through the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce, small business members would not lose opportunities for involvement or representation. In fact, small business members of the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce would gain:

• Access to a larger network of potential customers, vendors, and business contacts;
• Strength in numbers, which is invaluable in advocating for small business concerns in St. Charles County, Jefferson City and Washington, D.C.;
• Enhanced business resources like Chamber to Go, an electronic tool to make it easy for businesses and consumers to find local providers of specific goods and services, thereby increasing referrals to member companies; Chamber members would receive their directory listing on an app for iPhone/ iPad, Android, and Blackberry.
• A 'Buy Local' initiative designed to send more customers, vendors and suppliers your way;
• Several Chamber events events designed to build exposure for area businesses

Q. How can I ensure that concerns in my own community would receive attention and not be overlooked by a chamber with a more regional focus?

A. Community development would continue to be a priority for the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce as it is now within the St. Peters and St. Charles Chambers. To make sure to keep the spotlight on individual geographies, the Greater St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce could implement 'Area Councils' where volunteers interested in individual communities could focus their efforts and attention.