The Franklin County and Lavonia Chambers of Commerce are set to merge at the beginning of the year.
Executive Director of Franklin County’s Chamber of Commerce Rachel Howington, who called the merger a triumph for both entities, said the decision was made earlier this year to create a stronger, more united chamber under one name.
“We just felt like combining two smaller chambers would make a great and stronger, larger chamber,” Howington told Now Habersham. “We’ll be taking all the great strengths of both chambers and combining them together.”
As part of the deal, Howington explained, four of the seven members of Lavonia’s board will join the Franklin County Chamber’s Board of Directors.
“A lot of (chamber) members are members of both boards,” Howington said. “So this will mean one, united Franklin County Chamber…we’ll put on more events. We’ll be keeping a lot of the events that Lavonia has done well and keeping a lot of the events the Franklin County Chamber has done well. We’re excited to see what January brings for us.”
Lavonia’s Chamber of Commerce, established in 1922, is one of the oldest chambers in the state of Georgia, according to the organization’s website.
“The Lavonia Chamber of Commerce has been an integral part of the community of Lavonia for over 100 years,” Lavonia Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Fowler said. “Even though we will be operating under another name through the merger, the people who are serving and participating are what really make the chamber what it is, and that isn’t changing. Through this merger, we are reaffirming our commitment to Lavonia and the county to become a better chamber and business partner than ever before. Our priority is merging our strengths and putting our focus on our members. I’m looking forward to what we can do together.”
Once the merger is formalized, members of both chambers will maintain access to a complete list of programs, services and events that have made each chamber successful – including community festivals, professional development workshops and other benefits offered by the organizations.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Lavonia Chamber into the Franklin County Chamber family,” Cyndee Phillips, president of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, said. “This merger…will allow us to offer a wider variety of events, stronger networking opportunities and more resources to help businesses thrive. It represents a significant step forward in our mission to support the economic vitality of our region.”
For more information about the merger and upcoming events, visit the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce website at www.franklin-county.com or contact Howington by phone (706-384-4659) or via email at: [email protected].
