UPSTATE CHAMBER COALITION LAUNCHED - Coalition Formed to Unify Upstate's Voice of Business

The Greenville Chamber today is pleased to announce that it has joined the newly formed Upstate Chamber Coalition. The Upstate Chamber Coalition is an alliance of ten chambers of commerce in the Upstate, which joined forces to better unify its message of the needs of the Upstate to its Upstate legislators and to the entire General Assembly - needs that must be met that will create better jobs, lower the unemployment rate, and raise the Upstate's per capita income. The ten Chambers consist of over 8,000 member-businesses and over 200,000 employees.

"We are excited to join with other chambers to better have our voices heard by more legislators throughout the state," said Chamber President Ben Haskew. "Though we have a responsive and effective delegation here in Greenville County, it is important to increase our effectiveness by pulling in other delegations to fight for more and better jobs, as well as a brighter future for businesses and their employees here in the Upstate and throughout South Carolina."

The Coalition is a contractually bound group of Chambers that are served by lobbyists John DeWorken and Sunnie Harmon. Chambers included in the Coalition are Greenville, Spartanburg, Greer, Anderson, Greenwood, Cherokee, Laurens, Clemson, Walhalla, and Westminster. Besides advocating on behalf of these Chambers through the Upstate Chamber Coalition, DeWorken and Harmon will lead the development of each Chamber's legislative agenda, their grassroots and grasstops programs, and other public policy-related initiatives.

"The Coastal area is largely driven by tourism; the Midlands is driven by government and businesses; the Upstate's economy is driven by business. Knowing that, our needs are unique from other parts of the state," said Upstate Chamber Coalition Lobbyist John DeWorken. "The Upstate Chamber Coalition will be a vehicle by which the Chambers can unify and voice its needs better."