PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — As of July 1, the West and Central Pasco Chambers of Commerce will merge to form the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce.

  • Both chapters have rich, separate histories in community
  • Business members could get more reach with merger
  • More Pasco County headlines

"Business-wise, it makes sense, but for the support of the businesses and the community from Wesley Chapel to the Gulf of Mexico, it made a lot of sense," said Tim McClain, president and CEO of the West Pasco Chamber.

McClain said both chapters have separate, rich histories in the community, with West Pasco's footprint dating back 74 years and Central Pasco's 44 years.

"Now, in the middle, there's this thing growing up around the Suncoast and even into the Odessa area that – which one was serving that the best?" he said, referring to the chambers. According to McClain, some businesses had memberships with both groups. The merger will eliminate the need for that and create an organization with more than 1,000 member businesses.

“They get more reach,” McClain said of potential networking opportunities.

 

 

This is just the latest chamber merger in Pasco County. Back in 2017, the former group that was also known as the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce merged with the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber. A few months later, the organization rebranded as the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. One of the member businesses at the time was Blackjack Media Group of Hudson.

“Part of my reach for my customers is building relationships,” said owner Amanda Hart of her family marketing business that wraps vehicles. “We can’t make those relationships on social media. We make those relationships by going to lunch, going to a dinner, going to a gala.”

Hart said her membership in the chamber gave her those opportunities, including post-merger.

“With the North Tampa Bay Chapter, my reach just got larger. So, I was able to touch more people get to meet new people, build different relationships that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to in just the two separate chapters,” Hart said.

McClain said not much else will change when the new Greater Pasco Chamber is officially established. He’ll remain president and CEO of the combined organization, and offices will be maintained in both parts of the county.

The new board of directors is made up of a mix of members from the two chapters. Traditional events in the west and central parts of the county will continue, although new leadership is expected to take a look at whether the amount and locations of gatherings need to change.

According to McClain, the chamber may also look at increasing its activities in the area of the Suncoast Parkway and State Road 54.