RSS Text Size Print Share This
Apollo Beach, Ruskin-SouthShore chambers planning to merge
By LOIS KINDLE | The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 16, 2011
» 0 Comments | Post a Comment
SOUTH SHORE –
After obtaining approval from their respective boards, presidents of the Ruskin-SouthShore and Apollo Beach chambers of commerce recently signed a letter of intent to merge.
The new SouthShore Chamber of Commerce will represent businesses in both communities, where there is a “limited resource and funding pool,” said Greg Conley, Apollo Beach chamber president.
The merger will create a stronger, more influential chamber that will have more clout with the county and state and provide greater networking opportunities for member businesses, he said.
And while both chamber presidents confirmed financial matters were not what actually drove the decision, they said the merger would sustain their long-term viability.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Dana Dittmar, executive director of the Sun City Center Chamber. “The two communities have grown together so much geographically over the past five years; they share the same customer base and many members already belong to both chambers. It makes perfect sense. They become that much stronger.”
About 35 percent of the members of the Ruskin and Apollo Beach chambers carry dual memberships, spending about $350 per year to do so. And while others do business in both communities, they cannot afford to follow suit.
“To be a member of more than one chamber during these tough economic times is just not feasible,” said Patti Thornton, Ruskin-SouthShore chamber president. “People simply don’t have the time to attend so many networking events or the money to pay duplicated dues.”
Now that the merger has been announced publicly, Apollo Beach chamber members must approve it. They have until May 20 to vote. Seventy percent of the respondents must vote “yes” for the measure to move forward.
“So far the response has been 100 percent positive,” said Conley, adding his chamber was in a “holding pattern until after the members respond.
“Once we get the approval, things will move very quickly. If we don’t, it’s back to work.”
Meanwhile, members of the Ruskin chamber, who do not need to vote on the merger, have been asked to approve a one-time bylaw modification allowing four current Apollo Beach board members to fill the next four vacancies on the new SouthShore chamber board, which initially will be composed of existing Ruskin-SouthShore board members. Half of that board either works or lives in Apollo Beach, Conley said.
Joel Meek, owner of All Bay Insurance and president-elect of the Ruskin-SouthShore chamber, is one of those people.
“I live in Ruskin and have offices in Apollo Beach and Riverview,” Meek said. “It just makes sense for the chamber to represent the same geographic focus as its members.
“I think the merger is fantastic.”
Thornton and Conley agreed.
“This is driven by economies of scale,” Conley said. “We have a common vision of adding value to our business community, to enhance it. There are many more voices in a larger group of people.”
“We are so excited this is happening,” Thornton said. “This gives members from both chambers the opportunity to network with a broader range of people. It’s a positive for us all.”
Operational issues arising from the consolidation will be decided by a 10-member transition team, comprised of five members from each of the chambers.
The target date for the new chamber to be operational is July 1.
