The results are in and Pheabs is incredibly happy to launch our Top 15 Chamber of Commerce in Alabama List. There were a huge number of contenders on this year’s list and it was difficult to narrow it down to the best of the best. Congratulations to all the winners.
- Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce
- Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA)
- South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce
- Auburn Chamber of Commerce
- Calhoun County Area Chamber and Visitor Centre
- Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce
- Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Centre
- Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce
- Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce
- Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
- Madison Chamber of Commerce
- Enterprise Chamber of Commerce
- Hartselle Chamber of Commerce
- Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce
- Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce
1. Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce
The Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce was established in 1946 and has been supporting the community and local businesses ever since. Their main goal is to promote and assist the business community as well as be an organizer and conduit for citywide events for all to enjoy. They have a big focus on members, community, and events and have consistently been a big presence in the city for over 75 years.
They’re a huge number of benefits of joining the commerce, including keeping you up to date with what is happening in Trussville, education discounts, learning new skills, networking, publicity and growth, and events.
The reason Pheabs ranked the chamber as number one is due to its focus around “Shop Trussville First” to keep money in the community which will stimulate growth both for the city and local businesses.
What is the Cost of Joining?
If you’re joining as a corporate member and have 1 to 5 employees investment starts at $150. Individual members can join for $35 and seniors can join for $20. All applications must be approved by the board.
2. The Birmingham Business Alliance
The Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) was established in 2009 to build greater communities in the local Birmingham region. The BBA works with hundreds of partners and acts as a dedicated resource and advocate for advancing the lives of those living in the greater Birmingham region.
The core aim of the BBA is economic development. doing business in the community and helping people who live in the local area. The BBA supports the greater Birmingham region and covers Bib, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby, Blount, Chilton, and Walker counties.
The BBA provides extensive support and experience. If you want to move to the area, connect with people or look for somewhere to live they provide a full economic development service which looks at tax analysis, partnership connection, real estate search and help navigating the regulatory process. A true one-stop-shop.
Find out more and apply on their website.
3. The South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce
The South Baldwin Chamber is one of the oldest on our list having been founded in 1944. They have a full range of memberships including associations, and corporations all the way through to associate members who believe in the work that’s being done in the Chamber. They have a big focus on community posting several large events throughout the year to keep the community together.
It’s very easy to apply on the homepage of their website as well as find other resources.
They also run a number of member-only events and training that are available once you’ve applied. They also have significant numbers of business resources and access to data that’s relevant to the local area in terms of licence and permits and job listings.
4. The Auburn Chamber of Commerce
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce plays a crucial role in the development of Auburn City and focuses its support around three key areas; opportunities to connect, opportunities to promote and opportunities to learn.
It’s no surprise that they put connect at the top as they are community-focused and look to create strength in partnerships wherever they can. They host a huge 100+ networking events every year and connect potential business partners, friends, and associates together.
They’re always looking to share your business with those in the local area and beyond. They do a huge amount around groundbreakings, social media, and ribbon cuttings as well as the weekly newsletter and their welcome magazine. The welcome magazine is the official community relocation publication for Auburn and Auburn University.
How Much Does it Cost to Join?
Membership starts at $355 per year if you have between 1 and 5 employees. If you have over 101 employees this goes up to $1,486 for the year. There are discounts for churches and organizations and also for retired individuals. If you work for a real estate associate then it’s between $100 and $200 to join.
5. The Calhoun County Area Chamber and Visitor Centre
Calhoun County cares about the community. You can tell this from their home page as they talk about making an impact on the area and have fun and creative ways to spread the word about a community including their commemorative paver scheme.
The chamber has four key focuses including advocacy, local programs, events and connecting membership to the County. It’s a member-driven organization that wants to help the economic growth of the Calhoun county region. On their website, they have plenty of resources for members and those who are looking to invest in the region. They cover the city of Anniston, Hobson City, Jacksonville, Ohatchee, Oxford, Piedmont and Weaver.
They have many programs for the local area including leadership and diversity and inclusion. They want to make all of their numbers you’re welcome and connected to each other. They also run their own podcast called the Green Business program.
Benefits of Joining the Calhoun Chamber
The chamber puts on a number of networking events each month which include lunch and learns, business after hours, and coffee with the chamber. They also run a number of events including the Small Business Awards, an industry golf tournament, and the original business Expo. They’re always looking for ways to connect businesses in the region with businesses who want to work in the region.
6. The Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce
The Decatur-Morgan Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1931 by Barrett C Shelton. It was set up by volunteer leadership to help with political, economic, and social development in the region. The chamber includes over 750 businesses and industries with the majority being small to mid-size businesses.
The chamber has a very clear charter which is around advocacy for businesses and industries, helpful resources, supporting workforce development, leadership training, connecting people in business, and attracting and retaining new industries to the region. These goals all support the main mission of the Chamber which is to make Decatur-Morgan County a better place to live, work and play.
The chamber also has a business plan developed by the executive committee to help support the growing and changing demographic of both the county and the business community. The executive committee is dedicated to excellence and many suggestions for changes to the business plan come from the local community which means you know you’re being heard.
Why Join the Chamber?
The chamber shares some interesting research from the Shapiro group (based out of Atlanta). in the research they have found that 44% of people are more likely to think favorably of a business if they are part of the Chamber of Commerce. They also found that 63% of people are more likely to purchase goods or services is there involved in the chamber. The Decatur-Morgan chamber truly believes in these principles and looks to connect you with others to make your business stronger and to impact the community and change public policy.
7. The Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Centre
The Cullman area positions itself as the perfect cross between its rich history and the dynamic growth plans the future. Cullman has a strong agricultural history and acts as a go-between between agriculture, business and industry. They’re dedicated to building a county where people want to live and thrive. They are proud of their Healthcare system and the community that they’ve built.
Cullman is one of the fastest-growing communities in Alabama in no small part because of there are huge expenses about doors excellent schools comma in already robust economy in a job ready workforce. it ranks number one statewide overall economic development and expansion. it also has a great location. it’s almost halfway between Huntsville and Birmingham.
Cullman has an excellent scheme in place that is around “Think Local First. They partner with local businesses in the community to encourage residents to shop where the money is going to be reinvested back into the community. They also provide many resources in terms of living, shopping, eating, and where to have fun in the county. They have a very popular small business of the month award which is great to promote their members.
8. The Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce
Guntersville is also known as Alabama’s Lake City and is located in northeast Alabama at the southern point of the Tennessee River. It is within 150 miles of Atlanta and 150 miles of Nashville, Tennessee.
Recently chosen by “Relocate America” as one of the 100 best places to live. it’s also been chosen as a great place to retire, in featured in southernliving.com, Sports Illustrated and Field & Stream magazines.
The Lake Guntersville Chamber is a non-profit membership organization that creates a strong economy in the region. They offer networking events, educational seminars and a range of programs designed to make the county an even better place to live, work and play.
How Many Members Does The Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce Have?
Currently, the chamber has 590 members and represents more than 1,200 people in the area. The chamber has been open for more than 80 years.
Why Join?
As soon as you join the chamber of commerce your business will be featured and announced on social media and in one of the weekly emails. Shop local is a big part of what they do and encourages people to buy from local businesses. You will also receive a plaque to put up in your office and you also benefit from chamber-sponsored events to raise awareness of who’s doing what in the community.
9. The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce
The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce supports the whole county including Cedar Bluff, Centre, Gaylesville, Leesburg and Sand Rock. The chamber has a huge number of members and looks after the interests of 25,000 people. The chamber is known for their huge networking opportunities and is one of the most prestigious and influential business organizations in the region.
Cherokee county is a great place to live is it has a small-town environment but is within a 2-hour drive of Atlanta, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Chattanooga. They promote the county as a wonderful place to live while still being able to access big cities for meetings within a couple of hours.
Why Join the Chamber of Cherokee?
The Cherokee chamber has a big focus on connecting the community. They host a monthly breakfast, have an ‘anyone meeting’ that is open to all members, and also have membership receptions to meet fellow members at a more intimate smaller event. They also have a huge referral network and make sure to refer members to newcomers, residents, visitors, and any businesses that want to do work in the region. They also offer a 20% tuition scholarship to JSU if you are an employee or a member of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism.
10. The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
You might not know but Franklin county is the official watermelon capital of the country. The certainly sounds like our kind of County if they hold a watermelon festival each year. Annually it brings in crowds of anywhere between 35,000 and 50,000 people. This is a huge number of visitors that come into the county every year and shows why the Franklin County chamber of commerce continues to think of creative ways to attract people to the region to spend money and visit local businesses.
Franklin County positions itself as a comfortable safe and affordable place to live and has an abundance of outdoor activities and a thriving downtown nightlife.
The chamber takes its role seriously and provides many services to the community including advertising and newsletters common educational opportunities common news in business referrals. Each year they give two $500 scholarships to Franklin County graduates.
How Much Does It Cost to Join the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce?
Membership starts from $125 if you have 1-5 employees. The maximum you will pay is $625 if you have over 351 employees. If you are a church you can join for $125, an individual can join for $125. Civic clubs or non-profits can join for $50.
11. The Madison Chamber of Commerce
The support the Madison Chamber of Commerce offers is broken down into advertising and marketing, educational opportunities, networking, and events. A couple of things that jumped out at us from their website was that they offer timely and interactive workshops and seminars. The word timely because it’s responsive to the needs of the community and is not just put on because they can, but that are truly useful. They also have community-focused lunch and speakers to bring people together over a nice meal. They provide advertising and marketing support for the area including marketing, consulting, being added in the monthly newsletter, and a radio show. This means there is extensive promotion of member activities on their social media and an extensive Madison directory of local businesses.
How Much Does Membership Cost?
Membership costs anywhere from $299 to $349 per year depending on the size of your organization.
12. The Enterprise Chamber of Commerce
The Enterprise chamber was set up to advocate for its members to make sure the local area thrives through business growth, community connection, and industry. They have a clear vision stated on their home page “to foster a prosperous climate that enhances the quality of life for the community”
How Do You Join?
There are clear and easy steps to join and then take full advantage of your membership. If you want to grow your business in the Enterprise area then the chamber is for you. You can apply for membership online or through a printable form and then submit it to the chamber. You’ll hear from the Chamber Rep who will let you know if your application has been successful and send over the welcome packet. At this point, you can take full advantage of ribbon-cutting, get posted in the business director,y and attend any events that the chamber puts on.
You’ll also be able to connect to the 650 current members that are made up of local officials, businesses, and community leaders.
How Much Does it Cost to Join the Enterprise Chamber?
Large and small businesses alike can join the Enterprise Chamber of Commerce. If your business has between 1 and 5 employees it is $200 to join. This goes up to $1,190 if you have more than 501 employees.
13. The Hartselle Chamber of Commerce
The Hartselle Chamber of Commerce was started in 1946 through a group of volunteers. That means they’ve been serving the local community for over 76 years! They were founded to increase local job opportunities, help businesses grow, help an orderly expansion of the community and make Hartselle area a better place to work, live and play. And they’ve definitely done this.
How Much Does it Cost to Join?
As a small business, you can join for $130 but there are options to invest in the local area for up to $25,000 if you become a Trackman investor.
14. The Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce
The Atmore chamber of commerce has over 300 members that are made up of small businesses that live and operate in the area. The chamber is set up as a networking and events venue that can help you grow and manage your business. They’re open to membership from all businesses in the Atmore area and also those who wish to do more business in the area or have a strong relationship with Atmore.
The Atmore chamber of commerce has been open for nearly 75 years and has an accurate cross-section of industries, businesses, organizations and individuals who want to see Atmore thrive.
You can find out more at #discoveratmore
How Can I Apply to the Atmore Chamber of Commerce?
You can apply by visiting their website at https://atmorechamber.com/membership-application/
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15. The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce
The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce has a significant presence in the area and each year gives out numerous awards to small businesses. They recognize the work of ‘citizen of the year’, ‘business of the year’, ‘ambassador of the year’ and ‘first responder of the year.’ They also do lots in the non-profit area and work with youth in Leeds through the ‘teen volunteer of the year’ program.
The chamber is a completely voluntary organization and is led by Sandra Maguire, who has been the executive director for more than 16 years. They also have a team of 15 who make up their corporate ambassadors. They’re also supported by a sizable board of directors to make this a fantastic chamber of commerce.
What Are The Benefits of Joining?
As soon as you join your membership will include your business listing on the website, the ability to publicize your company, monthly gatherings, connections to any new residents or businesses moving to the area, and frequent email updates from the chamber.
Membership starts from 125 dollars if you have less than 10 employees.