Read what members from companies of all sizes, as well as community leaders, are saying about the proposed merger of the Prince William Regional and Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chambers of Commerce.
"Historically, both Chambers of Commerce have served independently and collectively as valuable allies for our economic development efforts. However, a merger of these two Chambers would be of particular value to our local business community and our economic development outreach efforts. Most notably, it would unify the voice of the local business community, provide greater insights into issues affecting businesses throughout the County, offer a more robust and diverse membership base to address important business issues, and generate greater financial strength to leverage Prince William County within the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.”
Martin J. Briley, Prince William County
Department of Economic Development
Manassas and our Prince William County region are very well positioned within Northern Virginia for future business growth. Our Community, today’s jobs, and tomorrow’s jobs for our Citizens will benefit from a stronger united Chamber of Commerce. The vision for a combined Chamber serving today’s large and small businesses and future businesses to come will strengthen our Community and the voice of business.
Harry J. (Hal) Parrish II, Mayor of Manassas
"Our newspapers merged into the News & Messenger because we realized the power of one voice to bring our community together. Now we need one voice to not only bring our business community together but also to make it stronger in today’s extremely competitive environment.”
Bruce Potter, News & Messenger
"Merging of the two Chambers in Prince William County is, in my mind, essential – it must happen. It will greatly benefit the members in that it will provide a larger forum for networking, however, perhaps the largest benefit will be felt with the new entity’s influence outside of Prince William County as there will now be one very large and very strong voice with one consistent message coming from the business community in Prince William.”
Stephen Daves, R. W. Murray Co.
"We have been members of the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber for over 20 years. We were members of the Region’s Chamber, but dropped out because, as a small woman-owned business, we do not have the time or resources to attend functions at both Chambers. It would be a huge benefit to my business to be able to have access to all the Chamber members in one event, under one leadership. We are all doing business in the same County and it would be great to have the support of one Chamber that can represent all of us."
Luanne Stevenson, ABS Graphics & Advertising
"My small business has been a member of both Chambers for several years as I am always trying to maximize my exposure to new potential clients whenever possible. However, I felt that I duplicated my efforts (and my marketing dollars) by trying to be active in both. Combining the two entities into a new organization will allow me to become more effective as I continue to build my business."
Stephen Nelson, Junction Travel
With all of the dynamic business talent we have in Prince William, it is simply a waste of resources having more than one Chamber. Thinking with our business caps on, how much more could we accomplish as a united front? How much more VALUE would we bring to our members. Bottom Line: Chambers exists for the benefit of business, not the reverse.
Rebecca Barnes, Bargain Boxes Moving & Storage
"I can’t think of any one thing that would do more to encourage cooperation and growth in our communities than the merger of our two Chambers of Commerce. Our communities already overlap in so many ways today that this now makes perfect sense for all.”
Bill Moss, Sentara Potomac Hospital
"I believe the merger of the Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce and the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce is vitally important. Creating a new Chamber that represents the entire Prince William region is something I believe will better our community while strengthening the voice of business in this County.”
Congressman Gerald E. Connolly
As Chair of the Government Contractors Business Council, our members often talk about the need to change to better serve their clients and meet the clients’ evolving requirements. Quite simply, if contractors do not change and adapt with their clients they will have no clients. I am often asked if there is anything we can do reduce the number of similar events hosted by similar organizations and in the course of these conversations the question always is raised: Why do we have two Chambers in Prince William County? For the last three years at our annual planning session, the Council has voted to recommend to the Board of Directors that the two Chambers be merged. They feel we should run our Chamber the way they run their business (change to meet client needs) and merging the two Chambers and adopting the best practices and procedures currently used by the two Chambers will create huge benefit for the members.
Bob Grasso, Logis-Tech, Inc.
