The Washington Area Chamber of Commerce is the second largest in the St. Louis region, according to the St. Louis Business Journal, which released its annual chamber rankings last week.
The rankings are based on annual operating budgets. The Washington chamber has an annual operating budget of $3.76 million, which includes the Washington Town & Country Fair. It has 569 members, according to the Business Journal.
Greater St. Louis Inc. claimed the top spot in the rankings, with an operating budget of $20.8 million and 648 members.
“(Second place) is pretty much where we have been on this list for some time,” said Washington Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jennifer Giesike. “Last year we were number one, but that was because of some restructuring at Greater St. Louis Inc. It’s hard to top them. But I think it (ranking) says something about the caliber of our community and our members.”
Washington’s chamber ranked higher than the St. Charles Regional Chamber, Chesterfield Regional Chamber and the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce. It has claimed either the first or second position in the annual poll for the past several years.
The Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce claimed the 19th spot in the rankings with a budget of $71,900 and 165 members.
According to the Business Journal, membership fees in the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce range between $110 and $880. The minimum fee to join the Pacific Area Chamber of Commerce is $50.
The minimum fee to join Greater St. Louis Inc. is $100, but can run as high as $100,000 or more to join the organization’s Executive Committee of the Chair’s Council.
“We are still one of the more affordable chambers on the list,” Giesike added. “But for us, it’s about the value we provide our members, which is something we are also working on. All in all, we are pleased with the ranking.”
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