Dec 5, 2013 4 min read

The Washington County Chamber of Commerce and the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency have tied the knot with a merger between two highly successful business and promotional groups.

The merger, effective immediately, was formally announced Thursday night during the chamber’s annual business expo and celebration at Hilton Garden Inn, Southpointe.

According to a news release from the boards of directors of both organizations, the merger represents a consolidation of management within the county chamber.

Prior to the announcement, chamber President Jeff Kotula, who will assume the additional title of president of the tourism agency, said tourism Executive Director J.R. Shaw has been named to the new position of senior vice president of tourism within the chamber.

Kotula said the consolidation will allow both organizations to align common missions, combine resources and reduce administration costs.

He noted that the two groups already jointly produce the county’s annual county destination guide as well as some promotional events.

Kotula and Shaw stressed that both organizations will retain separate boards and fiscal oversight, while the staffs will combine under the chamber’s management structure.

Tourism’s revenue stream, funded primarily through a countywide hotel room tax, will remain with the tourism agency, Kotula added.

“Neither of us will be co-mingling funds,” he said.

The chamber, which over the years has risen to the region’s second-largest chamber of commerce with 1,100 members, has six full-time employees. In addition to its role as a business networking organization, the chamber also plays a major economic development role in helping businesses relocate or expand in the county.

The tourism agency has three full-time and two part-time employees.

With the arrival of Tanger Outlets, The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, as well as the ongoing shale boom and the accompanying buildout of hotels, tourism’s role and budget has expanded greatly over the past several years.

“You’re talking about two very strong, successful organizations,” Shaw said Wednesday.

Tourism currently has offices in the former B&O Railroad station on South Main Street, while the chamber has offices in the Washington Trust Building and a satellite office at Southpointe.

Kotula said the two groups will eventually look to consolidate offices.

During Thursday’s announcement at the expo, which drew more than 600 businesses and government leaders, WCTPA board member Mark Alterici stated that the management consolidation with the chamber was part of the continued evolution of the organization.

“Since its creation in 1962, the WCTPA has continually responded to, and in some cases, anticipated, the changing tourism needs of our county. However, our tourism assets such as Tanger Outlets, The Meadows Racetrack & Casino and Pennsylvania Trolley Museum have been bolstered by both tourist and business visitors to our county, especially from the energy industry.

“We wanted to partner our management with the chamber’s to insure our efforts are promoting tourism and complementing the county’s economic development efforts.”

Alterici added that the merger “is in the best interest of our business community, tourism assets and taxpayers for each organization to concentrate on their core competencies, but also look for ways to coordinate messaging, maximize efforts and minimize costs.”

Chamber Chairman Pat McCune added that the management consolidation is a new step in coordinating the county’s economic development and tourism efforts.

“It is important to remember that when our economic development partnership with the commissioners, Washington Industrial Development Corp. and Washington County Industrial Development Authority was established in 1999, the goal was not only to coordinate economic development efforts between the public and private sectors, but also to reduce the amount of duplication among agencies. This new management merger between the chamber and tourism will further enhance our initiative to reduce duplicate efforts, focus on the needs of the customers utilizing these programs and concentrate on what we do best – marketing and increasing growth opportunities for our members, businesses and economy.”

Washington County commission Chairman Larry Maggi, agreed that the management consolidation is an important development in promoting the county’s business and tourism assets.

“Washington County’s economy is not only being driven by the energy and manufacturing industries but also by our substantial tourism attractions,” Maggi said. “I believe that consolidating the chamber and tourism management teams will allow us, as a county, to ensure we are working together to combine our marketing efforts – attracting visitors and companies to the county and create new jobs for our residents.”