The Georgia Chamber of Commerce has evolved many times since it began in 1915. Created as the Georgia Manufacturing Organization, it became the Associated Industries of Georgia in 1939, and later, in 1968, became the Georgia Business and Industry Association. Finally, the association, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, begun in 1930, and revived in 1950, were consolidated in 1983 to form the Business Council of Georgia.

Though our name has changed, the original founding goals remain the same. An excerpt from the charter for incorporation filed at a February 16, 1915, Georgia Manufacturers Association meeting read, “For their mutual benefit and protection, and to that end establish a relation of mutual helpfulness between those engaged in such enterprises; to promote the general welfare of productive industry in the state; to advocate a public safety policy favorable to the development of such industries and oppose propositions that would tend to restrain such development; to create a medium that would facilitate the exchange of information relating to matters of mutual interest”¦” In 1992, the Chamber evolved again. This time, empowered with new leadership, the organization took its goals from the very visionaries who founded it, and charted a bold new course to carry out its mission.

Since 1992, guided by an interactive and informed membership, the leaders of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce have made substantive public policy change, played a vital role in the economic growth of the state, and formed initiatives and partnerships that have made significant positive strides in the critical areas of education, workplace drug-abuse and health care. Very few organizations can claim such a diverse impact and credentials.

Today, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, is the voice of its statewide membership, aggressively advocates the business viewpoint in the shaping of public policy, encouraging ethical business practices and ensuring the state’s future as economically prosperous, educationally competitive, and environmentally responsible.

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