Member Benefits

Why join the Chamber?

The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce is a private, nonprofit, membership-supported organization dedicated to promoting a better economic climate in Southern Arizona. By consolidating resources from several thousand businesses large and small, the Chamber becomes a powerful force for business advocacy and an efficient and inexpensive resource for individual business members. The Chamber is not a government agency and receives no funding from any federal, state, or local government.

A variety of programs designed to address a diversity of needs is planned and implemented by the membership itself, providing dynamic and timely solutions to business challenges. By joining the Chamber, you are helping both your company and your community to grow and maintain their health.

First and foremost, the Chamber is people, people just like you, people who realize that through the Chamber they can accomplish collectively what no one of them can do individually. Anyone is eligible to become a member of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. If you are a business person who is interested in improving your bottom line, developing better employees, and becoming part of a positive force in Tucson’s economy, culture, and environment; then YOU belong in the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce!

For more information about becoming a Chamber member, please see the following or contact Bob Chernetz (Ext. 152), Jeff Durbin (Ext. 159), Andrew Greeley (Ext. 153) or Rosa Moreno (Ext. 130) at 520-792-2250.

What has the Chamber done for you?

The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1896 by a group of business owners who united to ensure fair prices for consumers and a fair profit for retailers. Today, that objective holds true with the Chamber’s mission “to develop a climate in which business can create jobs and operate at a profit.” This means not only creating effective business development programs, but supporting any program that helps make Tucson a better place…to live and to work.

The following accomplishments give you an idea of the Chamber’s activities over the last century and of late:

• Spearheaded a drive to establish the first municipal airport in the U.S.
• Worked to establish a government landing field which eventually became Davis Monthan Air Force Base
• Sponsored the first “Fiesta de los Vaqueros” rodeo and parade held in 1925
• Conducted a survey to determine the need for a new tourist hotel, resulting in construction of the El Conquistador Hotel
• Brought together 15 civic-minded business persons to charter the Tucson Airport Authority
• Traveled to Mexico City to inaugurate Aeromexico service between Tucson and Mexico
• Established the Committee for Responsive Government and Candidate Evaluation Committee; and sucessfully raised funds to build its office headquarters
• Conducted the “Target:Jobs” program to help curb unemployment
• Organized the first Arizona World Trade Fair, encouraging international business
• Played a key role in the drive to keep Davis Monthan Air Force Base off the government closure list, keeping thousands of jobs and millions of dollars intact for Tucson’s economy
• Supported measures that will help reduce the personal property tax for business
• Provided information and assistance to 2,500 companies seeking to expand or relocate to the Tucson area; participated in efforts that helped bring thousands of new jobs to our community
• Lobbied to keep Spring Training Baseball in Tucson and attract two additional Major League Teams which will contribute millions of dollars annually to the local economy
• Opened the Business Resource Center at the Chamber office providing comprehensive resources and statistics on economic, demographic and international trade information
• Actively lobbied and supported legislation to allocate more dollars to Pima County from the state’s Highway User Revenue Funds (HURF)
• Developed an education pamphlet on water for distribution to members and their employees that helped defeat a water proposition that would have been detrimental to the growth of the City of Tucson
• Partnered with other statewide business organizations to create a permanent Job Training Fund for Arizona
• Worked against the concept of a living wage on municipal contracts at the local and state levels, thereby upholding the principle of opposition to Davis Bacon (artificial government-imposed wage rates) at the local level
• Sponsored a statewide symposium on transportation issues in Arizona which established the Tucson Chamber as a leader in raising public awareness of transportation shortfalls in Arizona
• Southern Arizona Business Expansion & Retention (SABER) Program launched an in-depth business analysis of the Plastics Industry in Tucson
• New Economy Coalition began work on an E-Business Resource Directory and has plans for several community-wide forums on the impact of the new economy on Tucson’s business climate
• Successfully lobbied in Southern Arizona for passage of historical trade legislation for increased commerce with China
• Completed a directory of workforce sources and training providers in Southern Arizona
• Completed an informative guide to import-export guidelines to further promote international trade
• Compiled data and information for the Tucson area to be included in the national ACCRA Cost of Living Index

Membership Involvement

As an investor in the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, you are part of a dynamic organization seeking to promote a healthy economy and superior quality of life for our community. By leveraging the strength of 2,000 businesses and 110,000 employees, the Chamber provides advantages that you as a single business person might not be able to access. Chamber programs are developed through member-run committees which work in the areas of community enhancement, political advocacy, governmental affairs, economic development and membership benefits.

Click here to start the process of becoming a member.