California Chamber of Commerce

California Chamber of Commerce
Founded 1890
Location Sacramento, California
Area served California
Focus Business advocacy
Members 16,000+
Website www.calchamber.com

The California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber) is the largest broad-based special interest group in California. Membership represents one-quarter of the private sector jobs in California and includes firms of all sizes and companies from every industry within the state. The CalChamber provides products and services to help businesses comply with both federal and state law. As a not-for-profit organization with roots dating to 1890, the CalChamber promotes international trade and investment in order to stimulate California's economy and create jobs.

CalChamber membership facts:

Contents

Mission statement

"To serve as an advocate and resource for California employers and to engage in other activities, domestically and internationally, that enhance the California economy and make the state a better place to live, work and do business."

Board of directors

The members of the CalChamber's Board of Directors are elected by the CalChamber’s members and are ranking executives in their organizations, representing many of the state’s leading firms and industries, as well as the small business segment.

History

The CalChamber traces its roots directly to the California State Board of Trade, which incorporated on February 20, 1890 after three years as a voluntary organization. The primary goal of the organization in those early years was to encourage immigration to California, a goal of the State Board of Trade pursued by publishing and circulating statistical and other descriptive information on the growth and products of the state.

In an effort to more effectively promote the business of the state, the California State Board of Trade merged with the Manufacturers and Producers Association of California and the California Promotion Committee in 1910. The new combined group, known as the California Development Board, carried out the aims of its parent groups. The board continued to promote immigration to California, the main focus of the Board of Trade. It encouraged pride in California-made products, as had the Manufacturers and Producers Association. It also disseminated information about the state, as had the California Promotion Committee.

To better deal with the complexities of supporting a sound business climate in a rapidly growing state, the California Development Board merged with the California Industries Association in 1921 to form the California Development Association, Commerce and Industry. In September 1929, the organization incorporated as the California State Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry.

In 1972, the board of directors adopted the shorter name: California Chamber of Commerce.[1]

On the issues

Each year the CalChamber tracks some 3,000 legislative proposals on behalf of employers, works to promote cost-saving reforms and fights anti-business legislation. [1][2]

In recent years, the CalChamber has made efforts to:

Job killers

Each year the CalChamber releases a list of "job killer" bills to identify legislation that will, in the chamber's view, hurt economic and job growth in California. [8].[9] The CalChamber tracks the bills throughout the rest of the legislative session and works to educate legislators about the serious consequences these bills will have on the state. Updates on the "job killers" appear on its website.

Related resources

References

  1. ^ California: Triumph of the Entrepreneurial Spirit, 1989 Windsor Publications, Inc., page 240.
  2. ^ Fox&Hounds Daily, May 25, 2011
  3. ^ Sacramento Business Journal, May 27, 2011
  4. ^ The Washington Journal, February 7, 2010
  5. ^ Los Angeles Times, September 27, 2010
  6. ^ Capitol Weekly, September 18, 2008
  7. ^ Los Angeles Times, December 8, 2008
  8. ^ Sacramento Bee, June 30, 2011
  9. ^ The Sacramento Business Journal, May 26, 2011
  10. ^ The Orange County Register, May 17, 2010
  11. ^ HRCalifornia website
  12. ^ CalChamber Store website

External links