Texas Chamber Week 2025: Celebrating the Engines of Texas’ Pro-Business Landscape
In every local economy, Chambers of Commerce serve as the central voice of the business community, leveraging relationships to ensure business owners small and large can access to the resources they need, advocate for pro-business policies in Austin and Washington, and contribute to the growth of Texas’ booming economy.
Whether they’re creating business networks, spearheading workforce development initiatives, or offering hands-on training for growing enterprises, Texas Chambers of Commerce are the engines that drive our pro-business landscape.
This week, Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed October 13-17th Chamber of Commerce Week in Texas, recognizing the important work of all local Chambers in building a bigger, better Texas year after year:
“More than 99 percent of Texas businesses are small businesses, employing nearly half of all working Texans. The 3.5 million small businesses in Texas flourish in our state’s pro-business environment, that includes robust support systems for small businesses, with local chambers of commerce at the forefront.”
– Texas Governor Greg Abbott
Without the yeard-round work of our local chambers, Texas couldn’t be the Best State for Business 21 years running, or the ongoing national heavyweight champion in job creation and corporate relocations and expansions. In every category, local Chambers of Commerce are instrumental in working to attract new businesses while empowering the entrepreneurs who drive innovation and economic growth.
But the work of local Chambers extends beyond creating economic prosperity – they’re also committed to lifting up the communities they serve in times of crisis. After this year’s July 4th Hill Country floods that devastated families, homes, and businesses across Central Texas, local business leaders worked through the Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce to respond immediately to the recovery needs of those impacted:
“We had a roomful of people in my building yesterday that have completely taken off to come help people, seriously, everything from dog food to chainsaws to mucking out kitchens so that these restaurants and resorts can open…The business community takes care of the community.”
– Mindy Wendele, President & CEO, Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce
The power of Texas’ local Chambers cannot be overstated – from joining forces to respond to natural disasters to seizing the latest opportunities to help all businesses succeed in the modern landscape, Texas Chambers are working every day to position our state as an even more attractive place to start and grow a business.
At the state level, Texas is lucky to have the greatest economic development team in the nation, including Governor Abbott’s Chief economic development officer Adriana Cruz – herself the former President & CEO of the San Marcos Chamber – and Texas Economic Development Corporation President & CEO Aaron Demerson, both of whom work hand-in-hand to secure major new investments from job creators who help bring prosperity to more communities across our state.
I am incredibly proud of our staff here at the Texas Association of Business (TAB), who work with our fantastic local Chamber leaders to ensure Texas businesses always have a voice at the Texas Capitol and with our federal delegation in Washington, D.C. I am also grateful for the outstanding work of Chelsie Kramer, who serves as Executive Director of the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives (TCCE) – the longest-standing association of chamber of commerce professionals in the United States.
As we celebrate the work of Texas Chambers this week, TAB looks forward to working with our local Chamber partners as we continue our advocacy work at the local, state, and federal levels to advance pro-business policies that will extend our state’s record-breaking economic growth and job creation for years to come.
Read Governor Abbott’s full proclamation and find more information about Texas’ 2025 Chamber of Commerce Week here.
-Glenn Hamer, President & CEO, Texas Association of Business
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