Philly, local chambers seek to create synergy

Chambers work together in Mercer County

By: Mike Mathis
   Mark S. Schweiker is reaching across the Delaware River for a helping hand.
   And those on the New Jersey side have been happy to accept it.
   Mr. Schweiker, a former governor of Pennsylvania who is president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, has been busy asking business leaders in Central Jersey to view and market the area as one region and eliminate the political fragmentation and poaching in which the states, counties and municipalities often engage to attract and keep business.
   "We’ve got to realize we’re stronger when we work together," said Mr. Schweiker, who spoke recently at a monthly luncheon at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. "We certainly work hand in hand with our ally chambers, and this is one way we can work together."
   Mr. Schweiker pointed to the traffic that traverses the Scudders Falls Bridge connecting Mercer County with Bucks County, Pa., in both directions as representative of the fact that states and counties can’t and don’t operate and prosper independently. "The economic interdependence that symbolizes is powerful," he said.
   The Philadelphia chamber has no intention to siphon business from the dueling Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce and Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce — the two dominant chambers in this area.
   "We already have members in Mercer County and all over the Philadelphia region," Mr. Schweiker said of his organization, which is 210 years old.
   One initiative aimed at bringing states, counties and communities together is Select Greater Philadelphia, a private, nonprofit business marketing organization that works to enhance the profile and image of the region’s business community by marketing the region nationally and globally.
   Kristin S. Appelget, president and CEO of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, said Select Greater Philadelphia is a good way for different parts of the Philadelphia region to cooperate on economic development projects instead of battling each other for business.
   She said it is especially important to have a united front to woo companies that might be entertaining offers from cities in the South and Southwest, the fastest growing areas of the country.
   "I look at it as an opportunity to collaborate with an established business organization in the area," Ms. Appelget said, adding that the Philadelphia chamber doesn’t pose a threat. "We can’t take for granted all the wonderful businesses will always be here with these wonderful jobs. Our best corporate citizens are other area’s best corporate prospects."
   There are several factors that make the Philadelphia region a great place to live and work, according to Select Greater Philadelphia.
   With a population of 5.7 million and a labor force of 3 million, the region is home to 17 Fortune 500 companies and 37 Fortune 1000 companies, according to the organization.
   Eight of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are within a 50-mile radius of Philadelphia, and the region is home to more than 80 colleges and universities, according to the group’s Web site.
   The business cost index, which bundles the costs of labor, energy, taxes, and office space, is lower in Greater Philadelphia than in New York, San Francisco, and Boston, and it’s comparable to the business cost index in Washington, D.C.; Chicago, and Seattle, according to the organization.
   The cost of living is 50 percent less than in the New York, Boston or San Francisco metropolitan areas, and office rental rates are half of those in the New York metro area and lower than Boston, Chicago or Washington, D.C., according to the organization. The region ranks third in a national study measuring the strength and economic impact of its life-sciences industries, the Web site states.
   Biotech companies Centocor, Cephalon, Aphton BioPharma, Incyte, Medarex, Wyeth, GlaxoSmithKline, Aventis, and Merck account for more than 12,000 scientists, nearly 36,000 engineers and technicians and 68,000 computer and math specialists who live in the region, the Web site states.
   Business leaders said they felt it was a good idea to focus attention on the Philadelphia market in addition to the North Jersey and New York metropolitan markets.
   "Regional growth is important," said Michele N. Siekerka, president of the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce. "It can only help Mercer to see Philadelphia grow and success come into this area. It’s time we paid attention to the Philadelphia market.
   "We see them as a partner" in economic development," Ms. Siekerka said of the Philadelphia chamber. "Our goal is to work with them as a partner."
   Cooperation between chambers of commerce is not unheard of, according to Ms. Appelget and Ms. Siekerka, even though their own chambers’ territories overlap.
   "When there’s an opportunity to improve the community, we’re both more than willing to work together," Ms. Appelget said. "It keeps us all working hard. If we provide great service and great opportunities, we can continue to raise the bar."
Mercer and national chambers partner
   The Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce has partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce through the Federation Membership program.
   The program provides U.S. Chamber membership to small-business members of associations and local and state chambers of commerce, thereby building a stronger and more effective small-business coalition.
   According to Michele N. Siekerka, president and CEO of the Mercer Regional chamber, the partnership offers chamber members value-added benefits, including access to members-only sections of the U.S. Chamber’s online Small Business Center; discounts on products and services; uschamber.com Weekly, the U.S. Chamber’s small business e-newsletter; and other communications that alert small businesses to pressing legislation or policy initiatives.
   The Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce represents more than 1,000 businesses.

— George Spohr