The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau and Spartanburg Economic Futures Group have banded together to form OneSpartanburg Inc., a unified business, economic and tourism development entity, according to a release.
The three organizations, which previously operated under one roof under the management of the Spartanburg Chamber, have been moving toward a collective group over the past year in order to maximize community impact as well as business, tourism and economic development efforts, the release states.
In a statement, Wes Lehrer, chairman of the OneSpartanburg board, said this new model provides Spartanburg with “a unique competitive advantage by opening doors, creating synergy and generating ideas that would not be realized elsewhere.”
Designed to build a vibrant Spartanburg, OneSpartanburg will act as the voice of Spartanburg’s business community, attract and retain companies that grow Spartanburg’s economy, and market Spartanburg as a destination for meetings, sports and leisure tourism.
The Spartanburg Chamber’s OneSpartanburg Vision Plan, a five-year community and economic development strategy, and Spartanburg Downtown Development Partnership will continue under OneSpartanburg’s leadership.
OneSpartanburg Inc. is the first consolidated business, economic and tourism development organization in South Carolina, according to the release.
Only a handful of communities have such consolidated organizations, according to Allen Smith, president and CEO of OneSpartanburg.
“Our previous model, unique in the Carolinas, proved incredibly beneficial to Spartanburg’s success,” Smith said in a statement. “Our new model, mirrored by only a handful of communities, puts us on the forefront of development organizations nationwide.”
