Chamber History

Mission
To Increase the Region’s Livability by Advancing Its Economic Vitality

Chamber History Highlights
1898 - 65 area businesses came together to promote the interests of business and formed the Board of Trade, later to become the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.

1926 - Raised $250,000, half of North Carolina drive total, to purchase lands for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

1926 - Launched the Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, now the nation’s oldest festival and a major force in preserving the folk heritage of our mountains.

1928 - Was a leader in the construction of the original Asheville Airport.

1930 - Persuaded Biltmore Estate ownership to open the house and grounds as a visitor attraction. This had a large economic impact on the future of Asheville.

1934 - Successfully brought the Blue Ridge Parkway through Western North Carolina rather than Tennessee.

1967 - Led bond drive for new Civic Center and Riverside Urban Renewal.

1983 - Established the Tourism Development Authority.

1987 - Helped develop the Asheville Area Economic Development Partnership in response to the loss of 4,000 manufacturing jobs. The partnership was successful in spurring economic recovery for the area.

1990 - Originated the idea for Handmade in America, the Asheville-based organization dedicated to nurturing the craft culture in Western North Carolina. The Chamber served as the organization’s fiscal agent.

1991 - Conducted a $1.2 million campaign to fund the Asheville Initiative, an economic development program, which created approximately 5,800 new jobs, recruited or expanded 45 businesses and contributed to an increase of more than $147 million per year in payroll for the area.

1995 - Launched the concept for the Asheville-Buncombe VISION process.

1998 - Won prestigious North Carolina Quality Leadership Award based on the national Malcolm Baldrige award criteria. First Chamber in the country to win such an award.

1999 - Led drive for the successful passage of the Public School Bond referendum, which modernized and improved outdated public school classrooms and facilities.

2000 - Led drive for the successful passage of the Higher Education Bond referendum, which modernized and improved outdated college and university classrooms and facilities.

2000 - Conducted a $5.2 Advantage Asheville 2000 campaign.

2003 and 2004 - Welcomed 304,279 travelers at the Asheville Visitor Center.

2004 - Began construction on new Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Headquarters and Visitor Center.

More than a century after it was formed, with nearly 2,000 members, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has become the third largest Chamber in North Carolina and is one of the most active in the U.S. Members can take advantage of exclusive marketing and networking opportunities and participate in committees and task forces which work towards the Chamber’s Strategic Plan.

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