Rival business groups back in merger talks (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Rival business groups back in merger talks

9:25am Monday 8th March 2010 in

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MERGER talks are back on between business Southamp-ton and the city’s Chamber of Commerce as bosses of the two rival groups move to stop competing for members.

Despite the collapse of a previous attempt to engineer a union between the two business representation groups, less than one year on talks look more promising.

Already, meetings between the leaders of the two groups have taken place, with Southampton and Fareham Chamber of Commerce (SFCC) president Jan Ward and Business Southampton chairman Malcolm Le Bas reportedly shaking hands on the idea in principle.

Chamber leaders are anxious any deal should be agreed before the end of the month, when its own merger with the two other county chambers – Portsmouth and North Hampshire, comes into effect.

What shape a unified chamber and Business Southampton would take is still unclear. Both groups in the past have been at pains to emphasise their differences.

Born three years ago out of a desire from business leaders to improve the city’s historic underperformance in trade, Business Southampton today has more than 130 members, known as City Champions, who pay between £3,000 and £30,000 a year.

The SFCC dates from 1851 and has 1,000 members, from small traders to major companies, paying from £146 to £1,468 a year.

Captain Jimmy Chestnutt, director general of the SFCC, said: “Both boards have agreed to work together to try and merge. It is a joint determination to do the best we can for local businesses. It is reducing the elements of competition. Competition weakens us while working together strengthens us.

“The only way it is going to work for Southampton is if we all work together.”

Malcolm Le Bas, chairman of Business Southampton, said: “Business Southamp-ton is and always has been willing to discuss the way we can work together in order to have a single business voice on a number of aspects – with a view to reducing competition between us whether perceived or actual.

“Our position now is that we are waiting for the report of the working party which is made up of representatives from Business Southampton and the chamber of commerce.”