COME TOGETHER.

• Author: Mildenberg, David
• Position: STATEWIDE: Charlotte

The Charlotte region's two main industry-hunting organizations are joining forces, a move applauded by business leaders disenchanted with perceptions of internal competition between the groups. But merging the seven-employee Charlotte Regional Partnership organization into the 35-employee Charlotte Chamber is raising questions about how interests outside Mecklenburg County will be represented. The 27-year-old partnership's thrust is to provide equal service to its 16 member counties, including four in South Carolina. Local governments provide the partnership with much of its $2.3 million annual budget, including about $310,000 from Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The chamber doesn't receive public support for its $8.2 million budget, which peaked at $9.6 million in 2015.

"For Charlotte, this is absolutely the right thing to do," says Greg Edds, chairman of the Rowan County Commission, which spends about $45,000 annually for its partnership membership. "But counties on the outside are looking to see how we are going to fit into this."

A 10-member transition committee is steering the merger, aided by the Wray Ward marketing firm, which is working on branding, and veteran Charlotte lawyer Ernie Reigel, who is transition director. None of the committee members live outside Mecklenburg County, though some have regional responsibilities. The process is expected to cost $1 million and be completed by Jan. 1, including the hiring of a new president after a national search.

Reigel, a partner and...