Washington County Chamber of Commerce opening Southpointe office
The Washington County Chamber of Commerce will open a satellite office in Southpointe in mid-March, its chairman said on Feb. 28.
Barron “Pat” McCune made the announcement during the chamber’s monthly breakfast meeting at Southpointe Golf Club.
McCune, who said the plan for a second office was discussed by the chamber board for about six months, added that the new office at 375 Southpointe Boulevard, Suite 240, will allow the organization to expand its events and initiatives at the mixed-use business park, which has become the center of Washington County’s corporate community.
The chamber will continue to staff its main office in the Washington Trust Building at 20 E. Beau St., Washington.
The move to open the Southpointe office, which will be headed by chamber President Jeff Kotula, also reflects the membership growth the chamber has experienced over the past several years, McCune said.
“The Washington County Chamber of Commerce is the largest chamber in Washington County and the second largest chamber in the Greater Pittsburgh region,” McCune said. “Many of our 1,100 members are located in Southpointe and we wanted ensure that they have closer access to our economic development programs, networking events and advocacy initiatives. This access is especially important with our natural gas and energy members as we work together on expanding energy opportunities and partnerships for our entire business community.”
He noted that the chamber was the first one in the region to publicly support the responsible development of the natural gas industry.
Today, the business park is home to the corporate headquarters of coal and natural gas producer Consol Energy Inc., as well as the regional headquarters of Range Resources, the area’s largest natural gas exploration and development company working in the Marcellus Shale.
Over the past few years, the presence of energy companies in Southpointe has also brought an influx of other businesses – from law firms to supply chain and natural gas infrastructure companies – to the park.
Southpointe also was the site where the chamber, county commissioners and other businesses announced several years ago the formation of Washington County Energy Partners, and named Washington County “The Energy Capital of the East.”
As for the chamber, the business park is a frequent site for its member meetings and other functions.
“We’re out here for meetings twice a month,” McCune said prior to his remarks to the audience.
Other chamber members making a home in Southpointe include Mylan Inc., the country’s largest manufacturer of generic pharmaceuticals and sponsor of the annual Mylan Classic PGA-sanctioned golf tournament, and Ansys Inc., an international developer of engineering simulation software for manufacturers and industrial designers. Both are publicly held companies that are building new headquarters buildings in Southpointe II.
While the Washington County chamber is establishing a new office in Southpointe, the park is already home to the Southpointe and Marcellus Shale chambers of commerce, as well as the Southpointe CEO Association.