John McCain, President & CEO, Lancaster County Chamber

In an interview with Invest: John McCain, president & CEO of Lancaster County Chamber, talked about how they have seen significant growth in new memberships, emphasized the variety of networking and educational opportunities they offer, and highlighted how they actively advocate for their members’ interests at local, state, and federal levels. 

What have been some recent milestones and achievements for the chamber?

I would say that we have continued to grow our new membership, which is always key. If you are not growing and bringing on new members with new perspectives, then you have to relook at things. We have had a successful last two or three years here of growth in our chamber, and we are very proud of that.

When you try to encapsulate it for us, I think it comes down to two focus areas for our Chamber of Commerce. Chambers do have some similarities, but they differ depending on the unique aspects of what you do and where you are. For us, we are about two things primarily: our members and our community. We are a member-driven organization, so we exist to serve our members and the needs of our business community. The second part of that is the community in general.

We, along with our board of directors, build our program of work around those two areas. We have worked hard to provide networking opportunities for our members to enhance their business-to-business opportunities, to get out there and meet each other, and to get to know suppliers. We focus on buying local and other traditional chamber activities.

For a chamber of our size, and we are just under 400 members, we are very active. In 2023, we did 91 events of all types. These ranged from our large annual meeting with over 300 members attending to mix and mingles, morning business connections, our Leadership Lancaster program, lunch and learns, and our young professionals’ program. We try to touch on many different aspects of our community, providing opportunities for our members. We are very proud of being a very active chamber and staying busy.

What are some of the current trends in the region that businesses are benefiting from?

Starting with the big picture, nationally we are seeing a migration to the Southeast. The Southeast is enjoying a time of growth population-wise. We are seeing that in the Charlotte area, and as Charlotte has grown, so has Lancaster County. Particularly the northern part of our county, which joins Mecklenburg County. Once you cross from Lancaster County into North Carolina, south of Charlotte, you are about a quarter of a mile from the city limits of Charlotte in Mecklenburg County. 

We are starting to see that growth move further south into Central Lancaster. Lancaster is a big county geographically, covering a lot of territory. In some ways, it is like a tale of two counties. In the northern part, particularly the Indian Land Community, it is almost like South Charlotte with lots of residential development and retail. As you move further south, it becomes more rural.

In 2023, South Carolina was the fastest-growing state in the nation, and Lancaster County was the third or fourth fastest-growing county in South Carolina, depending on the source. Most of that growth is in northern Lancaster.

So, one of the challenges is our infrastructure catching up with the growth. It impacts our road infrastructure, highway systems, school systems, and even law enforcement. Our county leadership is currently tackling these challenges and planning for the future. We are a growing area with tremendous potential opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs, but managing that growth smartly is a challenge.

How does the chamber drive innovation and collaboration within the regional business community?

We focus on providing networking opportunities as a great way for businesses to connect. We offer a variety of these opportunities. For example, our morning Business Connection is an event we expanded about a year ago. It is a morning event from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., held in the Indian Land area on the first Friday of each month and in the city of Lancaster on the third Thursday of each month. It is open to members and non-members and features a speaker on an educational topic. The chamber provides a light breakfast, and these events are very well attended.

On a larger scale, we have our quarterly mix and mingles, typically evening events with entertainment like a band. Our spring mix and mingle, for example, combined with the graduation of our Leadership Lancaster class, had about 150 people attending meanwhile our “Lunch and Learn” events are member-only and capped at 50 people. These events are great for new businesses and entrepreneurs to network.

How does the chamber advocate for the interests of its members at the local, state, and federal levels?

We have a public policy committee that serves as the advocacy arm for the Chamber of Commerce. The committee meets every other month and we receive updates from our legislative delegation, among other guest speakers. 

We have developed a list of advocacy priorities, which our board of directors has approved. These priorities address areas we feel are important to the region. We review and modify this list every couple of years as needed. We aim to be the voice of business for Lancaster County businesses. If there is an issue with any piece of legislation—be it state, local, or federal—we want to be involved.

We hope to see our advocacy and public policy program grow. It took a hit during COVID-19 due to limited meeting options, but we have spent the last couple of years rebuilding it, and it is coming together well. Looking ahead, we will be hosting a candidate forum in early to mid-September 2024 in partnership with our local newspaper, The Lancaster News. We will have two forums, one in the northern part of the county and one in the city of Lancaster, inviting candidates with opponents to attend. We stay engaged and aware of what is happening in Columbia and the region, including the Charlotte area, which often impacts us.

What role does the chamber play in educational partnerships to foster a skilled workforce for the region?

Workforce development is a continuous challenge. We are very engaged with our local partners, including the Lancaster County School District. Unlike some counties with multiple school districts, we have one district for the entire county, which simplifies our collaboration. We have a great relationship with them, particularly their Career and Technical Education Center, which is excellent. We have organized several events with the career center to highlight opportunities for students. Not everyone is destined for college as some may enter the workforce right out of high school or attend York Technical College for further skills development. We try to showcase these pathways. During our Leadership Lancaster program, we take our class—adults ranging from 25 to 65 years old—on a tour of the career center. They are always impressed by the programs, such as the culinary arts program, which is exceptional at the high school level.

In addition, our chamber has a long heritage with the University of South Carolina Lancaster (USCL). Over 68 years ago, the founders of our chamber also helped establish the USCL campus. Today, USCL is one of the top two-year schools in the nation. We are proud of this historical connection. One of their faculty members serves on our board of directors, keeping us closely linked.

We also have an education day as part of Leadership Lancaster, dedicating a full day to learning about educational opportunities in the county where we visit public schools, a private school with which we have a great partnership, and the USCL campus. These partnerships are crucial for moving the county forward collaboratively.

How do you envision the chamber’s role evolving as the county continues to grow and develop and what are your top priorities for the future?

Adapting to a changing environment is essential. We aim to grow our chamber in terms of employees and size. I would love to have a satellite office in the northern part of the county, specifically in the Indian Land area, where much of the growth is occurring. A more permanent presence there would help us meet the needs of our members better. This is a short-term goal, possibly within the next two to four years.

We are also considering taking on the mission of tourism. Currently, there is no single organization focused on tourism in Lancaster County, even though we have significant tourism opportunities. We are in the early stages of researching what managing tourism might look like for us.