The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County

What The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County does

The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) is a private nonprofit membership organization founded in 1920 and headquartered in State College, Pennsylvania. It operates as Centre County's primary economic development organization and business advocate, serving local businesses of all sizes, regional institutions (healthcare systems, educational institutions, municipalities), and entrepreneurs seeking networking, advocacy, and growth resources. CBICC delivers value through a portfolio of programs including the Business After Hours networking series, the annual Centre County Business Awards (six categories), the Spring Job Fair, the Golf Classic, the National Civics Bee, an Ambassador Program, and a Member Business Directory. The organization also runs the Revolving Loan Fund and co-led the launch of Centre County's Economic Development Strategic Plan in 2024, a ten-year roadmap for sustainable regional growth developed in coordination with county and municipal government partners.

CBICC's revenue model is membership-based, with annual dues, tiered investor-level sponsorships, event registration fees, and program sponsorship as primary income streams. The organization does not operate technology products; its core platform is the community ecosystem itself, facilitated through in-person events, a GrowthZone-powered member directory, email communications, and social media channels. Customer acquisition is event-driven and referral-based, with member testimonials highlighting the value of executive-level networking, advocacy representation, and workforce connections (the Spring Job Fair recently connected 275+ job seekers with 75+ employers). The organization employs 1-10 staff and is led by President & CEO Greg Scott with economic development leadership under VP Todd Dolbin (appointed May 2023).

Name

The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County

Legal name

Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County

Website

https://cbicc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1920 that serves as the primary economic development advocate and business networking hub for Centre County, Pennsylvania businesses, institutions, and municipalities through events, awards, advocacy, and a Revolving Loan Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

State College

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CBICC operates as a membership organization where businesses pay dues for access to networking events, member directory listings, advocacy representation, and business resources. The website references member pricing for events, indicating tiered membership benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CBICC is a membership-based chamber of commerce that sells annual memberships giving businesses access to networking events, advocacy representation, an online member directory, and economic development resources. It monetizes its community convening role through recurring events (Business After Hours, Spring Job Fair, Golf Classic, National Civics Bee), an annual Centre County Business Awards program, and event/award sponsorships, while separately administering the Revolving Loan Fund for regional business growth.

Product overview

The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) is a membership-based economic development organization offering a portfolio of in-person networking, recognition, and business support services. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather provides an integrated suite of programs including membership with access to the CBICC network and Member Business Directory; signature events such as Business After Hours networking mixers, the annual Centre County Business Awards, CBICC Golf Classic, and the Spring Job Fair; economic development initiatives including the Strategic Plan and Revolving Loan Fund; and community programs like the National Civics Bee and Ambassador Program. These services work together to support business growth, networking, and regional economic vitality in Centre County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CBICC Membership Program Annual membership program that businesses purchase to access the CBICC network, advocacy representation, member directory listing, networking events, and business resources in Centre County.
• Business After Hours Networking Events Recurring networking mixers hosted by member businesses that bring together professionals from across industries to build relationships and share ideas.
• Centre County Business Awards Annual recognition program with six award categories honoring outstanding businesses and individuals making an impact in Centre County, including sponsorship and nomination offerings.
• Centre County Spring Job Fair Annual job fair that connects job seekers with local Centre County employers and offers employer registration and sponsorship opportunities.
• CBICC Golf Classic Annual golf tournament that brings business professionals together for networking and community engagement, with sponsorship and team registration offerings.
• National Civics Bee Civics competition that engages Centre County middle school students to showcase civics knowledge, with registration and sponsorship opportunities.
• Marketing & Event Sponsorships Tiered sponsorship packages for Chamber events and Business Awards that give businesses visibility and demonstrate commitment to the Centre County business community.
• Economic Development Strategic Plan Long-range strategic initiative providing a ten-year roadmap for smart, sustainable economic growth in Centre County, coordinated with regional stakeholders including municipalities and healthcare and education partners.
• Revolving Loan Fund Loan program administered by CBICC to provide financing that supports business growth and economic development across Centre County.
• Chamber Travel Program Travel program for CBICC members and the business community that provides relationship-building and engagement opportunities outside Centre County.

Quantifiable outcome

• Centre County Economic Development Strategic Plan provides framework for regional growth

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GeisingercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestor-level member and sponsor of CBICC events. Geisinger is a major healthcare system in the region supporting the Chamber's initiatives.
• Stuckey AutomotivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for the 2026 Centre County Business Awards. Long-standing member and supporter of CBICC initiatives.
• First National BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestor-level member providing financial services sponsorship support for Chamber events.
• Penn State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner and investor-level member. Smeal College of Business specifically welcomed as investor-level member. Collaborates on economic development and workforce initiatives.
• Happy Valley Advanced Business (HVAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestor-level member and partner in economic development initiatives including air service advocacy.
• Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestor-level member and event sponsor including gift sponsor for the 2026 Business Awards.
• College Township Industrial Development Authority (CTIDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward sponsor for Business Awards and partner in economic development initiatives and small business grant programs.
• Leonard S. Fiore, Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAward sponsor for Business Awards and investor-level member supporting Chamber initiatives.
• PNC BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAward sponsor for Business Awards and supporter of Happy Valley LaunchBox initiatives.
• Penn Highlands HealthcarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAward sponsor for Business Awards and major healthcare provider in the region supporting Chamber events.
• Mount Nittany HealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestor-level member and event sponsor for Chamber events.
• Fulton BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContributing sponsor for Business Awards.
• Warfel Construction CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDrink sponsor for Business Awards.
• Reliance BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward sponsor for Business Awards.
• Centre County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestor-level member and key government partner in economic development strategic planning.
• College TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestor-level municipal member and partner in economic development initiatives.
• Patton TownshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestor-level municipal member supporting economic development efforts.
• State College BoroughcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestor-level municipal member and key stakeholder in regional economic planning.
• Bridgeway CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member providing financial and educational resources to entrepreneurs, focusing on under-resourced areas.
• The Challenge Program, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member connecting businesses with schools through workforce development programs for high school students.
• Happy Valley UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member supporting Penn State Athletics and community pride initiatives.
• PIC (Marketing Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member marketing agency specializing in brand development and digital marketing.
• Happy Valley Business BrokersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member specializing in business buying and selling transactions.
• WHM Group, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member environmental consulting and engineering firm.
• Johnson DuffieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew member full-service law firm with experience serving corporations and local governments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Regional economic-development and chamber-aligned organization for the Pittsburgh area, offering advocacy, networking, and strategic economic planning — directly analogous in mission and programming to CBICC's Centre County role.
• Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce: County-level chamber serving Montgomery County, PA with networking, advocacy, and economic development programming — comparable membership-driven chamber model in the same Pennsylvania market.
• Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber of commerce serving the Philadelphia metro area with business advocacy, networking events, and economic development programs — directly comparable chamber-of-commerce model to CBICC but operating at significantly larger geographic and membership scale.
• Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber serving the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania with advocacy, events, and economic development services — same chamber-of-commerce business model, comparable mid-Atlantic employer base.
• Lancaster Chamber of Commerce: County-level chamber in Lancaster, PA offering membership, events, advocacy, and economic development — same operating model as CBICC, comparable mid-sized Pennsylvania market, similar employer mix of healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services.
• Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership: Regional chamber and economic-development hybrid in Erie, PA combining chamber-of-commerce membership programming with economic development initiatives — directly analogous structure to CBICC's operating model.

Others

• Happy Valley LaunchBox: Penn State-affiliated startup incubator and small-business resource that overlaps with CBICC's economic-development and entrepreneur support mission; partners with CBICC and serves overlapping Centre County stakeholders.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: National federation of chambers of commerce that represents and supports local chambers like CBICC; provides advocacy, programming, and federation-level services — comparable in mission though vastly broader in scope.

Direct peers

• York County Economic Alliance: County-level economic development and chamber organization in York, PA that combines chamber membership programming with economic-development strategic planning and a loan fund — strongly parallel to CBICC's hybrid chamber/economic-development model.
• Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry: Pennsylvania county-level chamber of commerce with a near-identical name structure ('Chamber of Business & Industry'), delivering membership, networking events, advocacy, and economic development programming to a single county — the closest direct comparable peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cbicc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chamber-of-business-and-industry-of-centre-county
• Instagraminstagram.com/cbicc
• Xx.com/cbicc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County