Possible merger on the cards for Auckland Business Chamber and EMA

Simon Bridges, chief executive of the Auckland Business Chamber. Photo / Dean Purcell

Auckland’s commerce chamber could be joining forces with the country’s largest business association.

The Auckland Business Chamber and the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) have had exploratory discussions about a potential merger.

EMA board president Colin Birch confirmed discussions but emphasised “there are no timelines or agreements”.

“The EMA has been collaborating on behalf of our members and the broader business community with the Auckland Business Chamber and others for a very long time.

“We continue to have discussions about the most effective way to do that.”

Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Simon Bridges also confirmed the discussions but remained tight-lipped on any details regarding why it’s being considered.

Two years on since Bridges took over the role from Michael Barnett, a possible merger would mark a new era for the group, which has worked with Auckland businesses for 160 years.

Simon Bridges, chief executive of the Auckland Business Chamber. Photo / Dean Purcell

The chamber advocates on behalf of Auckland businesses and provides a range of support to foster connections and strengthen the city’s economic development.

The chamber’s membership numbers aren’t public, but a spokesperson confirmed membership is increasing. It is also part of a network of more than 13,000 chambers of commerce internationally.

Costs for new members to join the group range from $180 plus GST to $720 plus GST for the full scope of benefits.

Membership benefits can include member evenings, employment solutions, exclusive invitations to speak with ministers, and invitations to trade delegations.

The potential merger could pose questions around the chamber’s staff and leadership, including what it would mean for Bridges himself.

Incorporating the largest chamber of commerce in the country could also have a big impact on the EMA’s influence as a group.

The EMA is New Zealand’s largest business association, representing over 7000 member companies across the top half of the North Island, with costs to join the group based on member businesses’ total gross payroll.

The group is also a foundation member of BusinessNZ’s network, which includes Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, representing a combined 76,000 member companies.

EMA has locations across the upper North Island, including in Auckland, but is advocated for in government by BusinessNZ, which is based in Wellington.

The chamber’s advocacy has the potential to grow thanks to BusinessNZ’s wider network, but the chamber’s representative identity for Auckland could be tougher to portray when part of a larger organisation.

Back in May, Bridges struck up a partnership with the Pacific Business Trust in a move to help support the 2281 Pacific-owned businesses in New Zealand.

At the time, Bridges emphasised the importance of collaboration in a multicultural city like Auckland.

“It is the right thing to do at a moral level and [we] are working our way into partnerships, and also in [a] self-interested sense and seeing what’s going to work as a collective partnership,” Bridges said.

Tom Raynel is a business reporter who covers the small business and retail sectors.