WELCOME

Welcome to the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce website and to our
community, one of the best places in South Georgia to live, work and raise a family. We
are also home to one of the wonders of the world, the Okefenokee Swamp.

The Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce understands that in order to have
a strong economic environment you must have a strong community. We are truly
blessed in our community to have leaders, business owners, educators and citizens
who realize that we all share in the responsibility of creating economic success and
prosperity within our community.

The Chamber’s goal is to work toward improving the quality of life for all through the
support and commitment of our members, volunteers, and board of directors. The
Chamber is proud to sponsor events throughout the year to help support the business
community and the citizens of Waycross-Ware County.

As the 2024 Chamber Chairman, I am honored to work alongside our dedicated Board
who all share the same vision of business growth and a healthy community
environment.

If you are not a member of the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce, please
consider joining us today. Your membership will benefit your business and the
community. I look forward to working with everyone during my time as Chairman.

Sincerely,

Bryan Hartley

Chairman, Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce

Clayton Homes of Waycross, Brand Experience Manager

On behalf of the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce, I would like to welcome you to our city. Waycross is an outstanding place to live, work, and grow a business. Whether you’re visiting for the day, looking for a new place to call home, or you’re already a resident of our thriving community, Waycross is a quaint little city with a big heart and plenty of opportunities. Our rich history dates back to 1824, with the Chamber established in the 1950’s to advocate for and support the prosperity of Waycross and area businesses.

It is an exciting time to be a member of the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce! We are always creating networking and promotional opportunities to help our member businesses succeed and grow. Current opportunities include available space to advertise on the Chamber website, business referrals, monthly networking opportunities, and continuing education. Other great events that allow our member businesses to gain visibility include the Taste of the Chamber and our Annual Banquet.

We continue to partner with local governments and other organizations to pursue improvements in the overall quality of life for the city, county, and region; particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, tourism, economic development, community development, and workforce development. Our success in achieving our mission and purpose is due to a collaborative effort from the Chamber Board of Directors, Chamber Ambassadors, City of Waycross, Ware County, Chamber members, and area professionals.

Our online business directory is another service the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce provides to the local community. We continue to encourage you to “Think Local, Shop Local”! By supporting the businesses in our directory, you are reinvesting in your community.

To our current Chamber members, thank you for your continued support. For those of you considering relocating your business or opening a new business in Waycross, you will find that becoming a Chamber member is of great value to you. Waycross is thriving; join us as we continue to grow.

View Our Mission

Benefits of Joining the Chamber

Networking Opportunities

Chamber members have the opportunity to join us at our monthly networking events. We have Rise & Shine events every 2nd Tuesday of the month and Business After Hours every 3rd Thursday of the month! Being a part of these events will allow our members to network, make business contacts, and learn more about events happening within our community!

Job Postings

Have some job openings? The Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce is deeply committed to workforce development, recognizing it as a vital part of supporting local business growth and long-term community success. As a member of our Chamber, you can email us regarding job openings and we will add them to our website!

Business Buzz

Subscribing to our Business Buzz newsletter keeps Chamber members informed, connected, and ahead of the curve with timely updates on events, opportunities, and resources designed to support their success!

Make

BUSINESS CONTACTS

Join Now!

LinkTree!

Chamber Chatter - Monthly Newsletter

Chamber App

FEATURED EVENTS

RISE

&

SHINE

RISE & SHINE

Rise and Shine is a Chamber networking opportunity for our members. The goal of this program is to promote businesses and organizations of those that attend the monthly gatherings. Person-to-person networking leads to business referrals.

Rise and Shines begin at 7:45 AM on the second Tuesday of every month at a chamber member’s business and the meeting starts promptly at 8:00 AM and ends around 9:00 AM.

Business owners, sales and marketing personnel, and other employees are encouraged to attend.

If you have any questions regarding this event, please email chamber@waycrosschamber.org or give us a call at 912-283-3742.

ANNUAL

CHAMBER

BANQUET

ANNUAL CHAMBER BANQUET

The Annual Chamber Banquet is held at the beginning of each year to recognize some outstanding businesses/individuals for the year prior. This is a catered event held at the C.C. McCray City Auditorium that includes a silent auction. All awards are nominated by Chamber members prior to the event. The awards given out at this event are:

Outgoing Board of Director Awards
Most Dedicated Chamber Ambassador Award
Randy Sharpe Health Hero Award
McGregor Mayo Agricultural Award
Katherine Foss Education Award
Jack Williams Community Service Award
Ralph Herrin Business & Industry Award
Business of the Year
WWDA’s Helping Hands Award
DWDA's Jack Lott Business Economic Development Award
Paul Tang Heart of the Community Award

TASTE

OF THE CHAMBER

TASTE OF THE CHAMBER

Annually, the Chamber features a Taste of the Chamber event to honor our members’ culinary skills and some awards for service to our community. At this event, sample some of Waycross’ finest foods and vote on both food and presentation. The awards given at this event are:

Best Entrée

Best Dessert

Best Decorated Table

Taste Champion

Prior to this event, our Chamber members nominate businesses/individuals for the following awards:

A Great Place to Work Award

Jake Fleming Award for Outstanding Customer Service

View All Events