Plant City Guide 2024 - Magazine - Page 7
WESLEY JOYNER
PAST CHAIR
The 昀椀rst 100 years…. A century… The Plant City
Chamber of Commerce turns 100 years old in 2024
and to celebrate this milestone, I will tell you about
some signi昀椀cant dates and events that have
shaped the Chamber into what it is today.
In 1924, a member competition for new members
to the Board of Trade resulted in 492 new members (city population 3,800). This
organization then became the East Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce and
later the Plant City Chamber of Commerce. The 昀椀rst project was a new downtown
hotel. In 1926 the Hotel Plant campaign began. In 1927 the Hotel Plant opened,
hosted the 昀椀rst annual Chamber banquet and the Chamber opened an of昀椀ce in
the hotel.
In 1927 the Chamber was also integral in advocating for the support and promotion
of a new City Charter to a Commission – Manager form of Government.
In 1929 the Chamber joined the Lions and Kiwanis Clubs in support of a Strawberry
Festival and in 1930 the Festival opens.
In 1955, the Chamber created the Industrial Expansion Committee and approached
the Aviation Authority for a land acquisition resulting in a 300-acre industrial park
and also promoted industrial expansion through its City Convenient campaign.
In 1956 the Chamber began working with a committee to explore support for a
library and continued to promote it until the library opened in 1960.
In 1968 the Chamber established an Education Committee to promote the
establishment of a Hillsborough County Junior College campus in Plant City (later
HCC) which was established in 1970, approved by the State in 1974 and built the
昀椀rst permanent building in 1976.
In 1974 the Chamber assisted in the acquisition of the Plant City Airport. The
Chamber has led, supported or assisted in each of the following: Texas Rangers
spring training home (1972), Cincinnati Reds spring training home (1988-1997),
Leadership Plant City (1990), Restoration of the Bing House (1996-2011), Strawberry
Classic Car Show (1997), Re-opening of the RR Station/Depot (1997), McCall Park
renovation and linear development (1998), Worlds Largest Strawberry Shortcake
(1999), Plant City Bike Fest (2001), Plant City Pig Jam (2004), Salute to Agriculture
Awards (Agri-Business Committee), Best of Plant City Awards, Capitol Coffee,
Tallahassee Trek, Candidate Forum, Connect and Grow Leads Group, NonPro昀椀t Leadership Roundtable, Military Affairs Committee, Governmental Affairs
Committee and the Chamber Ambassador Program.
