The Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber and the Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce have announced a new partnership to bolster economic development in the area while better serving members.

Speaking on Wednesday, Southwest Michigan Regional Camber President Arthur Havlicek said the Niles chamber will retain its own board and brand identity while integrating into the regional organization’s structure.

“What this does is it really allows local leaders who know their community best to focus on what matters most to that community, to Niles, while still benefiting from the scale and resources and reach of a larger regional organization,” Havlicek said.

Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Bryan Van Itallie said under this new arrangement, the Niles chamber will manage events and networking while the regional chamber will manage policy and development. He said the partnership started to come together when leaders in Niles saw major opportunity for more regional growth.

“It became clear to us that to fully seize this moment, we needed to be far more intentional about economic development,” Van Itallie said. “We’ve made huge strides in programs and in opportunities and events, but we were lacking on the economic development side.”

That’s where the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber can help.

Havlicek said Wednesday’s announcement is historic.

“It bridges this long-standing divide between North County and South County,” Havlicek said.

Economic leaders in Berrien County have long discussed the need to reduce fragmentation and build the kind of collaborative environment that defines successful regions. With nearly 1,000 members between the two organizations, the new partnership places them among the largest chamber networks in Michigan.