History of the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce

In 1925, a group of interested citizens who were members of the Bay St. Louis Rotary Club, established the Bay St. Louis Chamber of Commerce. In 1945, it was renamed the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce.

Rebuilding the Coast---Better than Ever.

On August 29, 2005, Hancock County, Mississippi's diverse and treasured resources were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of homes and close to 1,000 businesses were either damaged or destroyed.

Only weeks following the storm, the Chamber opened the Coast's first Business Assistance Center with the support of state, local and federal partners. This Center has been recognized as a national model for disaster recovery by the US Small Business Administration. The Center was made possible in large part thanks to Coast Electric Power Association, donating their conference center to serve as the site for the new temporary Chamber office and Business Assistance Center.

 The Chamber has now relocated back to the original office as the "Bold New Chamber" with more services for members under one roof. This "one stop center for business and community recovery" provides local businesses with a myriad of services to get their business back on track. 

Today, the Chamber is 800+ members strong representing close to 10,000 employees in every area of the County. It is a voluntary organization of business, community and governmental leaders who promote the social, civic and economic well-being of Hancock County.

Our permanent location and current mailing address is:

Colonial Plaza
412 Highway 90, Suite 6
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
Phone (228) 467-9048
Fax (228) 467-6033
lynne@hancockchamber.org