The Greater Houston Partnership is an economic development organization serving the Greater Houston area, including the counties of Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, and Waller. Its headquarters are in Suite 900 in the Partnership Tower in Downtown Houston. The organization was established in 1989, when the Houston Chamber of Commerce, the Houston Economic Development Council, and the Houston World Trade Association merged. GHP's roots extend to the original Houston Chamber of Commerce's creation in 1840. The Partnership’s mission is to be the primary voice of Houston's business community and build regional economic prosperity. It does so in a number of ways, including:
Advocating on behalf of members: The partnership promotes business-friendly policies.
Establishing connections with international businesses: Houston is an undisputed leader in international business, with economic and cultural ties reaching across the globe. The Partnership holds business development missions outside the U.S. and receives foreign trade delegations locally.
Hosting networking events: GHP hosts dozens of events every year that are exclusive to its Members.
Providing access to research: Members have access to critical data on issues that impact business in Houston.
Assisting with business' expansion or relocation to the Houston area: This includes facilitating access to the region's business and capital investment opportunities to aiding in the permitting process.
Building regional consensus on key issues: GHP facilitates the strategic planning process. The opinions and interests of its Members play a critical role in the direction of this process.
The organization comprises more than 1,100 member companies representing one-fifth of the region’s workforce. The Partnership routinely hosts events that bring national and international figures together to discuss key economic and policy issues, such as "State of" discussions with key officials and executives, programs, industry-discussions and more. In addition, the organization's research department releases a multitude of reports that cover the region's economy and key demographic trends. The key reports are Economy At A Glance, Global Houston, Key Economic Indicators, and the well regarded Annual Forecast.
In 1992, GHP founded The Center for Houston's Future as a non-profit research organization. The Center for Houston's Future became an independent affiliate of GHP in 2000.. The Partnership’s current Chairman is Bobby Tudor and its current President and CEO is Bob Harvey.
