Pharr Chamber of Commerce Circa 2011

 

---

The Pharr Chamber of Commerce in Pharr Texas, closed in 2013. The Pharr Chamber of Commerce had the responsibility for the economic well being of the City of Pharr, preserving our business system and promoting business, growth and development. Its professional business services were taken over by the Pharr Economic Development Corporation.
Content is from the site's 2011 archived pages, as well as from other sources.

The former Pharr Chamber of Commerce facility was renovated in late 2014 through a partnership between the Pharr Economic Development Corporation and the Pharr Innovation & Technology department to create the valleys first innovation center. This center offers several spacious meeting rooms which are equipped with the state of the art business and educational systems for use by the community.
For more information on the Pharr Economic Development Corporation, visit its website at http://pharredc.com/
The Pharr Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is the primary economic development agency for the City of Pharr.

 

---

---

 

2011 Look Back

The Pharr Chamber of Commerce is primarily an organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together to work for a strong local economy and favorable business environment.  In Pharr, there is a distinct need for an organized group such as the Chamber of Commerce, for there is challenges and opportunities which an individual alone cannot possibly solve.  However, by working with others and combining time and business resources, accomplishments can be made.

In brief, the Pharr Chamber of Commerce is an organization through which the volunteer manpower of our community works effectively to make Pharr a better place in which to live and work.  The Chamber acts as a spokesperson for the business community and translates into action the group thinking of its members, and it renders specific services of a type that can be most effectively rendered by a community organization both to its members and to the community as a whole.

Each year the goals and accomplishments, which the Chamber hopes to attain, are carefully prepared and presented in a comprehensive Plan of Action. 

 

Mission Statement

“The Chamber of Commerce is an organization of business people united to promote commercial enterprise, enhance community image and improve the quality of life”.

Values and Principles

• To respect and recognize the value of our members to our organization and represent their economic interest
• To provide and serve our members with informative issues crucial for their success and awareness
• To exceed members expectations of services and programs conducted by the chamber
• To support and provide educational programs for training for our members and their staff to enhance the value of their service
• To provide opportunities that will contribute to the success of our members operations and initiatives
• To operate a business organization with uncompromised core values
• To operate effectively and efficiently by encouraging our volunteers and utilizing their talents to accomplish our goals and objectives established by our Chamber.

Objectives

The Pharr Chamber of Commerce is organized to advance the general welfare and prosperity of the Pharr area so that its citizens and all area of its business community shall prosper. Particular attention and emphasis shall be given to the development and promotion of employment, leadership, tourism, and the agricultural, industrial, economic, cultural educational and general business interest of the total community.

 

~~~~~

Pharr, Texas is located on the Missouri Pacific line and old U.S. Highway 83, five miles west of McAllen in south central Hidalgo County. It is located within a Spanish land grant made in 1767 to Juan José Hinojosa. During the late nineteenth century the Hinojosa family and heirs, occupying the area as late as 1882, sold off portions of their land to various groups.

In 1909, John Connally Kelly and Henry Newton Pharr became co-owners of 16,000 acres. Henry Pharr founded the Louisiana and Rio Grande Canal Company, which constructed an irrigation system in the hopes to establish a sugar plantation. John Kelly formed the Pharr Townsite Company, which laid out the town for development. He named Pharr in honor of his partner.

By 1911, the town of Pharr had established a bank, hotel, and several other prominent businesses, which all led to Pharr’s rapid growth. Due to the soil conditions, Henry Pharr never established a sugarcane empire. John Kellyeventually took over the irrigation system that Pharr had started and continued to supply water to vegetable and cotton farms.  Pharr was incorporated in 1916 and officially recognized as part of Hidalgo County.

Pharr is a city with a bright future. Located in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, Pharr is part of one of the fastest growing MSAs in the United States. Pharr and its surrounding cities have become a hub of economic growth and development.

And the growth is hardly a surprise when you think of all that Pharr has to offer. Just minutes from Mexico and South Padre Island, tourists flock to the area to take advantage of the sunshine and shopping. The weather and location have also made it a draw for birders and wildlife enthusiasts who can spot many rare species during visits. And while in Pharr, there are plenty of museums and restaurants to enjoy.

With a low cost of living and international trade opportunities, Pharr continues to attract new businesses. The proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border provides Pharr a base to tap into two countries for sales tax revenue.

So enjoy your time in Pharr, a city that really is on the rise and leaving its mark in South Texas!

 

~~~~~

City Hall 1914

Life goes on: I grew up in Pharr. Not as far back as 2014! My parents still live there. When I visit them I am always surprised by the changes. I don't know why after all forty plus years is a long time. I have seen changes occur in my neighborhood on the west side of NYC where I live now that are equally amazing. Perhaps it's that my childhood memories of Pharr are so vivid it's harder to accept those changes. I want everything to remain the same. My mother says, Look at me, I've changed so why shouldn't Pharr. True true. My parents have watched the age of computers take off along with the internet, the invention of cell phones, solar panels, microwave ovens, LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights, digital cameras, 3D printers, and designer beds for doggy friends. I mention the dog beds since I grew up with dogs, but we never had the type of dog beds that are now available for those fuzzies. One of my NY friends just bought a dog bed for their huge great Dane, Macbeth. The dog bed looks like a large floor pillow. It's cover in a fancy decorator toille fabric that matches their living room drapes. I thought they must have had it custom made, but no. They bought it at an online site called GoodnightDog. All the round dog beds on the site are covered in high end decorator fabrics. But hey. Dog beds have also evolved from a pile of old towels to beds that look like miniature sofas, canopy beds to hand made rustic platforms, to special orthopedic dog beds.

Well, there you go. Another example of how places, people, and things evolve and change. Pharr fits right up there as it has evolved and grown to over 80,000 people.

City Hall 2015

~~~~~

 

 

---