Our Purpose

Our History and Purpose

The Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (SHCCNJ), had its beginnings in 1989 when business leaders met with Governor Tom Kean and were encouraged to start a Chamber to foster, mentor, and train Hispanic-owned businesses in New Jersey.

The Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (SHCCNJ) was founded in 1989. Business leaders met with Governor Tom Kean, who encouraged them to create a chamber that would help foster, mentor, and train Hispanic-owned businesses in New Jersey. 

As a non-profit organization for over 30 years, SHCCNJ represents the 120,000 Hispanic-owned businesses that contribute over $90 Billion to the State’s economy. Our Chamber is an excellent vehicle to access the Latino community with its formidable purchasing power. Our non-Hispanic membership has grown to 45 percent. 

For the last five years, the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of N.J. has been ranked by N.J. Biz magazine as the largest Chamber of Commerce in N.J. We have been actively involved with various local organizations and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We have leveraged these relationships to grow our Chamber and further serve our members. We are continually working to find innovative ways to add additional value and benefits to our members and the community. 

Our mission is to promote New Jersey businesses’ continued growth and development. We accomplish our mission by:

·         Expanding business opportunities.

·         Educating and training entrepreneurs and business owners, encouraging mutually beneficial ties with the public and private sectors.

·         Actively promoting trade between the business community of state, national, and international counterparts and serving as an active and visible advocate in the political process. 

The objectives of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey are:

·         To provide technical assistance to small businesses, professional associations, and entrepreneurs through regional meetings, seminars, conferences, and the annual convention. 

·         To strengthen and expand the network of Hispanic and professional business associations at the local and State levels.

·         To identify and communicate the needs of the Hispanic and general business community by increasing relations with the corporate sector, influencing legislation, policies, and programs that positively impact the small business community.

·         To provide strong leadership for New Jersey with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

·         To provide leadership and support for excellence in education for future leaders.