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About

The Most Powerful Voice for Business in Buffalo Niagara

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is the area’s regional chamber of commerce and privately-funded economic development organization.  By mobilizing members and strategic partners around common goals, the Partnership grows private investment and jobs in Buffalo Niagara through advocacy, business development, and convening.

See what we've been up to lately: Annual Report to Members.

BNP members, comprised of hundreds of regional employers of all sizes, including dozens of major investors, employ more than a quarter of a million people in the Buffalo Niagara region.

Join today to grow your business and get connected to other employers that remain committed to the economic vitality of our region.

Committed to Convening

The people of Buffalo Niagara are what make this region so special. We bring people together to do business, address issues, build consensus and learn.

Committed to Economic Development

The Region's development is on an upward trajectory, with no end in sight.  Our programs promote & sustain the economic health of the region.

Committed to Advocacy

We advocate at home, in Albany and D.C. to make sure our key priorities are addressed. Our place - and our people - need pro-business policies in place to continue to grow.

Accredited-Five-Star

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership is proud to hold a 5-Star Accreditation given by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Of the nearly 7,000 chambers in the U.S., only about 200 across the nation, with only three other chambers in all of New York State, carry this distinction.

Accreditation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the only program of its kind that defines excellence in chamber planning and acknowledges the BNP for sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the Buffalo Niagara community.

This 5-Star Accreditation is a badge of honor as the BNP continues the mission to connect and mobilize the region’s employers and advocate for economic growth and opportunity in Buffalo Niagara.

Our work on behalf of the region’s businesses has never been more relevant, and it is because of our members’ support that it is made possible.

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Supporting Buffalo Niagara since 1844

While the BNP was formed in 1993­, the organization can trace its roots back to the 1800s. The following timeline offers a brief history of how the BNP has been working to make Buffalo Niagara a better place in which to do business.

1832

The City of Buffalo is incorporated.

1844

Board of Trade is formed by merchants in the Buffalo area.

1861

Abraham Lincoln stays in Buffalo on his trip to accept the presidency

1881

City of Buffalo deploys the first electric street lights in the nation

1882

Buffalo Merchants Exchange is formed

1900

Buffalo is the 8th largest city in the United States

1901

Theodore Roosevelt is sworn in as U.S. president in Buffalo

1903

Chamber of Commerce of Buffalo is created

1910

Chamber of Commerce merges with the Manufacturer's Club; President Howard Taft is keynote speaker at merger recognition diner

1912

Chamber renamed Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce to encompass Buffalo Niagara region

1993

Greater Buffalo Partnership, Inc. is formed through the merger of the Buffalo Chamber of Commerce and the Buffalo Development Foundation

1998

Partnership renamed Buffalo Niagara Partnership, Inc.

1999

Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, Inc. is created a business attraction organization

2013

Buffalo Niagara Partnership celebrates 20 years working for the region

2020

BNP is awarded a 5-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce