In September 1997, Greater Louisville Inc. was formed
through the merger of the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership
and the Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce.
The merger was a priority for the community as a means to
increase Louisville's chances of becoming an economic powerhouse in the 21st
century. Business leaders believed that a single economic development group
could better provide a unified approach to and common vision for building the
local economy. (See
Visioning Report)
In early 1998, GLI also assumed some of the economic
development activities that had been carried out by the city and county -
specifically the Louisville/ Jefferson County Office for Economic Development's
outreach program, business retention and expansion responsibilities.