Chamber Day 2025 report reveals positive outlook concerning growth among local businesses

CONROE, TX — Despite ongoing economic uncertainties–both locally and nationally–a high-impact canvassing event coordinated by the Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce spanning hundreds of businesses in Conroe, Willis, and Montgomery revealed that a majority of businesses anticipate continued economic growth–a strong sign of regional optimism.

The Chamber released its 2025 Chamber Day Full Report, showcasing powerful insights into workforce trends, economic outlooks, and challenges facing businesses across Montgomery County. This year’s Chamber Day initiative, held on Tuesday, April 22, expanded dramatically from its 2024 pilot, more than doubling in terms of the number of businesses surveyed.

With the help of 90 trained volunteers, Chamber representatives visited area businesses, collecting 334 survey responses in a single afternoon, giving voice to local employers on topics ranging from staffing and sales to workforce skill gaps and training needs. Notably, 50.4% of surveyed businesses reported an increase in sales over the past 12 months, and 64.1% anticipate continued economic growth.

Yet the report also highlights key concerns.

“Difficulty finding qualified employees, especially for entry-level positions, continues to be one of the top challenges our members face,” said Shannan Reid, Director of Community Relations with the Chamber. “Our Chamber is committed to serving as a connector and convener, bringing together education partners, training providers, and business leaders to close these gaps.”

Other significant findings included:

• Top challenges included inflation (38%), regulation (17.1%), and taxes (16.8%)
• Businesses in healthcare, retail and professional services were the most likely to report staffing challenges and dissatisfaction with its applicant qualifications.
• Skills gaps were most common in areas such as customer service (22.8%) and professionalism (18%).

In response, the Chamber’s report outlines three action areas:

• Develop new engagement strategies for hard-to-reach businesses;
• Expand soft skills training through its Workforce/Talent/Leadership Development programming; and
• Lead a county-wide workforce continuum collaboration alongside educational and nonprofit partners.

Looking ahead, the Chamber plans to extend this initiative even further by inviting all Montgomery County chambers of commerce to participate in a unified Chamber Day in 2026, further amplifying the voice of business across the region.

This year’s Chamber Day was sponsored by Brenham National Bank and Kneisly Wealth Management.

To access the full report or learn more about future workforce programs, visit www.conroe.org or contact the Chamber at 936-756-6644.