Welcome to the Wonderful World of BACC Ohio! In 1994, the U.K. Government’s Foreign Office brought together the trio of British Solicitor David Silk, Barrister and Cleveland law firm partner Bruce Lowe and PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ international tax partner Michael Urse to form a bilateral business association based in Cleveland. Thus was born the British American Chamber of Commerce, Great Lakes Region (later to become the current BACC Ohio), dedicated to supporting and developing the business, trade, investment, educational and cultural links between Ohio and the U.K. Upon its formation, BACC also became a member of the British American Business Network (“BABN”), the umbrella organization of more than 22 such chapters around the U.S. and the U.K.
In the more than 27 years since its founding, British-American Chamber of Commerce (BACC) Ohio has continuously and vigorously developed and provided a strong raft of services, activities and events faithful to the accomplishment of its mission. This has included providing access to sources of expertise on all aspects of U.K./U.S. trade and investment activity, the hosting of educational seminars and lectures, including the popular Link Club lunch program, and landmark general and regular events such as the BACC Ryder Cup Golf Outing, the Joint Chambers Holiday Luncheon, and Passport Professionals Networking Nights.
Notably, in 2000, BACC Ohio also successfully hosted the BABN’s Annual Transatlantic Business Conference, with popular keynote events at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and at Severance Hall, and has also hosted several highly successful Garden Party events to coincide with various Royal Jubilees and Anniversaries. We were thrilled to host the conference once again in September 2022. On its cultural and educational side, BACC Ohio also maintains two §501(c)(3) organizations: The Loxley Purse, providing scholarships to local college students for study in the U.K., and the British Cultural Garden Association, dedicated to maintaining the British Cultural Garden on Martin Luther King Drive.