WINSTON-SALEM – Better Business Bureau of Northwest North Carolina could be growing. Its members have voted to merge with Better Business Bureau of Central North Carolina, located in Greensboro.

BBB Greensboro’s members vote on the merger on Oct. 24. If its members approve the deal, then the two BBBs would become one entity on Dec. 1. The merged corporation would be called BBB of Central and Northwest North Carolina.

The two BBBs opened their doors in the early 1960s when the service areas for BBB Winston-Salem and BBB Greensboro were very different. Over the years though, the two markets have grown more similar and many of the Accredited Businesses of both organizations regularly do business throughout the region. “If we merge, businesses that were accredited in our 14 counties will benefit from accreditation in the expanded five counties of Greensboro’s counties without the additional expense,” says Ann Pate, acting CEO of BBB of Northwest North Carolina.

This merger would maximize efficiencies in areas like operations, human resources, marketing and media relations. This can free up resources and personnel to improve the quality and quantity of the services provided to accredited businesses and the community. In addition, a unified marketing message and media relations efforts would help amplify the voice of BBB, which would bring more attention to why consumers should do business with a BBB accredited business.

Kevin Hinterberger, current president and CEO of BBB Greensboro, would become the president and CEO of the new corporation. The executive committee members to be voted on at the annual meeting scheduled for Oct. 24 are:

The new corporation would have a combined total of 3,000 members. BBB Winston-Salem currently has 1,492 members and BBB Greensboro currently has 1,508.

The merged entity would serve 19 counties:

The two organizations are looking for a central location to house the new combined office. At this time, Kernersville has been identified as a leading area for relocation. The two current offices would remain where they are until a site could be selected.