Leadership for Texas When It Counts
That is the mission of the Texas Association of Business — Texas’ leading employer organization. Representing companies from the largest multi-national corporations to small businesses in nearly every community of our state, TAB works to improve the Texas business climate and to help make our state’s economy the strongest in the world.
For more than 85 years, TAB has been on the front lines of the legislative, regulatory, and judicial battlefields, fighting for every issue that impacts business to ensure that employers’ opinions are being heard.
There is a direct correlation between the size of an organization and the impact that its members have on public policy. When numbers talk, lawmakers listen. Through TAB, thousands of employers have united under the battle cry for a prosperous state economy and the creation of new employment opportunities.
Through the generations, this powerful voice has allowed TAB to emerge victorious — a strong independent voice for Texas business. On January 1, 1995, the voice of Texas business was unified by the merger of the state’s top two employer organizations: the Texas Association of Business and the Texas Chamber of Commerce. The rich history of these organizations tells the story not only of each group but of Texas business as well.
History of the TAB:
n 1922, three San Antonio businessmen — G.M. Kneibel, G.G. Geyer, and I.M. McIlhenny — anticipated the start of a new era for Texas business. They predicted the need for a coordinated effort to deal with emerging public policy issues, and formed the Texas State Manufacturers Association.
In 1946, the organization’s state headquarters were moved from San Antonio to Houston. Recognizing the state’s economy reached beyond agricultural, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries, as evidenced by the rapid growth of service and financial sectors, the organization became the Texas Association of Business (TAB) in 1976. In 1990, TAB completed a state headquarters building in Austin — a permanent home just four blocks from the Texas State Capitol.