The Mathews County Chamber of Commerce, once a crucial voice for the local business community, is now an organization in name only.

The Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, is thriving—with a growing and active membership, offering informational programs on issues of importance to small business owners, hosting frequent Business After Hours mixers to foster a spirit of camaraderie among shop owners, attracting visitors to the area through a popular wine festival—led by a volunteer board of directors and a paid staff, including an enthusiastic and energetic executive director.

To borrow a phrase from the business world, the time is ripe for a merger.

It wouldn’t be the first time that Gloucester and Mathews businesses have joined forces. After all, this newspaper you’re reading is the result of a Depression-era consolidation of the Gloucester Gazette and the Mathews Journal. And that’s worked out pretty well for nearly 80 years, if we do say...