Chamber Strong: Business Built to Withstand High Winds Serves as Shelter Following Joplin Tornado - Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber News: Encourage entrepeneurship! -Minnesota Chamber: Immigrant reform aids state economy - Trey Grayson starts at Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce; Chamber News: Kansas tech education center gets $1 million; Chamber Issue: Fort Smith Directors To Consider ‘Tax Back’ Request - Senator Inhofe Addresses Bartlesville Oklahoma Chamber; Chamber Partnership: Leadership Program Joins Greater Fort Wayne Inc. DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: Leveraging Free Trade Agreements - Detroit, Michigan; Highland Park (Illinois) Chamber News: Today's July 4th mirrors bygone festivities; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations (Attitude):

Chamber Strong: Business Built to Withstand High Winds Serves as Shelter Following Joplin Tornado
Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President Rob O’Brian has an answer for those who might question the town’s business community ability to bounce back from the EF-5 tornado which struck Joplin Sunday May 22nd 2011, killing 161 persons and destroying or damaging thousands of homes and businesses.  “To paraphrase our great Missouri son Mark Twain, The results of our demise were greatly exaggerated.  It certainly was a blow. We have still some areas that need to be built back, but what we see today of the 531 employers that were destroyed or severely damaged, and with the well over 5,000 job slots, over 90% are back. Read more: KSMU Public Radio


Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber News: Encourage entrepeneurship!

As economic development corporations, like the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corp., focus on ways to support economic prosperity, it’s important to understand the importance of growth from within. Local business expansions and new business startups are major drivers of wealth creation and job growth. Fostering a healthy business environment that supports and encourages entrepreneurship and risk taking is critical for long-term economic success. Read more: Prairie Business

Minnesota Chamber: Immigrant reform aids state economy

Bill Blazar is a numbers guy. So is the organization he works for — the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Both say Minnesota needs some form of comprehensive immigration reform to make the numbers work.

Blazar can throw out the figures off the top of his head by now: 7 percent of the state’s population are immigrants, but they make up 9 percent of the workforce, including 20 percent in manufacturing and 14 percent in professional occupations. There are 5,000 Hispanic-owned businesses and 11,000 Asian-owned businesses in Minnesota. From 2000 to 2010, 20 percent of the growth in homeownership in the state came from immigrants. Read more: Star Tribune

Trey Grayson starts at Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

A familiar face has come home to take the top job at Northern Kentucky's Chamber of Commerce. Tuesday was the first day on the job for new chamber president Trey Grayson. The former Kentucky Secretary of State met with reporters and staff to pick their brains on the biggest issues facing Northern Kentucky.

Grayson grew up in Northern Kentucky but has spent the last four years working at Harvard University. Read more: WKRC 12 Cincinnatti

Chamber News: Kansas tech education center gets $1 million

Plans for a centralized technical education center in southeast Kansas are closer to reality, thanks to a $1 million gift from the Bicknell Foundation.
The proposed center will house several technical education courses currently offered to high school students and adults by Fort Scott Community College in cooperation with the five school districts in Crawford County. The $1 million gift, announced this week, will help to buy a building and 18 acres, as well as providing room for expanded programs, The Joplin Globe reported (http://bit.ly/1onIuSh ).
The programs include vocational education offerings such as construction, masonry, welding, culinary arts and other trades. High school students and non-traditional students earn certification and skills for employment. A timeline for development will be set after backers of the project raise another $300,000.
Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Director Blake Benson said the gift could be the most critical piece of the region's economic future. Read more at WRAL.com

Chamber Issue: Fort Smith Directors To Consider ‘Tax Back’ Request -

Fort Smith directors will be asked to support a request for participation in the state Tax Back Program on behalf of River Bend Industries LLC on Tuesday during a regular board meeting. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce made the request, according to the city.
“The Tax Back Program is a state and local sales tax refund incentive to attract business growth or expansion to Arkansas,” Deputy City Administrator Jeff Dingman wrote in a report to the Fort Smith Board of Directors. See more at: Times Record

Senator Inhofe Addresses Bartlesville Oklahoma Chamber

U. S. Senator Jim Inhofe addressed the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce forum Tuesday morning at Tri-County Technology Center.  He spoke on a range of issues affecting the state of Oklahoma and the nation including the Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, Environmental Protection Agency over-reach, and others.  - Learn more at: Bartlesville Radio

Chamber Partnership: Leadership Program Joins Greater Fort Wayne Inc.

The Board of Directors of Leadership Fort Wayne, Inc. announced today that Leadership Fort Wayne, Inc. has joined forces with Greater Fort Wayne Inc.* effective July 1, 2014. This bold move will better position the adult Leadership Fort Wayne program for sustainability, collaboration and engagement and add significant new programming to GFW's investors and businesses.

The signature adult Leadership Fort Wayne program will continue to be offered, with the 2014-15 program year commencing in September 2014. Recruitment is underway for the class with applications due by June 30, 2014. Read more: Inside Indiana Business

* Greater Fort Wayne Inc. was formed last year by the combination of the Fort Wayne‐Allen County Economic Development Alliance and the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS: Leveraging Free Trade 

Agreements - Detroit, Michigan

The US Department of Commerce is organizing a major international conference in Detroit, titled DISCOVER GLOBAL MARKETS Leveraging Free Trade Agreements: Opportunities and Challenges, September 9-10, 2014, at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit.  The conference will highlight opportunities to expand export sales and business activities in countries where the United States has signed Free Trade Agreements.

This two-day program is expected to attract approximately 300 people and will include participation from 18 of our Commercial Diplomats stationed at US Embassies and Consulates around the globe. Private Consultations will be available with US Commercial Diplomats from U.S. Embassies and Consulates: Australia - Canada - Chile - Colombia - Costa Rica - Dominican Republic - El Salvador - Guatemala - Honduras -Jordan - Morocco - Nicaragua - Panama - Peru - Singapore - South Korea 

              

Sessions to Include:

Industry panels featuring companies and individuals sharing their experiences in the 18 markets listed above
Market entry and risk mitigation strategies
Basic and advanced sessions on qualifying for FTAs and creating an FTA compliance program
High-profile keynote speaker(s)

Event Dates: September 9-10, 2014
Location: Westin Book Cadillac Detroit

To Register click here!

For More Information:  Richard Corson, (248) 975.9604, Richard.Corson@trade.gov  or  Jennifer Moll, (313) 212-8693, Jennifer.Moll@trade.gov   

Highland Park (Illinois) Chamber News: Today's July 4th mirrors bygone festivities

On July 4, Highland Park will have a community parade, including a children's pet and bike parade, sponsored by the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce.
An Independence Day parade, festivities at Sunset Woods Park and fireworks in the evening will celebrate the American Declaration of Independence, which was signed on July 4, 1776.
The Highland Park Chamber of Commerce received its Illinois State Charter Jan. 6, 1911, as the Highland Park Business Men's Association. That year, the association sponsored the first official Highland Park Day. Highlighted by a parade, the festivities included games, sports, dancing and picnics at Sunset Woods Park. Read more: Triblocal

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations (Attitude):

“Don't hang with negative people. They will pull you down with them. Instead, invite them into your light and together you will both shine strong.” - L.F. Young

 

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