Hampton Roads Chamber event: Gov. McAuliffe announces lease for test wind turbines off Virginia Beach; Oshkosh Chamber's John Casper: Investing in U.S. global leadership good for our economy; The Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan City Area Chamber of Commerce and Purdue University North Central will host Spring Economic Briefing; Chamber Best Practices: Greenwood-LeFlore County Chamber of Commerce: Take our 2015 Chamber Survey NOW; Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber: Locate Your Business in Hopkins County, Kentucky; Elgin Chamber honors best member businesses, brightest volunteers; Chamber interest: Muskegon's image project continues with next community dialog March 31; Dr. Rankin receives Lifetime Achievement Award during Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce banquet; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Attitude)

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!

 

Hampton Roads Chamber event: Gov. McAuliffe announces lease for test wind turbines off Virginia Beach

Governor Terry McAuliffe said Virginia will be the first state in the country to partner with the federal government in an off-shore wind project.
Virginia is the first state in the nation to receive a wind energy research lease in federal waters from the United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
McCauliffe made the announcement during the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Downtown Norfolk.
The governor said two wind turbines will be built 24 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Read more: 13NewsNow.com

Oshkosh Chamber's John Casper: Investing in U.S. global leadership good for our economy

When Ghana, the small African nation, wanted to buy 104 fire trucks, they turned to an unlikely place: Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Increasing the entire country’s firefighting capacity by 50 percent, they had many options about where to spend their money. Their decision? To “Buy American.” They placed a $31 million order with Oshkosh Corporation.
Oshkosh companies show that you don’t need to be big to be global. As President and CEO of the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, I’ve seen first-hand the benefits of investing and competing in markets that provide the best return for America.
It may be surprising to some, but many of the fastest-growing markets around the world aren’t our traditional trading partners. Developing countries already account for more than half of America’s exports, and that number will only increase. As 95 percent of the world’s population lives outside of the United States, it’s clear that our access to international markets is absolutely crucial for a strong domestic economy. Read more: TheNorthwestern.com


The Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan City Area Chamber of Commerce and Purdue University North Central will host Spring Economic Briefing

The Greater La Porte Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan City Area Chamber of Commerce and Purdue University North Central will host a Spring Economic Briefing on Tuesday, April 7.
An economic update will be provided from the Purdue University North Central College of Business. Topics include economic outlook, labor trends, and comments from guest speakers on education and programs in the area. The event will take place at Purdue University North Central in the LSF Building, Room 144. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. with breakfast and the program at 7:30 a.m. Read more: La Porte Life


Chamber Best Practices: Greenwood-LeFlore County Chamber of Commerce: Take our 2015 Chamber Survey NOW

Your feedback is what keeps us on our toes. Please take just a few minutes to complete this Chamber Member Survey and let us know how we're doing and how we can better serve you. We appreciate you!

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Chamber Best Practices: Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber: Locate Your Business in Hopkins County, Kentucky

The Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce works with local and state government and economic development organizations to encourage companies and entrepreneurs to invest in our area.

Benefits of locating or starting a business here include:

• Low utility costs
• A ready workforce
• The most up-to-date education and training facilities
• Accessibility – by road, rail, air, or barge

Learn more about doing business here! Visit the web sites listed below, or contact the Chamber for more information.

• City of Madisonville
• Hopkins County, Kentucky government
• Madisonville-Hopkins County Economic Development Corp.
• Kentucky Office of Employment and Training
• Madisonville Community College
• Murray State University Madisonville Campus

Entrepreneurs

Small business has a big impact on local economy. The Chamber regularly offers programs and seminars to help small business owners gain the information and management skills they need to be successful.

In addition to the Chamber, many regional, state, and federal organizations work to encourage entrepreneurial development and growth, including:

• Madisonville-Hopkins County Economic Development Corporation
• Murray State University Small Business Development Center
• Kentucky Small Business Development Center
• Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
• U.S. Small Business Administration

 Read more: Madisonville -Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce

Elgin (Illinois) Chamber honors best member businesses, brightest volunteers

On Thursday, March 19, the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce honored its best and brightest member businesses and volunteers at their annual awards luncheon at Elgin Community College.

The ceremony was lead by EAC board chairman Terry Royer of Winergy Systems and emceed by EAC vice chair of membership Jaci Kator of AT&T.

• The Elgin Development Group Innovation award, which recognizes the company for leading the way in their industry, was awarded to BluePoint Alert Solutions. Initially installed in Burlington Central High School with pull stations similar to the iconic "red" fire pull stations, blue strobe lights were placed throughout the school allowing for instant notification to both the police department and occupants in the building. Designed to protect lives during an intruder incident, BluePoint Alert Solutions provides a rapid response through this rapid alert system.

• The Non-Profit Community Partner Award went to Renz Addiction Counseling Center. Founded in 1961 by a small group of concerned business leaders who wanted to confront the growing alcoholism issues that they were witnessing in the workforce. Today, what once started out as a small, one-counselor agency known as the Community Concern for Alcoholism has grown into a multifaceted, outpatient treatment center that offers a wide-range of substance abuse treatment and prevention education services. Read more: Daily Herald

Chamber interest: Muskegon's image project continues with next community dialog March 31

A number of leading Muskegon institutions are working to improve Muskegon's image, both how we view ourselves and how others view us.
Meeting informally for months, the community leaders are developing a multifaceted attack on Muskegon's poor image in hopes of beginning to improve perceptions over the next three years.
An initial meeting in February of key stakeholders began to solidify the community strategy and collect advice on what directions to take. A series of community dialogs on Muskegon's image will continue Tuesday, March 31 as the image group reaches out to tourism and retail businesses along with arts and non-profit organizations.
Leaders in those sectors are being invited to a community conversation at the Muskegon Museum of Art from 3-4:30 p.m. in the Frey Auditorium, 296 W. Webster Ave. in downtown Muskegon.
The topic will be the importance of Muskegon's image on businesses, arts organizations and non-profits. Those working on image issues want to get ideas from those sectors on an overall community image strategy.
The image issue has been researched by community leaders representing the city of Muskegon, the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Muskegon Now, the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, city of Norton Shores, Michigan Works, the Muskegon Museum of Art and the Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Read more: M LIVE

Dr. Rankin receives Lifetime Achievement Award during Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce banquet

Members of the community were honored Thursday night, and news about the Magnolia Blossom Festival was revealed during the 76th Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Membership Banquet.
CLICK THE LINK BELOW to see video of the event.
http://www.magnoliareporter.com/living_and_learning/community_groups/article_df97a548-c9b8-11e4-896b-afdaddfd7899.html
Southern Arkansas University President Dr. David Rankin received the newly-named Archie Monroe Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Magnolia. Rankin is retiring on June 30 after 13 years as president. Read More: MagnoliaReporter.com


Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Attitude)

“Tough times never last, but tough people do” Robert Schuller