Naperville chamber committee favors Rauner agenda
fter testimony from area legislators and union officials, the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Committee this week endorsed sending support for Gov. Bruce Rauner's turnaround agenda to the chamber's board for formal approval.
The vote was a show of hands that showed about two-thirds of those chamber members present at the monthly committee meeting to be in favor of the agenda.
Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico said he is sympathetic to the governor's agenda.
"We had to do something," he said, stressing that the state's finances are in deep trouble.
Among the reforms sought by the governor's initiative are worker's compensation reform, pension reform, easing prevailing wage agreements in local governments, and creating local employee empowerment zones.
The proposal on pensions protects all current public sector employees — but shifts future employees into a separate system — while seeking a constitutional amendment to remove ambiguity in future reforms. Read more: Chicago Tribune
Chamber partnership: Hampton Roads 31st Annual Small Business of the Year Awards to be Held on June 12
Small
businesses employ 50 percent of the U.S. workforce. The Chamber
understands the importance of small business to our economy, and honors
their efforts each year. The Hampton Roads Chamber, in partnership with
the Small Business Development Center of Hampton Roads (SBDC), will hold
its Small Business of the Year Awards luncheon on Friday, June 12 at 11:45am at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott (235 E. Main St.).The Chamber and the SBDC convened a panel of judges to select five businesses, one from each Southside city, to honor. The winning businesses were chosen based on financial performance and business history, staff training and motivation, community involvement, business plan, growth, and customer service and satisfaction. At the luncheon, one of the five city small business winners below will be announced as the Hampton Roads Small Business of the Year. The overall winner will receive a gift package from the Chamber valued at $10,000.
2015 Small Business of the Year city winners:
- Legacy Limousine and Luxury Coaches, LLC (Chesapeake)
- Saunders, Matthews & Pfitzner, PLLC (Norfolk)
- The Pack Roadtrip Travel Club (Portsmouth)
- Korving & Company LLC (Suffolk)
- BizWiz by KBH Business Management Systems (Virginia Beach)
Read more: Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
Paducah Area Chamber Power in Partnership Breakfast meetings
Ask anyone in town, “What’s the best networking function?”
The overwhelming answer will be the Paducah Chamber’s Power in Partnership breakfast meetings. They are held on the first Thursday of every month (occasionally the second Thursday), 7:30 a.m., at the Julian Carroll Convention Center. Get there early for networking and you’ll be on your way to work by 8:35 a.m.
The program will keep you informed on the latest business trends, new state-wide initiatives or hear nationally recognized motivational speakers. There are usually 275 - 300 business and community leaders in attendance. Sponsorships are sold in advance with a waiting list.
For info about this month’s program, check out the Chamber Calendar, call us at 270.443.1746 or info@paducahchamber.org
If you plan on attending at least 10 PIP Breakfasts, get more for your money with a Power Card!
Click here for the 2015 Power Card registration form.
Mississippi cities finding their place for growth
Cleveland, Water Valley, Tupelo, Columbus, Bay St. Louis, Natchez, Vicksburg, Ocean Springs — what do these Mississippi cities have in common?
These are some of the municipalities that are good examples of the Main Street concept of placemaking. Public spaces in these towns have a real sense of place. They are designed to attract and serve people, improve quality of life and be economically competitive.
Main Street Mississippi Executive Director Bob Wilson recently made a presentation on placemaking and community revitalization at a national conference in Washington, D.C., and is a big cheerleader for this movement. “I was blown away by being included and to be there with all those decision makers,” he said. “It was a holistic approach to development.”
He was one of 40 leaders invited to participate, and credits the state’s success with this movement for the invitation. Funding agencies represented included the National Association of Realtors, the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. Funding and how to take advantage of best practices were among the topics discussed. Read more: Mississippi Business Journal
Michigan Senate votes 22-15 to repeal prevailing wage laws
The Michigan Senate on Thursday narrowly passed a package of three bills that would repeal the state's prevailing-wage laws after more than an hour of passionate debate on the issue, which was rushed through the chamber after only one committee hearing on Wednesday.
Prevailing-wage laws require that union-scale wages are paid on construction projects that use state taxpayer dollars. That covers mostly schools and government building projects. Only about 5% of road projects would be affected by a repeal, however, because most road projects in the state are partially funded with federal dollars, which — under the Davis-Bacon Act — requires that prevailing wages be paid.
The vote was derided by Democrats and some Republicans, who said the issue merely takes money out of the pockets of hardworking construction employees. Gov. Rick Snyder has expressed concern about it depressing wages at the same time he has been encouraging those looking for jobs to explore skilled trades. Read more: Detroit Free Press
Heart of Wisconsin Chamber collaboration: Iron Chef contest benefits Humane Society
Dinner tickets are on sale for the sixth annual Iron Chef Competition Dinner and Raffle, set for June 11 at Nekoosa Community Center, 416 Crestview Lane.
All proceeds support the homeless pets at the South Wood County Humane Society in need of medical and behavioral rehabilitation while awaiting new homes.
The secret ingredient will be revealed at the June 11 Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Lunch by the River, which begins at 11:30 a.m. at Veterans Park in Wisconsin Rapids.
Participating chefs include: Scott Keller of Canteen Services; Matt Andres of the Nekoosa School District; Heidi Topping of Baker Street Grill; Austin Maleski of Great Expectations; Brian Hoier of The Hotel Mead; Eugene Allen of Marjorie's Steakhouse; Joey Romano of Romano's Pizzeria; and Sandy Glaman of Sportsman's Pub.
Keller's team won the event last year; Andres' team received honors for best use of the secret ingredient. Read more: WisconsinRapidsTribune.com
Crossroads Regional chamber: Annual Explore the Region Business and Consumer Expo Returns!
El Dorado Chamber Sponsorship: EHS recognizes 79 Arkansas Scholars
Arkansas Scholars were recognized as part of the El Dorado High School Class of 2015 Honors Day awards ceremony, at the EHS Auditorium on Monday.
Each of the 79 Arkansas Scholars students was presented with a certificate of achievement for meeting the designated criteria and a red honor cord for commencement, according to Lila Phillips, executive director of the El Dorado Education Foundation.
The Arkansas Scholars program is sponsored by the Union County Community Foundation, the El Dorado Education Foundation and the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce. Read more: El Dorado News-Times
#ChamberMonday - Famous Chamber of Commerce Thoughts & Facts
Nathaniel
Hawthorn grasped the strange contradiction of chambers of commerce… “it is
dangerous to listen to dreamers such as these,” - Chris Mead,
The Magicians of Main Street, America and its Chambers of Commerce from 1768-1945
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