Governor McAuliffe announces creation of Virginia International Trade Alliance
Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today the creation of the Virginia International Trade Alliance (VITAL), a new initiative managed by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) that will increase international trade in Virginia. VITAL expands the Commonwealth’s nationally recognized international trade program via formal partnerships with Virginia’s public universities, industry associations and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce to serve their member companies as they expand international sales.
Speaking at today’s announcement at an event in Richmond, Governor McAuliffe said, “As we continue to recruit new businesses to the Commonwealth, we also need to help our existing businesses export their goods and services. International trade is a key part of my plan to create private sector jobs and build a new Virginia economy that is less reliant on the federal government. This new VITAL initiative demonstrates the Commonwealth’s commitment to helping existing Virginia businesses succeed in the international marketplace, making our economy even stronger.”
“Helping Virginia businesses sell their manufactured goods and services abroad is one of our most effective business expansion strategies, and this initiative is designed to do just that,” said Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Maurice Jones. “The Commonwealth exported over $36 billion in manufactured goods and services in 2014. VITAL will exponentially accelerate Virginia companies’ engagement with the global economy, resulting in stronger, more resilient businesses and more jobs for Virginians.” Read more: Augusta Free Press
Kentucky Chamber report recommends exhaustive review of workforce programs
Frankfort, Ky. – A new report released by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce today outlines the challenges Kentucky’s employers face when it comes to building their workforce and provides recommendations to meet those challenges.
The report was spurred by ongoing concerns chamber members have expressed in the past several months about workforce-related difficulties they encounter – according to a survey of chamber members, less than 10 percent of employers believe their overall workforce has “good skills.”
Titled “Kentucky’s Workforce Challenges: The Employer’s Perspective,” the report looks “under the hood” of Kentucky’s workforce training and development programs and offers the organization’s findings.
The report was authored by the Kentucky Chamber Workforce Group. Members are Howard Blackburn, Community Trust Bank, Pikeville; Ron Bunch, Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce; Jeri Isbell, Lexmark International, Lexington; Kim Menke, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown; Patrick Murphy, UPS, Louisville; Ron Sanders, People Plus, Madisonville; Tierra Kavanaugh Turner, TKT-nectir Global Staffing LLC, Louisville.
The challenges and shortcomings...Read more: Lane Report
Editorial: Seven qualities the new Economic Development Corp. director will need in Elkhart County
Hiring is underway in Elkhart County and we’re nearly at full employment. The new executive director of the Economic Development Corp. of Elkhart County is someone who can help keep it that way.
Dorinda Heiden-Guss left at the end of June, and the search is on for her replacement.
The county’s EDC works to keep the local economy vibrant. County and city tax dollars, along with contributions from area businesses, are invested in the agency to support its work. In developing our wish list for what Elkhart County should be looking for in a new executive director, we asked officials from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce what key qualifications were needed for this position moving forward.
Since taxpayers are helping foot the bill, here’s what the new director should do to help assure a return on the investment:
- Encourage entrepreneurship. There’s a long history of that in Elkhart County, particularly in the recreational vehicle industry. The spirit is here, though the state of Indiana lags in a measure of that and ranks 44th in the nation, according to the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. A strong EDC leader can help foster the right conditions to help entrepreneurs start businesses.
- Help local businesses grow. Cam Carter, vice president of economic development and federal affairs for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, says growing businesses organically is likely to help an economy more than landing the big employer from out of state. Read more: Elkhart Truth
Chamber Best Practices: Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber Program: CHAMBER #101
Take Advantage of YOUR Benefits!
The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber and Economic Development Foundation will be hosting a FREE Chamber #101 session to review our web benefits, as well as some new benefits you might not know about. It's another great way to grow your business as a member!
presented by
Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Chamber of Commerce Board Room
Reserve your seat today!
Limited seating available.
What will be discussed?
We will review the chamber's website www.oxfordms.com and the exciting features it provides to our members including:
- Hot Deals
- Job Postings
- Community Calendar Event Posting
- Logging into your business listing to make updates
We will review the Marketing Upgrade options available exclusively to Chamber/EDF members:
- Banner advertising
- Logo Placement next to your listing
- Enhanced business listing, including: photos, expand business description, video bullet points about your business, Google map link, keywords making you more searchable on the web, and more
Other members benefits will also be reviewed:
- Social media
- Weekly "Business Spotlight"
- And special discounts members receive
Reserve Your Seat Today!
To learn how your business can get the most
out of your Chamber membership,
call 662-234-4651 or
email rosie@oxfordms.com to reserve your seat today.
Chamber issue: Skokie (Illinois) Enacts 2 Percent Restaurant Tax
A 2 percent tax for restaurant service at Skokie establishments will be added to patrons bills beginning on September 1.
The Village Board approved implementing the tax in the budget to help offset the expected loss of revenue from the state should Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget plan be implemented, according to the Skokie Review.
Mayor George Van Dusen stressed the importance of the village to rely less on state funding to keep services running. Village officials expect to lose anywhere from $3 million to $3.5 million from the state.
But targeting one industry to help make up for the losses is not the fair thing to do, according to Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie President Randy Miles.
“The 2 percent food and beverage tax proposed here tonight puts an unfair burden on those establishments and makes my recruiting much more difficult,” she said. “The targeting of one industry to carry the weight of the entire community seems to be arbitrary and capricious. We feel that since this is a village-wide concern, that it is only fair to put the burden on the entire community and spread this in a more equitable manner.”
Skokie Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Howard Meyer agreed, adding that the restaurant industry “has not yet recovered from the recession and continues to be very fragile.” Read more: Patch.com
Chamber Sponsonship Opportunity: Dearborn Farmers Market Seeks Funds for POP Club
Dearborn, MI - The Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market, presented by Oakwood Healthcare, is a host of the nationally recognized kid’s program – The Power of Produce (POP) Kid’s Club. The idea of the POP Club came from the Oregon City Farmers Market, who initiated the program in May of 2011, and has been spreading across the nation ever since. The POP Club brings together families and farmers around fresh produce at the market. The program’s mission is to (1) Empower children to make healthy food choices, (2) Strengthen and sustain healthy communities through supporting farmers and cultivating future farmers market supporters, and (3) Expand farmers markets from a retail location into a place where children can try new foods and learn about healthy eating.
How the Program Works
Children ages 5-12 can register for this program at the market and will receive a “POP Club” Badge, reusable shopping bag, and a passport to health. Each time a child visits the market, he/she can stop by the Kid’s Tent and receive a stamp on their Passport to Health as well as two $1.00 tokens to spend at the market on fresh fruits and vegetables. The tokens are only redeemable at the Dearborn Farmers Market and can only be used to purchase fresh, local produce. Our market vendors accept the tokens as payment and are eager to discuss produce with their young customers. We will also have a fruit or vegetable of the week that children can sample at the POP Club Tent.
Children ages 5-12 can register for this program at the market and will receive a “POP Club” Badge, reusable shopping bag, and a passport to health. Each time a child visits the market, he/she can stop by the Kid’s Tent and receive a stamp on their Passport to Health as well as two $1.00 tokens to spend at the market on fresh fruits and vegetables. The tokens are only redeemable at the Dearborn Farmers Market and can only be used to purchase fresh, local produce. Our market vendors accept the tokens as payment and are eager to discuss produce with their young customers. We will also have a fruit or vegetable of the week that children can sample at the POP Club Tent.
The POP Club is a new program this year at the Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market under the leadership of the Market Manager, Christina Werner.
“Most children at the market do not shop for themselves for various reasons, which disconnects them from knowing where their food comes from or even what their options are.” Werner said. “The POP club connects these children with the farmers and the people who are growing the food, and helps support local farmers by keeping them viable and increasing their income at the market.”
In addition to providing access to healthy foods at the market, the program teaches children the entire food cycle. This includes steps from growing the food to purchasing or harvesting it, all the way to cooking, preparing, and eating the foods. In order to do this, the market is having seasonal gardening workshops and cooking demonstrations for the kids once a month, on our special event days at the market. They will learn how to plant and transplant seeds, all about different types of sensory gardens, how to make fresh salsa with their harvests, and they will also learn about root crops. The market hosts professional chefs from Dorsey Culinary Schools and Giulio & Sons Restaurant at the Royal Dearborn Hotel, who will be teaching the kids how to cook different fruits and vegetables as well. In addition to these workshops, there will be a different fruit or vegetable of the week at the kid’s tent that they can taste samples of and learn all about them. These are all programs that help empower kids by giving them the tools to learn how to grow and cook healthy foods. For a detailed list of kid’s activities and workshops, you can visit the “Kids at the Market” page on the market website at www.dearbornfarmersartisansmarket.com.
“The Power of Produce Kid’s Club has already become a success at the Dearborn Farmers & Artisans Market, as we have over 700 children registered in the program,” Werner added. “Because of this, we are in need of funding to continue providing this service at the market for the rest of the season and in years to come. We are very grateful for our current POP Club Sponsors: The Glass Academy, Dearborn Kiwanis, and Dearborn Heights Rotary Club.”
Please consider donating or becoming a sponsor of this wonderful program as we continue to raise the next generation of market shoppers and good-food eaters! There are sponsorships of every level available, and any amount is appreciated! Contact Christina Werner at 313-584-6100 or cwerner@dearbornareachamber.org to give to this program.
Chamber interest: Lots to do this week in Wisconsin Rapids area
Farmers markets: The Rapids Mall farmers market is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. The Rome Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays in the Alpine Village Business Park. The Kellner Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, right next to Chat-R-Box Cafe, 4231 80th St. S. The Edgewater Haven Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, and the Peach St. Farmers Market, 2031 Peach St., is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays.
• Tilly’s Village is this week’s featured entertainment at Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce’s Lunch by the River at Veterans Park. Vendors include Rocky Rococo’s, Hotel Mead, J² Catering, Great Expectations, Klaus Treats, and the Lincoln High School Booster Club. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday. Read more: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune
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