Friday, September 18, 2015

Indy chamber support: iLAB to add 100 new technology jobs in Indiana; Chamber partnership: Arlington Heights trustees satisfied with small business retention program; Reston Chamber of Commerce Offering Workshops as Part of Education Series; The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc announced its participants for its Leadership Gulf Coast program; Hillsdale Chamber event: Hudson Dairy Farm rounds up a tour; Chamber Board Member Interest: Frankfort Commission Eyes Big Money for Big Projects; Dowagiac (Michigan) Chamber of Commerce to honor Fred Mathews; Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national custom publishing group



Indy chamber support: iLAB to add 100 new technology jobs in Indiana


iLAB, the leading worldwide provider of software quality assurance and performance testing products and services, announced today the expansion of its North American presence with a commitment to add 100 new technology jobs in Indiana by 2019 and the grand opening of its new office in downtown Indianapolis.

“We’ve seen fantastic growth over the last five years, expanding our customer base through strategic partnerships with the world’s most respected names in technology,” said Gerry Bailey, managing director for iLAB in North America. “Indianapolis has served as an exceptional launch platform for our North American operations and a key factor in fueling our growth strategy across the globe by adding 100 more employees over the next five years.”


Since its North American re-launch in 2011, iLAB has grown to more than 50 employees in Central Indiana. The company will invest $1.49 million to lease and equip its new 4,000-square-foot office at the Chase Circle building on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis where it will locate 80 new jobs.

iLAB will also hire an additional 20 associates to be based around the state, serving clients in Fort Wayne, South Bend, Gary and Evansville.

“Business growth and development in the tech sector is one of the major reasons why we are experiencing record Hoosier employment numbers,” said Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann. “I applaud iLAB for choosing to grow their business in a state that works. Today we celebrate Indiana’s international reputation as a great place for businesses to start, expand and prosper.”



The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered iLAB, LLC up to $1.2 million in conditional tax credits and up to $75,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Indianapolis supports the project at the request of Develop Indy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber. Read more: Tribune Star



Chamber partnership: Arlington Heights trustees satisfied with small business retention program



Two years into an outreach program to retain more small businesses in Arlington Heights, village trustees Tuesday expressed general satisfaction with its progress but also said they wanted more detailed descriptions of individual examples.
The Small Business Development Agreement is a partnership between with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce toward which the village pays $50,000 per year.

Village President Thomas Hayes said the program was one he wanted to pursue two years ago because he believed the business friendliness of Arlington Heights had begun to slip.
"The better our business community, the better we can do as a board in keeping property taxes low," Hayes said. "The success of any one of our businesses is felt by the village as well." Read more: Daily Herald

Reston Chamber of Commerce Offering Workshops as Part of Education Series

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is hosting a series of business workshops as part of its Education Series aimed at helping local business owners grow their brands and sharpen their business acumen.Each workshop is free for current chamber members and $15 for each non-member. Silver Spoon Caterers will provide breakfast at each workshop. The workshops will be held from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Reston Chamber headquarters, located at 1886 Metro Center Drive.
The next workshop in the series, titled “5 Critical Ways to Build Your Brand and Reputation,” is scheduled on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Guest speaker Jen Dalton of BrandMirror will be on hand to instruct the group on what is most relevant to one;s brand and how that brand can help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace. Read more: Patch.com


The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc announced its participants for its Leadership Gulf Coast program

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. announced the 26th class of local business and community leaders selected to participate in its Leadership Gulf Coast program: Tawana Banks, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast; Carlos Bell, Port of Gulfport; Brian Bourn, South Mississippi AIDS Task Force; James Caldwell, Gulfport School District; Andrew Chapman, Eat Cities; Keith Davis, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; Read more: Sun-Herald

Hillsdale Chamber event: Hudson Dairy Farm rounds up a tour
A small herd of cows lines up single-file at Hudson Dairy Farm while visitors — human ones — line up to watch them. The cows file in, each knowing their designated spot, while dairy hands get them ready for milking.
“They know right where they’re supposed to go,” Hudson’s Amber Clark said.
Hudson Dairy Farm conducts tours like these for interested community members and dairy fans alike. The one held on Thursday night invited the Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce to see the operation in full, touring the barns, feed silos, milking parlor and more.
“We’re happy to have the public here,” Communications Manager Avi Stern said. While the dairy operates 24/7, family and friends of Hudson Dairy Farm staff members stayed after regular business hours to show the tourists their facilities.
From that line of cows and hundreds like them, Hudson Dairy Farm will produce about 240,000 pounds of milk — almost 30,000 gallons — every 24 hours. To make sure that every drop is the best it can be, nutritionists evaluate cows’ best diet based on their age and size. Giving a cow the right nutrients is key to the quality of the milk they produce.
Or, as Stern summed it up, “If you put good stuff in, you get good stuff out.” Read more: Hillsdale Daily News

Chamber Board Member Interest: Frankfort Commission Eyes Big Money for Big Projects 

Frankfort’s City Commissioners discussed a new proposal to revitalize some of the larger buildings downtown at Monday night’s work session.
Renee True, a member of the Frankfort Area Chamber Board, said Commissioner John Sower requested that he come to share an idea with the rest of the commission.
“I really didn’t have an agenda,” True said. “I’m not representing the chamber, I’m not representing any group. I do have quite a few properties in Frankfort so I do have a vested interest in this community’s economic welfare.”
True said the focus of his proposal was on the larger buildings downtown. He said the current preservation grant program that the city is offering does not offer enough money to complete large projects.
“So I thought about something a little bit bigger if at some time the city could find it within their budget or through some kind of federal or state grant program,” True said. Read more: State Journal


A Closer Look Replay: Sheboygan County Chamber Workforce Summit



Click on the link below to find the latest program of "A Closer Look", a public affairs program on WHBL and WSCS.
This program focuses on the topic of workforce development in Sheboygan County.  We speak with Tammy Graf, workforce development director for the Sheboygan County Chamber.  She describes an upcoming workforce summit being held later this month, and how strategies being shared at this event are being used to increase how businesses fill open positions and alleviate the worker shortage in our area. WHBL.com

Dowagiac (Michigan) Chamber of Commerce to honor Fred Mathews


The Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 21 will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Fred Mathews, founder and former longtime chairman of Southwestern Michigan College, the chamber announced.
The presentation will be part of the chamber's membership meeting and dinner at the Dowagiac Elks Lodge. The award and meeting are firsts for the Dowagiac chamber, it reported.
Mathews came to Dowagiac in 1952 to practice optometry. In the mid '50s, he helped found the Greater Dowagiac Association, the chamber's forerunner. He and others formed the organization to rebuild the city's industrial base after a major employer closed.
In 1964, he founded Southwestern Michigan College. He served as its first Board of Trustees chairman, and retained the post until retiring from the board this year.
He has chaired the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority.
In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, the chamber will honor several employers who have contributed to the organization's success. Read more: Herald Palladium

Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.
Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, with over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest, allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee.
Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, contact John Dussman directly at the Town Square Offices at 847-427-4633. Mailing Address: 155 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.  


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