St Joseph County Chamber Year in Review: Poised for even more progress in 2016; Hampton Roads Chamber: Virginia Beach State of the City, Thursday, February 11, 2016; Michigan State Chamber Difference; State Chamber of Mississippi Pushes Roads/Bridges Fix; Leeper and Kaler Savings and Restoration Projects to Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce; Chamber issue: Flooded Out Bridge Divides Chester, Ill., From Missouri; WMC Foundation Education Event: Business Day in Madison; Town Square Chamber Publications and Custom Maps

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

St Joseph County Chamber Year in Review: Poised for even more progress in 2016

Major development and redevelopment in our downtown areas. A growing logistics hub on South Bend’s northwest side. A new gateway into Mishawaka’s north side and an expansion of the busy Grape Road/North Main Street commercial area. A project 30 years in the making in New Carlisle. Unprecedented growth and construction on Notre Dame’s campus. The rebirth of the former Studebaker area. Unprecedented regional collaboration.

What a year 2015 was!

Overall, construction activity is up more than 66 percent. Through November, some 456 commercial building permits have been issued in St. Joseph County with estimated commercial construction costs of more than $480 million. Our county is seeing growth in all sectors.

The construction numbers aren’t the only telling facts. The number of people employed in our area is now above pre-recession employment levels at close to 125,000 employed; the unemployment rate is down close to 4 percent, its lowest in years; per capita personal income is up for the fifth time in the past six years; and for the first time in decades, estimates have our population growing.

The history books could look back at 2015 as a major watershed moment for economic development in our region. The Michiana Partnership has guided a well-coordinated regional economic development effort that has people across Indiana and around the country thinking differently about our area. That effort has paid off with the announcement that the state of Indiana will infuse some $42 million into our regional cities effort to help catalyze some $700 million in new investment to help grow population across our area. Read more:  South Bend Tribune

Hampton Roads Chamber: Virginia Beach State of the City, Thursday, February 11, 2016

Virginia Beach, VA – February 11, 2016 – The Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce is kicking off their signature event, State of the City Series on Thursday, February 11 with the Virginia Beach State of the City at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. 

The Honorable Will Sessoms will provide a glimpse into the City’s future, address community issues, and highlight development and success.  The State of the City Series connects the community and provides valuable insight on issues impacting businesses and the region.  They have become the preferred forum for elected officials and mayors to communicate with their constitutes and are often sold out events.

Registration and sponsorships are still available for this event.  This event will sell out quickly, so register at events.hamptonroadschamber.com or call (757) 622-2312.

Michigan State Chamber Difference

State Chamber Difference

Local chambers are the lifeblood of the communities they serve and, especially here in Michigan, they do good work. Most local chambers are focused primarily on regional issues and many are involved in area economic development activities.

The state chamber has a different focus and mission. The primary purpose of the Michigan Chamber is to be a strong advocate for job providers at the state and federal level through the legislative, political and legal action.

Located in downtown Lansing, just four blocks from the State Capitol, the Michigan Chamber’s Business Advocacy Team consists of six full­time lobbyists who work hard every day to improve the business climate for small business, medium sized companies and major corporations all across the state. With guidance from our 84­-member Board of Directors and approximately 260 volunteer leaders who serve on the Chamber’s four policy committees, the Michigan Chamber serves as a powerful voice for Michigan employers. Read more: Michigan Chamber of Commerce

State Chamber of Mississippi Pushes Roads/Bridges Fix

Mississippi business leaders are asking lawmakers to support legislation aimed at boosting the state's economy. As MPB's Paul Boger reports, those proposals include increased funding for roads and bridges.

Safe, reliable roads and bridges, that's what Mississippi business leaders say is among the most important things the state needs right now.

Late, last year, the state chamber of commerce, otherwise known as the Mississippi Economic Council, published the results of an 18-month long study that revealed that more than 900 state bridges and nearly 25,000 miles of state roadways are in disrepair.

Blake Wilson is the executive director of the state chamber.  More: Mississippi Public Braodcasting

Leeper and Kaler Savings and Restoration Projects to Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce

McCracken County Judge/Executive Bob Leeper is promoting his work to trim the county budget. In the annual state of the county address today Leeper noted a recent communications audit has shown that the county can save $30,000 annually by cutting unused fax and phone lines.

Leeper says the county is currently conducting an energy audit.

“We’re going to save enough money with that energy audit that are going to pay for themselves by the energy [savings] that we are able to achieve,” Leeper said. He added he is continuously looking for ways to save money.

In her state of the city address, Paducah Mayor Kaler provided project updates and said the Fountain Avenue Neighborhood restoration project has seen combined public and private investment of more than $11 million dollars since it began in 2007, with 50 homes rehabilitated and 30 new homes.  Read more: WKMS

Chamber issue: Flooded Out Bridge Divides Chester, Ill., From Missouri

Some people spent New Year's Eve watching water levels. It's essential if you live near the Mississippi River in the Midwest, a region that has suffered severe and sudden floods. Linda Sympson sees the river from her window at the chamber of commerce in Chester, Ill.

LINDA SYMPSON: Chester is a beautiful town of 8,300 people. We're located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. When we look out my office, the Chester Chamber of Commerce office, I can take advantage of the beautiful view of the river, of Missouri bottomlands, the Chester Bridge that is now closed.

INSKEEP: And why is the Chester Bridge closed, the bridge across the Mississippi River?

SYMPSON: The bridge is closed because after you cross the bridge there is a small bridge, and that bridge is the bridge that is covered with water.

INSKEEP: Lucky that Chester's up on a bluff then.

SYMPSON: We are very, very fortunate, yes. But at one time, there was a whole downtown district under the bluff, a lot of businesses that were flooded out. And little by little, they were bought up by the railroad and the railroad then came in, raised their tracks and built a levee.

INSKEEP: So how isolated is Chester right now?

SYMPSON: We are isolated from being able to get into Missouri, which a lot of our people from Chester work in Missouri. There are several large plants about 12 miles from Chester, and employees - I don't know, several hundred people. And not only can we not cross the bridge to go into Missouri, Missouri people cannot cross the bridge to come here. Read more: NPR Illinois

WMC Foundation Education Event: Business Day in Madison

February 24 @ 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center, Madison

Early Bird Pricing (through January 30, 2016)
$140 per person; $1,050 table of 8

After January 30, 2016
$170 per person; $1,250 table of 8

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2016 Keynote Speaker: Larry Kudlow

Kudlow is host of CNBC’s primetime “Kudlow & Company,” which airs nightly from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. He is also the host of “The Larry Kudlow Show” on WABC Radio on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Mr. Kudlow is a nationally syndicated columnist. He is a contributing editor of National Review magazine, as well as a columnist and economics editor for National Review Online. He is the author of “American Abundance: The New Economic and Moral Prosperity,” published by Forbes in January 1998.

For many years Mr. Kudlow served as chief economist for a number of Wall Street firms. He was a member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Advisory Committee. During President Reagan’s first term, Mr. Kudlow was the associate director for economics and planning, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, where he was engaged in the development of the administration’s economic and budget policy.

Mr. Kudlow began his career as a staff economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, working in the areas of domestic open market operations and bank supervision.

2016 Featured Speakers

Stephen Hayes

Stephen F. Hayes is a senior writer at The Weekly Standard and author of two New York Times bestsellers: Cheney: The Untold Story of America’s Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President and The Connection: How al Qaeda’s Collaboration with Saddam Hussein Has Endangered America. He is a regular Fox All Stars panelist on Special Report with Bret Baier.

Before joining The Weekly Standard, Hayes was a senior writer for National Journal’s Hotline. He also served for six years as Director of the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University. His work has appeared in the New York Post, the Washington Times, Salon,National Review, and Reason. He has been a commentator on CNN, The McLaughlin Group, the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNBC, and C-SPAN.

A graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and DePauw University, Hayes was born and raised in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

Governor Scott Walker: Invited

Governor Walker’s tenure has focused on five priorities: growing the economy, developing the workforce, transforming education, reforming government and investing in infrastructure. Wisconsin’s fiscal house is in order and since taking office, Governor Walker’s reforms saved Wisconsin’s hard-working taxpayers over $3 billion and Governor Walker’s leadership provided $2 billion in tax relief to Wisconsin families, farmers, seniors, and small businesses.

Charlie Sykes, Event Emcee

Charlie Sykes hosts the political commentary and analysis show Midday with Charlie Sykes on WTMJ radio. His work can also be found onRight Wisconsin. Sykes is the author of seven books including most recently A Nation of Moochers — America’s addiction to getting something for nothing.

Ken Gronbach

Come explore the common sense, but very counter-intuitive and fascinating realm of demography. Ken Gronbach will bring you into his world of counting people. He is a marketer who has immersed himself in nineteen years of proprietary demographic research and his understanding of worldwide demographics, fertility, migration, aging, immigration and dying have enabled him to forecast societal, political, economic, cultural and commercial phenomena with uncanny accuracy. What nations are demographically doomed? How will the workforces change? What is the future of communications? How will our children’s children get their education? Will big data change marketing and branding forever? What is the fate of mass media? What countries and continents are demographically positioned to excel.

Agenda

Tuesday, February 23

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Welcome reception at the Madison Club

Wednesday, February 24

7:30 a.m. Registration & Partner Meetings

9:00 a.m. Welcome

9:15 a.m. Featured Speaker: Ken Gronbach

10:15 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Featured Speaker: Senator Ron Johnson

12:00 noon Lunch

12:15 p.m. Featured Speaker: Larry Kudlow

1:30 p.m. Featured Speaker: Stephen Hayes

2:15 p.m. Legislative Visits (by appointment only)

3:00 p.m. Featured Speaker: Governor Scott Walker

Town Square Chamber Publications and Custom Maps

Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber 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, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience 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. More information: Town Square Publications

Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. To request your publication proposal, Click here