In this perennial bestseller, embraced by organizations and industries worldwide, globally preeminent management thinkers W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne challenge everything you thought you knew about the requirements for strategic success. Recognized as one of the most iconic and impactful strategy books ever written, Blue Ocean Strategy, now updated with fresh content from the authors, argues that cutthroat competition results in nothing but a bloody red ocean of rivals fighting over a shrinking profit pool. Based on a study of 150 strategic moves (spanning more than 100 years across 30 industries), the authors argue that lasting success comes not from battling competitors but from creating “blue oceans”―untapped new market spaces ripe for growth.
Blue Ocean Strategy presents a systematic approach to making the competition irrelevant and outlines principles and tools any organization can use to create and capture their own blue oceans. This expanded edition includes:
- A new preface by the authors: Help! My Ocean Is Turning Red
- Updates on all cases and examples in the book, bringing their stories up to the present time
- Two new chapters and an expanded third one ― Alignment, Renewal, and Red Ocean Traps ― that address the most pressing questions readers have asked over the past 10 years
A landmark work that upends traditional thinking about strategy, this bestselling book charts a bold new path to winning the future. Consider this your guide to creating uncontested market space―and making the competition irrelevant. Read more: Blue Ocean Strategy
Noak To Give Romeoville State Of The Village Address
Romeoville Mayor John Noak will present the 28th annual State of the Village Address Tuesday, Feb. 13 at the Edward Hospital Athletic and Event Center, 55 Phelps Ave. The Romeoville Chamber of Commerce event is slated for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., including a luncheon.
Cost to attend is $50 for chamber members and $70 for non-members. Seating begins at 11:30 followed by lunch at noon.
Guests can RSVP and pay to reserve their spot by calling 815-886-2076 by Feb. 6 or register online. Advance registration online, no "walk ins" accepted. Read more: Patch.com
Logansport-Cass County State of the city, county lunch planned
Logansport-Cass County State of the city, county lunch planned
The annual State of the City and County luncheon hosted by the Logansport-Cass County Chamber of Commerce will take place Wednesday, Jan. 17.
The luncheon, at Angie’s Catering and Cakes, 1007 17th St., will spotlight local leaders’ plans for the coming year. Cass County commissioners and Logansport’s Mayor Dave Kitchell will address those in attendance.
The event will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and tickets are $22 per person. Reservations should be made by Wednesday, Jan. 10 either on the chamber’s website, logan-casschamber.com, or by calling the chamber at 574-753-6388.
There are all sorts of axioms, proverbs and “old sayings” that underscore a very basic truism – it’s better to be in on the front end of a decision than trying to reverse or work around it once made.
It’s certainly true in business. A day rarely goes by that owners, stockholders, managers, employees and customers aren’t impacted by laws, regulations, administrative orders, zoning rules, health codes, policy decisions or other action taken somewhere on how they do business. Unfortunately, most of those business people spend their time doing their jobs and growing their companies. It’s difficult for them to keep track of all the things going on at a local city hall, a state capital or in Congress affecting business and commerce – much less offer a meaningful voice in how those decisions are made.
That’s why it’s important for business people to stay involved in organizations that work on their behalf. The Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce has been in existence for more than 100 years. It, along with its parent organization TraverseCONNECT, has always considered business advocacy among its top priorities. It’s also prided itself in seeking non-partisan approaches to business and community challenges and opportunities, creating strong alliances with representatives across the political spectrum. The Chamber has also been an impact player on issues that some may not immediately associate with the business bottom line, immersed in areas including early childhood development and child care, innovative community growth and development, energy, education, public transportation and others.
That work is more important now than ever. In 2018 and beyond TraverseCONNECT, primarily but not exclusively through the Chamber and the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, will be accelerating and intensifying those efforts to make sure the region’s business sector maintains a strong, consistent and impactful voice with local, state and federal decision makers.
Among the new initiatives to implement those measures is the formation of a Political Action Committee (PAC) by TraverseCONNECT. The PAC, to be directed by an advisory committee that reports to the TraverseCONNECT board of directors, will support candidates and issues that strengthen northern Michigan’s economy and the businesses that power our region. It’s a common sense step in the evolution of TraverseCONNECT as an economic development catalyst. It is important to note that the PAC is completely separate from any of TraverseCONNECT’s subsidiaries, including the Chamber. All PAC expenditures and administrative expenses will be paid by separate contributions made directly to the PAC. No dues or other types of investments in the Chamber or TraverseCONNECT will be used for PAC activities, or expenditures to candidates or issue campaigns.
We will continue to work with elected and appointed leaders on both sides of the aisle to advocate for our members. Despite great strides being made in growing the Grand Traverse area’s economy, the business sector too often finds itself on the defensive against anti-business rhetoric and initiatives that would be harmful to job creators and their employees, as well as to the communities in which we live.
With the alliance, we’ll keep pursuing our highly effective “one size does not fit all” legislative advocacy strategy that’s gotten the attention of lawmakers both in Lansing and in Washington. We’ve successfully convinced our legislators the region needs right-sized solutions that can be effective in rural, less-populated areas for issues like economic development incentives, housing development, education and child care. People inside the Lansing beltway tell us that the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance is among the more influential business organizations in the state capitol. Our intent is to build on that momentum going forward.
So it’s an ambitious agenda that lies ahead – but a critical one if we want to keep northwest Michigan on an economic upswing. We’ve successfully carved out a seat at the decision-making tables, and it’s time to be an even stronger voice for business.
Doug Luciani is CEO of TraverseCONNECT, a regional economic development organization that includes the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, Venture North, and TraverseCONNECT Development, Inc. Contact him atdoug@TraverseCONNECT.org.
Illinois state finances, economy dominated local news in 2017
The end of the state budget standoff in July helped thaw the icy feelings of economic gloom that enveloped Springfield for the previous two years. Of course, the long-awaited budget deal hasn’t immediately solved the city’s financial challenges. Springfield’s ongoing efforts to dig itself out of the abyss — along with crime, the opioid crisis and an unexpected death — dominated local headlines throughout the year.
Here are our selections for the most significant local news stories of 2017:
1. State budget approved, local economy begins recovery
Sangamon County employers were in a little better mood by the fall 2017.
An end to a two-year state budget stalemate was thought to be a key factor behind the improvement in the Economic Outlook Survey released in November by University of Illinois Springfield and The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. The survey of more than 230 employers found 55 percent expected improve sales in the coming year compared with 46 percent in the fall of 2016, while 32 percent expected to add workers compared with 27 percent a year earlier. Despite the overall improvement, nearly 60 percent said state finances would remain a top concern in the coming year.
Springfield unemployment remained among the lowest in the state and home sales were expected to finish ahead of 2016. But a series of regional planning reports raised long-term concerns about slow population, income and job growth. An October study commissioned by Sangamon County called for a major overhaul of local economic-development efforts through creation of a new economic development corporation.
National retail cutbacks that began in December 2016 with the shut down of Kmart on Wabash Avenue carried into 2017 with the loss of major names such as Gander Mountain, OfficeMax, Staples, HHGregg, Smashburger, The Limited, Family Christian Store and the Dress Barn. Major renovation of the former Kmart space and the adjoining Sherwood Plaza began within weeks of the big-box shutdown with a series of new tenants opened in 2017, including Binny’s Beverage Depot and OrangeTheory Fitness. Outback Steakhouse and Burlington Coat Factory expected to open in 2018. Read more: Springfield Journal Register
Historic Downtown Bardstown
- Home to dozens of locally-owned restaurants and shops.
- More than 300 buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, with nearly 200 in the downtown district.
- Bardstown is rich in religious heritage attractions, including the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, the first Catholic cathedral west of the Allegheny Mountains, and the Abbey of Gethsemani.
- Founded in 1780, Bardstown is Kentucky’s second-oldest city.
- In 1789, bourbon was discovered by Baptist minister Elijah Craig.
- Population: 11,242 (2010 census).
Story Ideas
Stephen Foster (July 4, 1826 – Jan. 13, 1864)
- The “father of American music” Stephen Collins Foster
- Wrote 286 works in less than 20 years
- Composed the songs “Oh! Susanna,” “Camptown Races,” “Beautiful Dreamer” and Kentucky’s state song, “My Old Kentucky Home”
- His story and music live on at My Old Kentucky Home and the outdoor, Broadway-style musical The Stephen Foster Story. at the park’s amphitheater
- Interview: Johnny Warren, Managing Artistic Director at Stephen Foster Productions, JohnnyW@StephenFoster.com, 800-626-1563; 502-348-5971
Julia Wickliffe Beckhan: The Woman Behind Three Governors
- Julia is the only woman in the world to be the mother, sister and daughter of a governor.
- All is revealed during Tea at Wickland, the home where she was born in 1835. She was married to Kentucky legislator William Netherton Beckham.
- Interview: Manager/Historian/Author Dixie Hibbs, DixieH@bardstowncable.net, 502-507-0808
Museum Treasures
- The Civil War Museums of the Western Theater at Old Bardstown Village houses artifacts such as a doctor’s field kit, amputation saws, the drums of the 10- and 11-year-old drummer boys, soldiers’ letters to home.
- Ranked one of the top four Civil War museums in the nation.
- Exhibits also include battle flags, maps, weapons, photographs, writings, authentic Civil War uniforms and cannons, among them a 12-lb. mountain Howitzer belonging to Eli Lilly’s 18th Indiana artillery and a one-pounder smoothbore cannon.
- Interview: Manager Kenneth Johnson, MuseumRow@bardstowncable.net, 502-349-0291
Kentucky Railway Museum
- Located in New Haven (a short drive from Bardstown)
- The only train-related attraction in the state with both a model layout and train excursions
- See exhibits and climb aboard a restored passenger train, the L&N 152, on a 22-mile excursion through the Rolling Fork River Valley
- 5,000-square-foot museum is a replica of the original brick L&N New Haven depot and holds more than 70 pieces of rail equipment, dining car exhibit, and a display of steam locomotive whistles
Details: Lynn Kustes, Marketing Director, LKustes2546@gmail.com, 800-272-0152, 502-549-5470
Bourbon Immersion Experience
- Bardstown is the Bourbon Capital of the World® and an official trailhead of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®
- Visit one or more of seven (soon to be nine) bourbon distilleries
- Shop the Kentucky Bourbon Marketplace
- Eat, drink and sleep at the luscious Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast
- Visit Whisky Magazine’s Attraction of the Year: Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History
Bardstown Ghost Treks
- Led by internationally known Certified Ghost Hunter Patti Starr
- 2-hour tours features visits to Old Talbott Tavern, Jailer’s Inn and Pioneer Cemetery
- Saturdays June through October
Holy Land Experience
- The towns of Bardstown, Lebanon and Springfield together make Kentucky’s Holy Land
- Includes the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, the Abbey of Gethsemani, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Motherhouse and the Bardstown Art Gallery/Thomas Merton Bookstore
- Visit KyHolyLand.org, that lists all the things to see and do
A Town of Bed and Breakfast Inns
- Bardstown’s home away from home options include inns, cottages, Antebellum mansions, Victorian Painted Ladies, a 1700s restored log home, a working farm, plantation home and winery, historic tavern (America’s oldest Western stagecoach stop), cottage hideaways and a jail cell and jailer’s residence with prisoner courtyard
Scott Waller named MEC president and CEO
Scott Waller, who has been serving as interim head of the Mississippi Economic Council for eight months, is now president and CEO of the state’s chamber of commerce.
The appointment was announced at MEC Capital Day 2018, where over 1,000 business and community leaders from across Mississippi joined with legislators and state leaders to discuss the upcoming legislative agenda. Waller, who has been with MEC for more than 11 years, had been serving in the interim capacity since the retirement of Blake Wilson in June.
“Scott has had an integral role in the growth of MEC over the last 10 years and has done an outstanding job in leading us through our transition period over the last eight months,” William Yates III, 2017-2018 MEC chairman and CEO/president of W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Co., said in a news release. “We look forward to the future of MEC as he leads us in helping to grow Mississippi’s economy as the voice of the business community.” Read more: Ledger-Clarion
New Danville-Pittsylvania County chamber leader has ‘genuine passion for our region’
Alexis Ehrhardt’s mother instilled in her the importance of education, public service and making a difference in her community.
“She was someone who valued inclusion and equity over just about everything else,” Ehrhardt, a Rockville, Maryland, native, said during an interview at her office at Averett University on Thursday morning. “She used to take me to marches in [Washington] D.C. and strap a billboard on me.”
On Jan. 2, Ehrhardt, 39, will apply what she has learned from her late mother and throughout her career on a region-wide scale when she becomes the new president and CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce.
Ehrhardt, the executive director of Averett’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness, was announced as the chamber’s new director Dec. 6.
“Alexis has such a genuine passion for our region,” Chamber Board President Bert Eades said in the written announcement to chamber members. “The combination of this passion and her proven track record of organizational leadership impressed everyone on the search committee.”
Ehrhardt, current president of Riverview Rotary, holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies and Spanish — with a minor in history — from Emory University, a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Virginia and a doctorate in leadership studies from Lynchburg College.
“My parents believed in serving your community and in educational excellence,” she said.
Ehrhardt will replace Laurie Moran, who died of cancer in June at 56. Moran was president and CEO of the chamber since 2002. Betty Jo Foster has served as interim president since Moran’s death. Read more: GoDanRiver.com
Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce board of directors has named Taylor Pedersen president/CEO
Superior-Douglas County Chamber of Commerce board of directors has named Taylor Pedersen president/CEO to replace David Minor, who resigned in July 2017 to accept the CEO position at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce. Pedersen has been with the chamber since 2013, serving as director of the Visitors Bureau and Member Services. He has held the interim role since July. Prior to joining the chamber, Pedersen was general manager of Synergy Wireless, finance manager of the Superior Housing Authority and owner/operator of an American Family insurance agency, all in Superior. Read more: Duluth News Tribune
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