5 Star Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Surpasses $250,000 Fundraising Goal for Its Future Forward Campaign
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC) announced it surpassed their Fundraising goal of $250,000.00 for its Future Forward Campaign.
The NACC launched their Future Forward campaign on January 1, 2018 with the goal of reaching $250,000 by December 31, 2018. This unprecedented campaign was created to update the NACC’s antiquated technology and communication capabilities, and to ensure the Chamber continues to effectively serve the Naperville area business community now and in the future.
“For 112 years the NACC has served as a resource for our business community, and we want to be around for another 112 years. That is why I am so grateful to the generosity of our business community who chose to invest in the future of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce,” said Nicki Anderson, President and CEO of the NACC.
“Prior to this campaign, the technology and communication tools we were using predated the invention of Twitter and Facebook. This campaign is vital to fulfill our mission and attract the next generation of business leaders. As President and CEO, I thank everyone for their support.”
Anita Knotts, Senior Vice President with Calamos Wealth Management, and NACC Board Member understands the impact of updating technology. “A contribution toward Future Forward’s goal of improving technology in the NACC’s work environment is an investment in efficiency, productivity and enhanced communication; which benefits ALL chamber members and the community.”
Over 50 donors contributed to the Future Forward campaign, and these donors represent businesses in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lisle and Naperville. The compilation of donors represents the diversity of the NACC Membership. Small, medium and large businesses contributed to the Future Forward Campaign with an understanding that if the technology and enhanced communication wasn’t updated, the organization and the community would suffer.
One investor, Bill Hayes, the CEO of Esser Hayes Insurance Group, said, “At Esser Hayes we were excited to help the chamber update its technology in order to continue to be great advocates for our business community.”
Doug Gerald, President of Gerald Automotive Group notes, “For over 70 years, the Gerald Family has been dedicated to making a positive change in the lives of others by supporting community and charitable organizations. As a 36-year Member of the Chamber, we know it is an integral part of our community. We believe in the good work they do and stand behind their efforts to keep our businesses and community strong and prosperous.”
Mayor Chirico has been a strong advocate of the Chamber and knows the impact of the success of the organization, “In today's competitive climate, being a forward-thinking community is the difference between success and failure. The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce led the way with their Future Forward campaign. This is not just a tag line or a branding effort...it's a way of thinking and it guides their actions and leads the business community into a prosperous future.”
As Anderson looks to starting her sixth year in 2019 with the Chamber, she knows the importance of this initiative. “I’m very proud of our success and raising these funds, but we had no choice. Businesses are very different today than they were 10 years ago. We must continue to be a relevant, innovative source for them. If our business community continues to thrive, so will our community. That’s a win-win.”
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce is the largest suburban Chamber in Illinois with an active membership of 1,200 organizations of every size and from every sector. The NACC promotes economic growth and advocacy in and around the Naperville area. For its efforts in promoting free enterprise and the business community, the Chamber has been recognized with 5-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, an honor bestowed on only 1 percent of Chambers, out of the nearly 7,000 in the nation. Visit www.naperville.net
Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber: Save the dates for these three Forecast Breakfasts!
Thank you for taking the time to read our weekly E-Newsletter! We hope you enjoy our new "Members in the News" section. Feel free to submit you news to us via our website at www.bbcc.com.
We're excited for 2019 and the programs, events and activities we have planned to assist our members in achieving their goals for the year. Let us know how we can assist you in reaching those goals!
Save the following dates for our upcoming forecast series.
- Jan 11, 2019 - Economic Forecast Breakfast
- Feb 22, 2019 - Real Estate Forecast Breakfast
- March 22, 2019 - Healthcare Forecast Breakfast
We are actively seeking sponsors for these events. If you are interested, see the information below for details or contact Kelly Bennett at kellyb@bbcc.com.
In Good Business,
The BBChamber Staff
Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2018 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory
The Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2018 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Krisann Durnford and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
Town Square Publications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
WMC/WCCE Washington DC Fly-in Feb. 12-13
Please mark your calendar for the 2019 WMC/WCCE Washington DC Fly-In for Wisconsin business and chamber of commerce leaders. The event, to be held February 12-13, is a great opportunity to discuss federal policies that directly and indirectly influence our local and state economies, like tax reform, regulatory relief, energy, health care, infrastructure investment, trade and immigration. WMC will arrange meetings, provide transportation to Capitol Hill, and host the Wisconsin Chamber Night Reception and Dinner on February 12. WMC plans to arrange briefings with the White House, the US Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, and every member of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation. This event will be exclusive to WMC and WCCE members. Please contact Susan Nyffenegger at snyffenegger@wmc.org to register!
Indiana Chamber lays out legislative agenda
Ranked among the Indiana Chamber of Commerce's legislative priorities is just what you would expect – fighting for increased workforce development funds and reducing business personal property taxes.
But there are other items that might not fit a traditional business focus – raising the age to buy cigarettes in Indiana, accelerating when the superintendent of public instruction becomes an appointed post.
And the big one – supporting a hate crimes law.
“A lot of business owners – especially small-business owners – would prefer they stick to business and economic issues. It has given the impression to some they are for big government,” said Micah Clark, executive director of the American Family Association of Indiana. “Many people are scratching their heads as to why they are going off course so much.”
But Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar bristles at the idea his organization has strayed outside its lane.
“All of these things we get involved in is because it has an economic impact and jobs connection,” he said. “The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has indeed been a driving force in making Indiana one of the best places to grow jobs and raise families and one of the best business climates in the country.”
Going back to 2012 when its Vision 2025 plan was created, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce has pushed agenda items that go beyond taxes and regulatory framework for its nearly 25,000 members.
And it has had mixed success.
Andrew Downs, head of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University Fort Wayne, said he noticed the phenomenon when the chamber became immersed in K-12 education issues.
“The overall logic is one that is sound – a good workforce is necessary for prosperity and growth, therefore the chamber should care about education,” he said.
The chamber has pushed for an appointed education chief for years. It is finally set to happen in 2025, but the chamber wants lawmakers to move that date up to 2021.
Brinegar said businesses pay more than half of the funds that go to K-12 education, and ultimately are the end users of the product – students – so their interest in a solid education system makes sense.
He also noted the chamber has pushed for the reduction of township government and fewer elected officials in general to help reduce government spending – and as a result lower taxes paid by businesses.
Brinegar said some people have asked why the chamber is involved in social issues. But he said it has only been in reaction to problems.
The chamber, for example, stayed out of the fight over same-sex marriage. But once the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act threw Indiana into the national spotlight and threatened jobs, the chamber stepped in to support a fix.
That clash led to the chamber supporting civil protections against discrimination for gay, lesbian and transgender Hoosiers in 2016 – though it didn't pass the Republican legislature.
“It's about our outward message and image,” Brinegar said.
Hate crimes legislation falls in the same category as Indiana is one of only five states without an explicit bias crime statute. And with a lack of skilled workers, Indiana businesses need to be able to attract talent here and feel welcome, Brinegar said. Read more: Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette
Murray Calloway County Chamber Preview: Infrastructure, bail reform among Kentucky chamber’s 2019 priorities
Representatives of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce met with local chamber members in Murray Friday morning to discuss priorities for the upcoming legislative session in Frankfort.
Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson was present, along with Senior Vice President of Membership and Development Kelly Wolf and Amy Cloud, executive director for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Michelle Bundren welcomed attendees and outlined some of the local chamber’s hopes for the 2019 General Assembly before introducing Adkisson. Bundren said Thursday’s news that $23 million would be awarded to Calloway County through the federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program in order to widen U.S. 641 South was a big win for Murray and Calloway County.
Bundren said the local chamber board was also happy to see the Tennessee Valley Authority in-lieu-of tax bill pass in Kentucky’s last legislative session, and members are hoping to see that money used for local economic development soon. Moving forward, the chamber wants to support Murray State University in any way they can, and they also support Gov. Matt Bevin’s Red Tape Initiative to eliminate more regulations for businesses.
Bundren said the chamber also wants to continue to support the Agriculture Development Fund and to promote industrial hemp as much as possible. She also mentioned that the chamber was lobbying to have non-profit organizations exempt from Kentucky’s recently enacted sales tax on services.
Citing a cold and a hoarse throat, Adkisson let Wolf do most of the talking Friday’s breakfast at the Marriott SpringHill Suites. Wolf talked about some chamber priorities that had been achieved in Kentucky since Republicans won a majority in the House of Representatives in 2016. In the 2017 session, the General Assembly passed right-to-work legislation and repealed the prevailing wage law. It also created medical review panels, voted to allow charter schools and to require “pension system transparency,” Wolf noted.
For 2018, Wolf highlighted the passage of pension reform and a tax reform law that moved Kentucky from the 39th best business tax climate in the country to 23rd, according to the Tax Foundation’s 2019 State Business Tax Climate Index. She said the legislature also passed a worker’s compensation law that will save businesses around 10 percent, as well as a law seeking to ensure that Kentucky students learn about “essential employment skills.” Also known as “soft skills,” they include showing up for work on time, dressing properly for interviews and for work, passing a drug test and working well in teams, among other attributes. Medical peer review was also passed this year, she said. Read more: Murray Ledger & Times
Take a look at $570 million in changes at the Port of Gulfport
Take a look at $570 million in changes at the Port of Gulfport
It’s been in the works since 2007 and now the $570 million restoration and expansion of the Port of Gulfport is complete.
A ribbon cutting and open house to mark the end of Phase I begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, outside in the north harbor of the port. After the speeches, free public tours of the port and the new USM Marine Research Center will be offered for all ages.
The tours will pass three massive gantry cranes that cost $10 million each and had to be brought from China since no American manufacturer makes them, said Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the port. They ultimately were responsible for Chiquita’s return to the port, he said.
The 31 projects, completed by 1,700 construction workers, came in $41 million under budget, Daniels said and were completed while the port was operating.
The north harbor and west side of the port were rebuilt at a cost of about $400 million. All of the tenant locations were expanded and 300,000 square feet of warehouse space was built, including 21,000 of chilled space.
Gulfport is the second largest green fruit port in the U.S., he said, and cargo unloaded in Gulfport travel by rail and truck as far east as Charleston, South Carolina, as far north as Chicago and as far west as Southern California.
It’s also one of 17 strategic ports in the U.S. authorized to handle military cargo.
“It’s a very different port than it was,” Daniels said. When he came to work at the port in June 2013, the restoration and expansion project was at about the half-way mark.
He was warned not to take the job, he said, was told Gulfport can’t compete with other ports in the Gulf of Mexico and that the feds were threatening to take the project away, Daniels said.
By then the port was elevated to 14 feet to safeguard it from future storm surges. In 2014, nine years after Hurricane Katrina and seven years after the project was obligated by Congress, construction was ready to begin.
What a difference cranes make
The rail-mounted gantry cranes arrived in 2016 and Daniels said “The cranes were absolutely critical,” to the return of Chiquita to Gulfport. The company that imports bananas left Gulfport for the Port of New Orleans. It returned two years later with a 40-year lease, and now is able to bring in ships that carry twice the amount of cargo into Gulfport, he said.
Before that the longest lease was 3 to 4 years, Daniels said. Now the shortest is 15 years. Crowley has options to extend that 15-year lease to 30, he said. Dole has a 23-year lease, McDermott 40 years, Island View Casino 50 years and Chemours, which expanded its operations by 82 percent and invested in new silos at the port, has a 60-year lease.
The port is much more diverse now, he said, and the reliance on revenue from the casino dropped from 57 percent to 32 percent this last year, he said, Read more: MEDC
A ribbon cutting and open house to mark the end of Phase I begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, outside in the north harbor of the port. After the speeches, free public tours of the port and the new USM Marine Research Center will be offered for all ages.
The tours will pass three massive gantry cranes that cost $10 million each and had to be brought from China since no American manufacturer makes them, said Jonathan Daniels, executive director of the port. They ultimately were responsible for Chiquita’s return to the port, he said.
The 31 projects, completed by 1,700 construction workers, came in $41 million under budget, Daniels said and were completed while the port was operating.
The north harbor and west side of the port were rebuilt at a cost of about $400 million. All of the tenant locations were expanded and 300,000 square feet of warehouse space was built, including 21,000 of chilled space.
Gulfport is the second largest green fruit port in the U.S., he said, and cargo unloaded in Gulfport travel by rail and truck as far east as Charleston, South Carolina, as far north as Chicago and as far west as Southern California.
It’s also one of 17 strategic ports in the U.S. authorized to handle military cargo.
“It’s a very different port than it was,” Daniels said. When he came to work at the port in June 2013, the restoration and expansion project was at about the half-way mark.
He was warned not to take the job, he said, was told Gulfport can’t compete with other ports in the Gulf of Mexico and that the feds were threatening to take the project away, Daniels said.
By then the port was elevated to 14 feet to safeguard it from future storm surges. In 2014, nine years after Hurricane Katrina and seven years after the project was obligated by Congress, construction was ready to begin.
What a difference cranes make
The rail-mounted gantry cranes arrived in 2016 and Daniels said “The cranes were absolutely critical,” to the return of Chiquita to Gulfport. The company that imports bananas left Gulfport for the Port of New Orleans. It returned two years later with a 40-year lease, and now is able to bring in ships that carry twice the amount of cargo into Gulfport, he said.
Before that the longest lease was 3 to 4 years, Daniels said. Now the shortest is 15 years. Crowley has options to extend that 15-year lease to 30, he said. Dole has a 23-year lease, McDermott 40 years, Island View Casino 50 years and Chemours, which expanded its operations by 82 percent and invested in new silos at the port, has a 60-year lease.
The port is much more diverse now, he said, and the reliance on revenue from the casino dropped from 57 percent to 32 percent this last year, he said, Read more: MEDC
Covington County 2017-2018 Chamber of Commerce Community Map
The Covington County Chamber of Commerce Community Map is available at the Covington County Chamber today! Thanks to Marie Shoemake and her team for their help and direction putting this together!
Virginia Bankers Association/Virginia Chamber Financial Forecast
Details
The 2019 Financial Forecast will take place on January 10 from noon - 2:00 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, bringing industry leaders together to discuss the economic future of our Commonwealth.
Economic forecasting has become an essential component to remaining successful and profitable in today's economic environment. The Virginia Bankers Association and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce share a desire to help prepare Virginia's business community for what lies ahead for Virginia's economy and the national economy.
2019 Financial Forecast Speakers
Ángel Cabrera, President, George Mason University
James E. Glassman, JPMorgan Chase & Co. | Chase Commercial Banking
Interested in Sponsoring?
Learn more about the sponsorship levels here. Contact Kristen Reid at kreid@vabankers.org to sponsor.
Individual Ticket Purchase
Individual tickets can be purchased for $75 here. More Information: Virginia Chamber
Good morning #ChamberWorld! It's going to be a GREAT day!
Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.
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. 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, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal
