Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber event: Economists look at the health of Michigan and U.S. coffers; 'I don't rough it anymore': Winter tips from survivors of Chicago area's coldest day; Cary Grove Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner at Avante Banquets and Conference Center; South Suburban Chamber of Commerce 2018 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory; Greater Louisville Inc. HOT & FAST INNOVATION AWARDS; Hampton Roads Chamber: 2019 Economic Forecast; New reports place Wausau ranked top city in Wisconsin for job growth; ‘This is our moment’: Tech firm’s Delta move lifts hopes of economic revival in region; Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Profile Guide; McDermott to tell Lakeshore Chamber about 'exciting plans'; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!

Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber event: Economists look at the health of Michigan and U.S. coffers

When it comes to how Michigan and our nation’s economy will fare in 2019, there’s plenty of data to suggest that we’ll continue to have growth above trend.

But if we’ve learned anything from the past few years, it would be to expect the unexpected.

“The economy is in turmoil. There’s hard data we’ve been able to follow — though with the government shutdown it’ll be harder to get the hard data — that says the economy is doing well,” said Paul Traub, senior business economist for the Federal Reserve Bank’s Chicago/Detroit branch. “And then there’s soft data, financial market information, that’s kind of saying maybe it’s not doing so well.”

Traub’s ambiguous analysis kicked off the annual Economic Forecast Jan. 11, hosted by the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce at the Bloomfield Open Hunt Club. The chamber invited members and community professionals to breakfast and networking, highlighted by remarks from economic experts who shared opinions on what the business world can expect for Michigan’s financial state in 2019.

Traub was joined by Alyssa Tracey, business development manager for retention and growth at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. She honed in on what Traub’s national analysis could mean for Michigan, and what the MEDC is doing to promote growth in several sectors, including automotive, medical and technology.

Tariffs and tech and interest rates — oh my!
After his introduction, Traub went into detail on why it’s tough to determine where the 2019 economy will take the United States, sorting through hard data, which shows a strong end to 2018 and optimistic consumer sentiment, according to a study from the University of Michigan, but also anxiety on Wall Street stemming from “instability in Washington, D.C.”

That instability, he explained, comes by way of trade tariffs, a shaky future for the North American Free Trade Agreement, rising debt and other factors. But that’s countered, he explained, by lower commodity prices and a good climate for businesses.

There’s still so much work to be done, though, according to Traub. Interest rates need to return to a higher, more sustainable level; Washington needs to get a handle on debt so younger tax contributors aren’t just servicing debt; and even though efficiency in business might seem great, it can cut into employment health.

“We’ve cut investment in human capital to the quick, and we’re going to pay for that. We need to start thinking about that if we really want this country to grow again,” Traub said. “And it’s not that the cost of education is going up — my wife is a college professor, and I don’t see her (income) going up — it’s who’s paying for it.”

No need to tell that to an autoworker, with news of layoffs at General Motors striking fear into the Motor City. But outsourcing isn’t entirely to blame.

“A lot of jobs that were going to be lost were going to be lost anyway, because we’ve been increasing productivity. That’s what businesses try to do. How can we make it better and cheaper?” Traub explained. “Those auto jobs weren’t shipped away as much as they were automated.”

None of that particularly worries Traub, though. It’s the yield curve that as of late has been hinting at the possibility of another recession. But unlike the recession of the ’90s, caused by the savings and loan crisis, the dot-com crash of 2001 and the subprime loan crisis of 2008, it’s hard to say what might cause the next economic burst. How bad that dive might be, in the event it occurs, is up for debate.

“There’s at least a dozen things that are bothering me. I could pin instability in Washington for a lot of them,” Traub said.

Birmingham-Bloomfield shines in community vitality

While the rest of the country is making slow strides forward and up, Michigan is arguably working at a slightly quicker pace, according to Tracey.

“In the past eight years, there’s been dramatic progress,” she said. “Some of the key points to this economic resurgence include lower taxes and improved collaboration among units of government that resulted in attracting and maintaining private investment.”

She went on to show the crowd how Michigan is currently leading the nation in manufacturing jobs, with about 138,700 new manufacturing jobs to boast in the past eight years.

Michigan also takes the top spot in the Midwest for private sector work — that puts the state at seventh in the country — with just over half a million new jobs. Oh, and Michigan is No. 3 in the nation for tech sector jobs. There’s been a 42 percent increase in startups over the past five years here.

“We’re not only a national, but a world leader in development and testing of autonomous vehicle technologies,” sTracey said.

At the MEDC, the goal is to keep that momentum pushing forward by acting as a resource for existing and future businesses and industries while highlighting for potential companies why Michigan is a great place to be to make money. From rural areas to urban hubs, or from “Marquette to Monroe,” as Tracey said, there’s a campaign to boost awareness for every state resource — tech talent, agricultural, tourism, etc.

And Oakland County is doing even better, she said, with a very low level of occupancy vacancies for business sites. The Eagle’s coverage area is especially attractive for businesses and families alike. Communities can support that success by making sure municipalities create welcoming development practices and, in more rural areas, equipping available properties with utilities necessary to operate.

“A strong, vital community is a place where people want to live, and investors notice this and see us as a great place to locate and expand,” Tracey said. “People with a range of talents want to move into interesting and vital communities. ... I live right off Woodward, between 13 and 14 (Mile roads), and I don’t think there’s a more prime example than right here in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area as the intersection of place and talent. This is where people want to live, and this is where people want to work.” Read more: C and G News

'I don't rough it anymore': Winter tips from survivors of Chicago area's coldest day

Scott Perz knows exactly where he was on the coldest day ever recorded in the Chicago area.
Outside at a ski jumping competition, of course.

It was Jan. 20, 1985, and intrigued by the prospect of an Olympic sport such as ski jumping, Perz and his wife, Catherine, bundled their 2-year-old son Brent and headed from their home in McHenry to Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove.

There, with little Brent in a wooden sled trailing behind, the Perz family shivered and shook on a day when the low hit minus 27 degrees and sustained winds around 25 mph brought the wind chill to 60 below.

Their experience was featured as part of the front-page coverage of the record-breaking temperatures in the next day's Daily Herald.

"It was awful," Catherine Perz recalled 34 years later, as the area again braced for extreme -- and possibly record-breaking -- cold.

"You try to forget how cold it was," her husband said.

But record books remember.

Early in the morning of Jan. 20, 1985, the National Weather Service thermometer at O'Hare International Airport displayed its coldest reading ever.

Since that temperature of 27 degrees below zero, Chicago came closest to the record when the mercury fell to minus 21 degrees on Jan. 18, 1994. Since that cold snap, the most frigid temperature residents have experienced came about two decades later, when it was minus 16 during the "Polar Vortex" on Jan. 6, 2014.

Now the National Weather Service predicts temperatures could tie or break the 1985 record on Wednesday or Thursday morning. The forecast led Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue a disaster declaration and put in place an emergency preparedness plan to help the state deal with the fallout.

Lows on Wednesday could range from minus 18 to minus 27, while the warmest part of the day is predicted to bring a reading of minus 13. Thursday looks to offer much of the same, with forecast lows of minus 20 to minus 35 and a predicted high of 0.

Mark Stephan of Hoffman Estates, who was featured in the Herald's 1985 coverage as he tried to help start his neighbor's car, said he knows how to handle it. He'll use tricks similar to the method he employed decades ago, when his car -- warmed by a plug-in electric heater -- was the only one that would start among all the vehicles of everyone he knew in his Palatine apartment complex.

"I was born and raised on a dairy farm, and that was something we used on tractors," Stephan, now 63, said about the heater method. "We were used to those kind of temperatures." Read more: Daily Herald



Cary Grove Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner at Avante Banquets and Conference Center

Thank you to all the members who were able to join us at Avante' Banquets and Conference Center on Friday for one of the best Annual Dinners we have hosted! It was truly a wonderful evening and fun was had be all! More pictures are available on the Cary-Grove Chamber Facebook page or by clicking here.

Congratulations to our 2018 Cary-Grove Chamber of Commerce Award winners:

Leadership Award: Mike Spagnola of Edge Fitness and Performance
Board Member of the Year: Sean Wheeler of Picket Fence Realty
New Member of the Year: Golden Eagle Community Bank
Certificate of Excellence: Village of Cary
Certificate of Excellence: Village of Fox River Grove
Certificate of Excellence: Linda Barrett of lindambarrettproductions
Certificate of Excellence: Leo and Sharon Floiro The Tracks Bar and Grill
Emerging Leader Award: Brandy Benyo of Tranquility Wellness Studio
Event Sponsor of the Year: Cary Travel Express
Event Sponsor of the Year: Cary Bank and Trust
Chamber Member of the Year: Stryker
Chamber Member of the Year: True Value Manufacturing

Thank you to the event committee:
Ann Johnson of TOBG Engraving, Brandy Benyo of Tranquility Wellness Studio, Debbie Strand of Deborah Strand Designs, Ellen McAlpine of Envoy Mortgage, Kathy Ewing of Music Connections, Karen Mitch of Andrew Szocka, P.C., Attorneys & Counselors at Law, Lesley Franklin of Sage YMCA of Metro Chicago, Linda Barrett of lindambarrett productions and Lisa Raupp of Mary Kay Cosmetics

Thank you to our Sponsors and Table Sponsors: Andrew Szocka, P.C., Attorneys & Counselors at Law, Cary Bank & Trust, Deborah Strand Designs, Repta Realty Group, Stryker, True Value Manufacturing Company, Village of Cary and Women in Business Networking Group

And, finally a huge thank you to all the Chamber businesses that contributed items to the silent auction. Your generosity is truly appreciated and the silent auction was a huge success!

2019 Cary-Grove Chamber Board of Directors
Board President Sean Wheeler-Picket Fence Realty
Vice President Russ Gruber of Nationwide Insurance
Treasurer Brandy Benyo of Tranquility Wellness Studio
Past President Mike Spagnola of Edge Fitness & Performance

Directors:
Ann Johnson-TOBG Engraving
David Miller-Lake Julian Contracting Inc.
Dr. Pete Lovato-Northern Illinois Foot & Ankle Specialist, Ltd
Ellen McAlpine-Envoy Mortgage-Ellen McAlpine
Heidi Entzminger-Malooley Chiropractic
Jean Pierce-Cary Area Public Library District
Jeff Valentino-La Pizza Via
John Cosmos-CynJon Technologies
Josh Scheiblein-Douglas Automotive
Karen Mitch-Andrew Szocka, P.C., Attorneys & Counselors at Law
Kimberly Mitchem-The Goddard School
Lesley Franklin-Sage YMCA of Metro Chicago
Linda Barrett-lindambarrett productions
Lisa Raupp-Mary Kay Cosmetics
Phil Horn-State Farm-The Phil Horn Agency
Rick Eisenlauer-Stryker
Scott Lind-Assurity Home Inspections, LLC
Shannon Morreale-State Farm Agency
Sumish Parikh-Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins
Susan Jensen-Periwinkle Florist


South Suburban  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 Barbara Wesener and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! 

South Suburban Chamber 2018 Community and Visitor Guide

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.

Greater Louisville Inc. HOT & FAST INNOVATION AWARDS

Thursday, January 31, 2019 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM EST

The Gillespie (The Loft): 421 West Market 
Louisville, KY 40202

Join us at EnterpriseCorp's Hot & Fast Innovation Showcase honoring the region’s most innovative companies. 

The Hot & Fast Showcase is a celebration of the individuals in our community that are enabling ideas through entrepreneurship. Come learn more about these hometown early-stage companies and fast growth “gazelles” that we believe are positioned to change the world.

Registration: $10 | Pay At the Door Individual Ticket: $15



Hampton Roads Chamber: 2019 Economic Forecast

The Hampton Roads Chamber means business and works to be an impactful advocate, powerful economic partner, and inspiring ignitor for the region. The Hampton Roads Chamber and the Old Dominion University Strome College of Business have partnered to present the 2019 Economic Forecast on January 30th.

Presenters Dr. Vinod Agarwal and Dr. Rob McNab will address your concerns, answer questions and arm you with the knowledge to plan in today's economic climate. They will address the economic impact of the government shutdown, what Amazon coming to Northern Virginia means for Hampton Roads and where our region’s economy is headed in 2019.

Vinod Agarwal, Director of the Economic Forecasting Project and Professor of Economics, ODU, and Robert McNab, Director of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy and Professor of Economics, ODU will present the regional and statewide economic forecasts.


Date: Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Time: 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Location: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel
777 Waterside Dr.
Norfolk, VA 23510

About the Hampton Roads Chamber

The Hampton Roads Chamber is the Region’s premier business organization; helping businesses succeed, drive regional economic growth, and enhance the quality of life of our community’s residents. The Chamber is a vigorous advocate for the economic success of its member businesses, which employ nearly 250,000 men and women in Southeastern Virginia.

New reports place Wausau ranked top city in Wisconsin for job growth

 A new study claims Wausau is the top city for the most job growth.

While there may be opportunities for work, experts said there is just not enough people to fill those positions.

“Collectively, in this region, we are doing very well,” said Dave Eckmann, President and CEO of the Wausau Chamber of Commerce.

Eckmann said the ranking didn’t come as a surprise to him; however, it is bittersweet with too many jobs being available and not enough people to fill them.

“It makes sense, but it’s encouraging because what we are experiencing is that we have a severe labor shortage so we have a lot of job growth, but it outlines the importance of our community to be something bigger and vibrant to attract people here,” Eckmann said.

News 9 sat down with the market leader for Man Power in Wausau, a staffing agency that helps people secure jobs.

“I can speak for here at our Man Power office that, at any given time, we have 20 to 40 different open positions across many different skill sets,” said Christina Lammerding.

However, that labor shortage is still an issue for staffing agencies like Man Power.

“It used to take, to fill a open position, 2 months, lets say. Now, it takes twice the amount,” Lammerding said.

But Lammerding said employers are getting more creative to lure in workers.

“A lot more companies have to utilize on-the-job training or really being open to investing,” Lammerding said. “The good thing is Wausau has a market that really wants to do that; employers want to do a lot more hands-on training.” WAOW

‘This is our moment’: Tech firm’s Delta move lifts hopes of economic revival in region

Communities across the Mississippi Delta continue to battle with issues that have plagued their towns for decades... In order to progress and revitalize, local leaders here say, it’s important to acknowledge the past, but work collaboratively to move forward.

For Coahoma County — with an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent, the lowest it has seen in almost 30 years, according to data from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, and 34.8 percent of residents living in poverty — the key to moving forward is providing employment opportunities for the 23,000 people who call the county home.

Leaders in the region say there is hope that efforts to improve employment options are starting to bear fruit.

On March 19, Jon Levingston, the executive director of the Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce, announced that an existing plant, MAP of Easton Inc. — a sound insulation company — had created 40 new jobs. In July, the Clarksdale Press Register reported that the number of employees increased to 101, amid hopes of adding 40 more employees over the next year and a half.

And last week, Levingston announced that with the help of a Silicon Valley-based company, citizens here and in neighboring counties can anticipate up to 200 more jobs over the next two years.

“For so many years there are those who say the best days of the Delta are behind us, the future is bleak, crime is up and we’re depopulating — our opportunities educationally and financially are diminishing,” said Levingston on Dec. 18 at the Coahoma Community College pinnacle. “I say to those people, today we turn the tide. … Today we announce a company that will invest in Clarksdale bec

Technology company PeopleShores will start training an initial 25 people starting January 2019. Pay ranges from $10 to $15 per hour. A job fair is planned at the facility — the current Chamber of Commerce building on Desoto Avenue — Jan. 3. Applications for the positions, all full-time, can be made through the WIN Job Center in Clarksdale, or at the job fair. Read more: Mississippi Today


Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Profile Guide

The Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Profile Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Greater Belleville Chamber! Thanks to Wendy Pfeil and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Belleville IL Community Profile Guide

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.



McDermott to tell Lakeshore Chamber about 'exciting plans'

The Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce will host Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. at a Jan. 31 event where the mayor will address recent successes, such as the Hammond SportsPlex and the lakefront data center under construction at the former State Line Generating Plant site, and go over what's next for the city.

McDermott will tell the chamber of commerce for Hammond and East Chicago about the highlights of 2018 and "exciting plans for Hammond in 2019" at 12 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Dynasty Banquet Center, 4125 Calumet Ave. in Hammond. Networking starts at 11:30 a.m.

The four-term mayor, the longest-serving in Hammond history, will give a presentation about the state of the city before the crowd of local business leaders, and then take questions from the public.

Tickets to the chamber luncheon cost $30 in advance and must be purchasecd in advance. For more information or tickets, call the Lakeshore Chamber office at 219-931-1000 or email Monique Ruiz at monique@lakeshorechamber.com. Read more: NWI Times

Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!

Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps 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 Or you can call John Dussman aT 847-427-4633.