Chamber Best practices: Banner year for Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
In 2015, a stronger Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce plans to help foster regional entrepreneurship and find ways to retain young Peninsula talent, the incoming board chairman said.
"We have a renewed and vibrant Chamber here on the Peninsula now," said 2015-2016 Board Chairman Robert Shuford Jr., chief operating officer for Old Point National Bank. "We're at a point now where we can take an external focus. We are a strong and influential player in the region. What can we do or bring to the table to raise the bar for the Peninsula?"
Now that the Chamber is financially stable, Shuford and Chamber leaders would like to help tackle regionwide issues and barriers to growing business, particularly as Hampton Roads needs to diversify away from defense contracts since sequestration will continue to be a threat over the next several years.
Some next steps will include taking a closer look at the reasons behind the region's low startup rate and bringing business and municipality leaders together to work on them, Shuford said. Read more: Daily Press
Indiana Chamber of Commerce focused on seven priorities for upcoming legislative session
Area business leaders received a preview of potential hot topics during the upcoming 2015 Indiana Legislature session when Kevin Brinegar, president and CEO of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, spoke at Oak Hill Mansion in Carmel.Chamber of commerce members from throughout Hamilton County attended the Dec. 12 breakfast, as did Donna Schaibley, recently named to replace Steve Braun as state representative from District 24 that covers parts of Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville and Sheridan.
Brinegar, a Noblesville resident who has been ICC president for 12 years, said his group is focused on seven priorities in the areas of education, infrastructure, labor relations and taxation, where its eight lobbyists will monitor and attempt to influence legislation.
Brinegar said the ICC would still like to see the state’s business property tax completely eliminated, “but it won’t be this year.” In the meantime, the ICC is behind legislation to have businesses that pay less than $200 annually in the tax be freed from doing so. He said that would cut more than half of the state’s 270,000 business filers off the list, yet it would only see a $10 million decrease in business property tax revenue of the $6.7 billion generated annually. Read more: Current in Fishers
Chamber of Commerce details Kentucky job surge
Kentucky added manufacturing jobs at more than twice the national rate over the last five years and the average pay for those employees grew faster than the national average, according to a economic study released Monday.
Overall, Kentucky added jobs in all industries at a slightly slower rate (5.6 percent) than the nation as a whole (6.3 percent), but surpassed the job-growth rate of most of its bordering states.
In addition, Jefferson County added nearly 30,000 jobs between June 2009, when the state and the country began emerging from the prolonged recession, and June 2014 — nearly twice the number of new jobs added during that time in Lexington-Fayette County. Read more: The Courier-Journal
Chamber Tweet of the Day: Illinois Chamber
Illinois Chamber
The Chamber opposed Secure Choice Savings Program for several reasons. Details in this @wics_abc20 story: http://www.wics.com/news/top-stories/stories/vid_20462.shtml …
Wrigley explains east-west connections of North Dakota economy at Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber event
Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley peered through a borrowed pair of reading glasses and ticked off the price of oil over the past several months.
If current low oil prices persist and trigger a reduction in taxes, it could have an estimated $5 billion-plus impact on the state's budget, he said.
Plus, every dollar average is a $100 million shift in the state’s revenue picture, Wrigley said.
It’s a sobering picture as the state Legislature convenes Tuesday, even as it also signals the role the state has played in increasing America’s energy independence.
“This is the goal, but also the reality,” Wrigley said Monday morning at a Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce event. Read more: InForum.com
Chamber incentives: Sanderson Farms draws interest from surrounding Arkansas counties and Virginia
Sanderson Farms fielded interest from surrounding counties and from Virginia as the company eyed Fayetteville for a $95 million chicken plant last year, documents released Monday showed.
Sampson, Hoke, Robeson and Harnett counties offered sites to the Mississippi-based company, which wanted to build a plant in the Cedar Creek industrial park, according to an incentives package presented to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. The plant would have employed nearly 1,000 workers at an average of $10.84 an hour.
The commissioners voted Monday to move on from the project after commissioners heard from staff of the Economic Development Alliance on the incentives package.
Pic Billingsley, director of development and engineering for Sanderson Farms, said the company is now weighing several options for a new chicken plant site.
"We've got several different options available to us that we will be looking into," Billingsley said. "So it would be premature for me to speculate on that at this point."
Sanderson Farms is likely to want a similar incentives package to the one proposed by the Economic Development Alliance, an arm of the Fayetteville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Read more: Fayobserver.com
Greater Brookfield (Wisconsin) Chamber of Commerce continues to add new members
“Businesses in the region continue to recognize the value of the exceptional networking offered by the GBCC, and our membership continues to grow,” said Carol White, president and CEO of the GBCC. “Our board of directors, ambassadors council, and our members are committed to helping each business develop and grow.”
“We are also pleased to be recognized as the fourth largest chamber of commerce in Southeastern Wisconsin by The Milwaukee Business Journal,” continued White. Read more: BrookfieldNow.com
Economic Development Tops State Chamber of Oklahoma's Legislative Agenda for 2015
The State Chamber of Oklahoma today released its Legislative Agenda for the 2015 session set to begin next month. The agenda was developed after visiting with local chambers of commerce and economic development officials and voted on by member committees and the State Chamber Board of Directors.
“As the Voice of Business at the State Capitol, the State Chamber is committed to supporting policies that improve the state’s economic outlook,” said State Chamber President and CEO Fred Morgan. “That includes continuing or expanding economic development programs that have been proven to create jobs for thousands of Oklahomans.”
Because the State Chamber represents such a diverse group of businesses, the Legislative Agenda covers a wide range of areas, from transportation and energy to health and workforce development.
“Two of the most common concerns we hear from our members are finding employees with the skills needed for the jobs available and dealing with an ever-increasing regulatory burden,” said Morgan. “Our Legislative Agenda tackles those issues and others that our members feel will make the state more competitive both nationally and worldwide.”The 2015 Legislative Agenda can be viewed online, click here.
Chamber partnership: 2015 Monticello Frostbite Days Celebration features plenty of frosty fun
Once again, the Monticello Chamber of Commerce, the Monticello Trailblazers Snowmobile Club and the Monticello Lions Club have partnered to host a collection of winter events that will offer fun and excitement for the entire family.
“We have a lot of different activities this year,” Monticello Trailblazers Snowmobile Club President Dane Hasbrouck said. “There will be something for everyone.”
Ryan Hurrle, 28, of Monticello has chaired the Frostbite Days Event Committee for the past two years and recalls why this event is so important to the community.
“Just three years ago, it was just a fishing tournament, but we started adding more events,” Hurrle said. “The money raised during the event goes right back into the community in the form of scholarships and various charitable contributions facilitated through organizations like the Lions Club.” Read more: Monticello Times
Columbus (Nebraska) Chamber selling engraved bricks for new patio
A chance to have your name etched in stone is being offered by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.
The organization is starting a Buy-A-Brick Paver campaign to create a patio that will compliment the rain garden at the chamber's 753 33rd Ave. location.
The garden, which features native Nebraska grasses and plants, was added earlier this year. It is maintained with rain water that runs off the roof of the chamber building. The patio will be built near the garden located on the southeast side of the office.
Businesses are invited to purchase an engraved brick for $100, $500 or $1,000. The funds will be used to purchase bricks for the outdoor patio area and cover other landscaping and building costs associated with the project. Read more: Columbus Telegram
Chamber Trivia: Delta Council
Tradition has it that it nevers rains on Delta Council Day, the day the Mississippi Delta's "Chamber of Commerce holds its annual meeting. Read more: Delta Farm-Press
