Kyle Hannon: Chamber’s Third House brings state legislature to the people; Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber: 30 Ways to Grow Your List; Barrington Area Chamber Announces 2017 Business Awards and New Leadership; SHINE employees taking a shine to downtown Janesville; Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Hillsdale Chamber establishes tourism division; 75th Anniversary --- Annual Marion County Chamber Awards Banquet; Get Your Tickets to the 93rd Annual Arlington Business Gala; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

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

Kyle Hannon: Chamber’s Third House brings state legislature to the people

The Indiana General Assembly is at work, which makes a lot of people nervous and a lot of Chambers of Commerce excited. For the same reasons.

Many people are uneasy whenever government is in action. In a time-honored and mildly amusing joke, somebody says, “I’m from the government. I’m here to help.” The understood punch line is that government programs always have unintended consequences and do more harm than good.

Fortunately, that is not always true. In fact, I would say usually government programs can help communities, if they are done right.

That’s why Chambers get excited. Every Chamber of Commerce in the state, large and small, is involved in some kind of advocacy. We build relationships and trust with government officials to build a better business climate. We believe, as do many of our lawmakers, that a business climate that provides good jobs provides a strong community. Now that everybody is in agreement on what to do, let’s move forward.

Well, it’s not quite that simple. There are a lot of other interests out there. In fact, everybody has a special interest group, whether they know it or not. If you don’t believe me, take a look at all the official lobbyist organizations filed with the Indiana Lobby Registration Commission. Sometime these groups have different opinions from your friendly neighborhood Chamber of Commerce. Unbelievable but true.

That’s OK. The Chambers work to provide information, hoping that the better ideas and opportunities become clear. Surprisingly, we even provide an opportunity for the opposition to show up in our building and talk to the lawmakers we invited. Read more: South Bend Daily News



Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber: 30 Ways to Grow Your List

Complimentary Business Seminar
Chamber of Commerce Board Room
Wednesday, January 25th, 2017
10am to 12 noon

Let's get Back to Business!  (School is back in session and we are all returning from our vacations!) It's time to grow your contact list!

Join us for "30 Ways to Grow Your List" workshop - you'll leave with ideas and strategies to capture new contacts, grow your list and take action to help move your business forward.

Having an interested and qualified list of contacts that you can stay top of mind with is vital to every business. Continuing to grow that list is just as important. In this workshop we will show you 30 easy ways to grow your contact list today!

We will cover:

* Why someone should join your contact list and what's in it for them

* How to ask people to join your list "face-to-face"

* How to use social media to grow your list

* How to grow your list on your website or blog

* How to use print material to get people to sign up

* How to use events to help grow your list

* How to use incentives and giveaways to grow your list 

Plus, you'll have a chance to network with other attendees and grow your contact list, live during the workshop!

NOTE: You don't need to bring a laptop, though you are welcome to for note taking. 

If you'd like to get a head-start before attending this workshop sign-up for a FREE 60-day trial account to start your marketing campaign today!

Barrington Area Chamber Announces 2017 Business Awards and New Leadership

The Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC) announced its 2017 business awards at its Annual Dinner & Scholarship Fundraiser on Thursday, January 19 at The Stonegate Conference and Banquet Centre. The evening was a celebration of Chamber accomplishments and people. It attracted nearly 200 local business, community and governmental leaders. The event also raised funds for the Chamber's annual scholarships. "Tonight I would like to introduce you to the people who are helping us create a climate of inspiration, opportunity and excellence that keeps business strong and our communities vibrant," said 2017 new BACC Chairman of the Board Liz Luby, of 365Barrington.com and @properties|The Luby Group. Luby then officially announced the following 2017 BACC Awards: BACC Hospitality of the Year Award: McGonigal's Pub "McGonigal's Pub is a popular meeting place where you always know someone and both locals and visitors find refuge. Known for its neighborly ambiance, fine Irish food and fantastic selection of spirits and draft beers, it's a community favorite for fundraisers that support charitable, passionate and important causes." Luby said. Community Partner of the Year Recipient: JourneyCare "As the largest nonprofit provider of hospice and palliative care in Illinois, JourneyCare has helped thousands of families who transition through the grief, loss and pain of watching a loved one suffer from a serious or terminal illness." said Luby "They partner with an army of compassionate volunteers from the communities they serve to help patients live fully, with dignity, without pain, and on their own terms. Their presence here brings heart and soul to our region." New Business of the Year Recipient: The Windy City Bulls "The Windy City Bulls, a professional development league for our own Chicago Bulls, joined our community with a mission to bring families together to enjoy a favorite pastime - basketball. Their efforts to engage community groups, create an activity for quality family time, and give back to the communities they serve have made them a local champion." Luby said. Earlier in the evening the 2017 Board of Directors was officially inducted. "Each year our Board sets the tone and direction for the Chamber and business community," said BACC President/CEO Suzanne Corr. "We are fortunate to have leaders representing a cross section of industry to guide and inspire us each year." The BACC Board includes: Executive Committee Members: Liz Luby, @Properties |The Luby Group, 365Barrington.com-Chairman; Tom Cramer, Wintrust Mortgage-First Vice Chairman - Membership; Dennis Kelly, FGMK Insurance, Inc.-Second Vice Chairman-Events; Charlotte Neault, Barrington Bank & Trust Co., N.A. - Treasurer; and Past Chairman Patty Jacobsen, Jensen, Jacobsen & Associates, Inc. 2017 BACC Directors include: Lisa Caputo, Morgan Stanley - The Schirmann Group; Joseph Connelly, BMO Harris Bank; Steve Cook, Quintessential Media Group; Liz Donofrio, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital; Keith Hanson, Hanson Law Group, LLP; Andrea Herran, Focus HR Consulting; Paul Horcher, Refined Construction; John Jackson, 4ci Mgmt-Balancing Life's Challenges; Dr. Reinhold Llerena, AMITA Health Medical Group; Doug McAllister, Douglas Automotive Inc.; Bryan McGonigal, McGonigal's Pub; Jennifer Prell, Paxem/Elderwerks; Scott Ray, Daily Herald Media Group; Barry Schimmel, Microshare Intl LLC.; and Edmund Tobias, Tobias Family Dentistry. The BACC Board also includes Advisory Board Members: Peg Blanchard, Village of Barrington; Brian Harris, Barrington 220 School District, Terry Jennings, Barrington Park District; Joyce Palmquist, Barrington Area Council on Aging; and Detlev Pansch, Barrington Area Library. For more information, contact Suzanne Corr, President, BACC, 847-381-2525 or email suzanne@barringtonchamber.com

SHINE employees taking a shine to downtown Janesville

There are no space-age particle accelerators humming away in SHINE Medical Technologies' corporate headquarters on the sixth-floor suite of Prospect 101 in downtown Janesville.

Nor will there be.

That equipment is for later at SHINE's future medical radioisotope facility on Janesville's far south end.

But the 35 or so SHINE employees who staff SHINE's newly renovated corporate offices downtown say they're finding their newly renovated office space, with sweeping views of the Rock River, a comfortable fit.

The view should inspire as SHINE engineers and planners work to meet a goal of breaking ground this year on a $100 million medical radioisotope production plant just east of the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport.

“We've got one of the best views in the city up here,” SHINE CEO Greg Piefer said at a community meet-and-greet Monday, during which SHINE employees met local residents and city officials at the company's new offices at Prospect 101.

Piefer said the company has been working to hire a full staff of nuclear engineers and other technical staff to put together final designs to construct the 57,000-square-foot facility.

SHINE already won approval from federal nuclear regulators to build the facility in Janesville, and SHINE said as recently as December 2016 that it intended to break ground in the first quarter of 2017 and be producing molybdenum 99 by the end of 2019.

The project still awaits an operating license, which is a separate part of federal regulatory review. But construction of the facility—which will use particle accelerators and low-enriched uranium in production—can move ahead pending that review.

SHINE Vice President Katrina Pitas told The Gazette on Monday that SHINE still plans to break ground this year, and “possibly” still by this spring.

In a brief address to visitors Monday, Piefer did not give an exact update on the timeline for the project. He only said he hopes it will break ground soon.

“Hopefully, we'll be building on site soon, within the next year or so,” Piefer said

That site is where SHINE would eventually produce radioisotopes the company says would fulfill an emerging domestic and global demand for moly-99, which is used to light up bone and tissue in thousands of medical imaging tests daily.

The staff at Prospect 101, which the company said could grow to 60 over the next year, would work on the facility plans and on launching the company into future production.

Abbey Donahue began working for SHINE as a systems integration engineer in October. Donahue, a nuclear engineer who moved here from Washington, D.C., will work to help the SHINE facility's equipment make the jump from design to production.

Donahue is one of a handful of new employees SHINE has added as it gears up to break ground in Janesville.

“We're creating a little nuclear engineering empire here,” Donahue said. “It's super-cool.”

Engineer Steve Miltenberger, who SHINE hired about a month ago, is overseeing the construction's schedule, costs and scope. He has worked on several nuclear production projects in the U.S. in the past and comes to Janesville after spending more than a year on a project in England.

He rented an apartment in Janesville, and he enjoys the “hometown atmosphere” of working in downtown Janesville.

Donahue said she's thrilled to get out of the daily traffic crush in D.C.

Local stakeholders are eager to see SHINE's production facility completed. SHINE has said it would eventually employ 150 at the production facility, and the positions there would represent high-paying, skilled jobs.

SHINE's future facility is being partly funded through federal grants and a city of Janesville development agreement. SHINE moved its offices from Monona to downtown Janesville late last year as part of TIF agreement by Prospect 101's owner to renovate the building's top floor for a long-term tenant.

Monday night, Forward Janesville held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at SHINE's downtown headquarters to welcome the company.

Forward Janesville President John Beckord lauded SHINE's move to Janesville, but his short welcoming address carried an inquisitive edge. Read more: GazetteExtra



Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber today! Thanks to Pam Swain, Rosie Vassalo and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Town SquarePublications  (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.

Hillsdale Chamber establishes tourism division


In an effort to market Hillsdale County to visitors, the Hillsdale County Chamber of Commerce has developed a tourism division.

"We are ecstatic about our new division and look forward to working with our local businesses and organizations to promote Hillsdale County as a tourism destination," said Rachel O'Heran, director of tourism and business development.

For 2017 O'Heran said her goal is to implement a strategic marketing strategy that will utilize a range of print, web, and radio advertising targeting visitors within a two hour radius.

She said in the past, there hasn't been a cohesive marketing strategy that advocates or articulates Hillsdale County as a tourism destination.

The tourism division's logo "Hello Hillsdale County!" pinpoints Hillsdale County as a destination. The division is also plugged into social media with an Instagram and Facebook page. The division's website is www.hellohillsdalecounty.com. Photos can be uploaded to Instagram with the hashtag #hellohillsdalecounty.

The development of the tourism division comes after a successful 2016 at the chamber. Read more: Hillsdale Daily News

75th Anniversary --- Annual Marion County Chamber Awards Banquet

The Marion County Chamber of Commerce’s 75th Anniversary Annual Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, Jan. 26, at Centre Square in Lebanon. The social begins at 6 p.m. with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. The cost of the event is $25 per person. Invitations have been mailed to all chamber members but everyone is invited to attend. Please RSVP by Friday, Jan. 20, by calling the chamber office at 270-692-9594 or email info@MarionCountyKyChamber.com. Complete information is available at the chamber website MarionCountyKyChamber.com.



Get Your Tickets to the 93rd Annual Arlington Business Gala

Time is running out to get your ticket to the 93rd Annual Arlington Business Gala! Get ready to put on your dancing shoes and prepare for an evening of mixing and mingling with friends and fellow business leaders. A celebration of the Arlington business community, the Gala is the largest and most prestigious Chamber event of the year and will be held this Saturday, January 28 at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City.

Get your ticket today to secure your spot at Arlington's Best Night Out! For questions regarding registration, contact Hannah Dannenfelser at chamber@arlingtonchamber.org or (703) 525-2400.

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

Indy chamber support: iLAB to add 100 new technology jobs in Indiana; Chamber partnership: Arlington Heights trustees satisfied with small business retention program; Reston Chamber of Commerce Offering Workshops as Part of Education Series; The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc announced its participants for its Leadership Gulf Coast program; Hillsdale Chamber event: Hudson Dairy Farm rounds up a tour; Chamber Board Member Interest: Frankfort Commission Eyes Big Money for Big Projects; Dowagiac (Michigan) Chamber of Commerce to honor Fred Mathews; Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national custom publishing group

Indy chamber support: iLAB to add 100 new technology jobs in Indiana

iLAB, the leading worldwide provider of software quality assurance and performance testing products and services, announced today the expansion of its North American presence with a commitment to add 100 new technology jobs in Indiana by 2019 and the grand opening of its new office in downtown Indianapolis.

“We’ve seen fantastic growth over the last five years, expanding our customer base through strategic partnerships with the world’s most respected names in technology,” said Gerry Bailey, managing director for iLAB in North America. “Indianapolis has served as an exceptional launch platform for our North American operations and a key factor in fueling our growth strategy across the globe by adding 100 more employees over the next five years.”


Since its North American re-launch in 2011, iLAB has grown to more than 50 employees in Central Indiana. The company will invest $1.49 million to lease and equip its new 4,000-square-foot office at the Chase Circle building on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis where it will locate 80 new jobs.

iLAB will also hire an additional 20 associates to be based around the state, serving clients in Fort Wayne, South Bend, Gary and Evansville.

“Business growth and development in the tech sector is one of the major reasons why we are experiencing record Hoosier employment numbers,” said Indiana Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann. “I applaud iLAB for choosing to grow their business in a state that works. Today we celebrate Indiana’s international reputation as a great place for businesses to start, expand and prosper.”



The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered iLAB, LLC up to $1.2 million in conditional tax credits and up to $75,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Indianapolis supports the project at the request of Develop Indy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber. Read more: Tribune Star

Chamber partnership: Arlington Heights trustees satisfied with small business retention program

Two years into an outreach program to retain more small businesses in Arlington Heights, village trustees Tuesday expressed general satisfaction with its progress but also said they wanted more detailed descriptions of individual examples.

The Small Business Development Agreement is a partnership between with the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce toward which the village pays $50,000 per year.

Village President Thomas Hayes said the program was one he wanted to pursue two years ago because he believed the business friendliness of Arlington Heights had begun to slip.

"The better our business community, the better we can do as a board in keeping property taxes low," Hayes said. "The success of any one of our businesses is felt by the village as well." Read more: Daily Herald

Reston Chamber of Commerce Offering Workshops as Part of Education Series

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce is hosting a series of business workshops as part of its Education Series aimed at helping local business owners grow their brands and sharpen their business acumen.Each workshop is free for current chamber members and $15 for each non-member. Silver Spoon Caterers will provide breakfast at each workshop. The workshops will be held from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Reston Chamber headquarters, located at 1886 Metro Center Drive.
The next workshop in the series, titled “5 Critical Ways to Build Your Brand and Reputation,” is scheduled on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Guest speaker Jen Dalton of BrandMirror will be on hand to instruct the group on what is most relevant to one;s brand and how that brand can help your business stand out in a crowded marketplace. Read more: Patch.com

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc announced its participants for its Leadership Gulf Coast program

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc. announced the 26th class of local business and community leaders selected to participate in its Leadership Gulf Coast program: Tawana Banks, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast; Carlos Bell, Port of Gulfport; Brian Bourn, South Mississippi AIDS Task Force; James Caldwell, Gulfport School District; Andrew Chapman, Eat Cities; Keith Davis, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; Read more: Sun-Herald

Hillsdale Chamber event: Hudson Dairy Farm rounds up a tour

A small herd of cows lines up single-file at Hudson Dairy Farm while visitors — human ones — line up to watch them. The cows file in, each knowing their designated spot, while dairy hands get them ready for milking.

“They know right where they’re supposed to go,” Hudson’s Amber Clark said.

Hudson Dairy Farm conducts tours like these for interested community members and dairy fans alike. The one held on Thursday night invited the Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce to see the operation in full, touring the barns, feed silos, milking parlor and more.

“We’re happy to have the public here,” Communications Manager Avi Stern said. While the dairy operates 24/7, family and friends of Hudson Dairy Farm staff members stayed after regular business hours to show the tourists their facilities.

From that line of cows and hundreds like them, Hudson Dairy Farm will produce about 240,000 pounds of milk — almost 30,000 gallons — every 24 hours. To make sure that every drop is the best it can be, nutritionists evaluate cows’ best diet based on their age and size. Giving a cow the right nutrients is key to the quality of the milk they produce.

Or, as Stern summed it up, “If you put good stuff in, you get good stuff out.” Read more: Hillsdale Daily News

Chamber Board Member Interest: Frankfort Commission Eyes Big Money for Big Projects 

Frankfort’s City Commissioners discussed a new proposal to revitalize some of the larger buildings downtown at Monday night’s work session.

Renee True, a member of the Frankfort Area Chamber Board, said Commissioner John Sower requested that he come to share an idea with the rest of the commission.

“I really didn’t have an agenda,” True said. “I’m not representing the chamber, I’m not representing any group. I do have quite a few properties in Frankfort so I do have a vested interest in this community’s economic welfare.”

True said the focus of his proposal was on the larger buildings downtown. He said the current preservation grant program that the city is offering does not offer enough money to complete large projects.

“So I thought about something a little bit bigger if at some time the city could find it within their budget or through some kind of federal or state grant program,” True said. Read more: State Journal

A Closer Look Replay: Sheboygan County Chamber Workforce Summit

Click on the link below to find the latest program of "A Closer Look", a public affairs program on WHBL and WSCS.

This program focuses on the topic of workforce development in Sheboygan County.  We speak with Tammy Graf, workforce development director for the Sheboygan County Chamber.  She describes an upcoming workforce summit being held later this month, and how strategies being shared at this event are being used to increase how businesses fill open positions and alleviate the worker shortage in our area. WHBL.com

A Closer Look Replay: Workforce Summit

Dowagiac (Michigan) Chamber of Commerce to honor Fred Mathews

The Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 21 will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Fred Mathews, founder and former longtime chairman of Southwestern Michigan College, the chamber announced.

The presentation will be part of the chamber's membership meeting and dinner at the Dowagiac Elks Lodge. The award and meeting are firsts for the Dowagiac chamber, it reported.

Mathews came to Dowagiac in 1952 to practice optometry. In the mid '50s, he helped found the Greater Dowagiac Association, the chamber's forerunner. He and others formed the organization to rebuild the city's industrial base after a major employer closed.

In 1964, he founded Southwestern Michigan College. He served as its first Board of Trustees chairman, and retained the post until retiring from the board this year.

He has chaired the Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority.

In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, the chamber will honor several employers who have contributed to the organization's success. Read more: Herald Palladium

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

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, contact John Dussman directly at the Town Square Offices at 847-427-4633. Mailing Address: 155 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.