Southwest Indiana Chamber named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE); Paddock Publications (owner of Daily Herald and Town Square Publications) to buy 12 newspapers in Southern Illinois from GateHouse Media; Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce: New Holiday Traditions Set to Begin in Oxford this Year; Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce interest: Tesla executive to speak in Madison; #FamousChamber of Commerce Quotation: Networking; Town Square Chamber Publications: Valparaiso Chamber: Promises made, Promises kept!; Charlottesville Chamber Business Academy Fall Workshops Now Open for Registration; Glen Ellyn chamber has a new executive director; Chamber interest: KY Board of Education presents Kelly Award to NKY’s Brent Cooper, Louisville’s Audwin Helton; New federal overtime rule topic at Midland Chamber event; Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps;

Happy Monday, Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT week!

Southwest Indiana Chamber named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) 

The Southwest Indiana Chamber has been named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, which represents 1,300 organizations worldwide. The Southwest Indiana Chamber beat out finalists in its category from Bowling Green and Gainesville.

Chambers are judged in performance areas including net revenue and membership retention. The ACCE also evaluates community impact in areas such as education, transportation, economic development and quality of life.

The organization presented the award at its annual convention today in Savannah, Georgia. In accepting the award, Southwest Indiana Chamber Chief Executive Officer Christy Gillenwater said, "To work alongside passionate teammates and community members who are pushing the limits to create unbridled momentum in our region is a powerful thing. Thank you, Southwest Indiana, for your unwavering support."


In June, when the Southwest Indiana Chamber was named a finalist for the award, Gillenwater called it validation for a "monumental year," with projects progressing including the Regional Cities Initiative, land-based gaming and the I-69 expansion. Read more: Inside Indiana Business

Paddock Publications (owner of Daily Herald and Town Square Publications) to buy 12 newspapers in Southern Illinois from GateHouse Media

Paddock Publications Inc. announced Tuesday plans to purchase several daily and weekly newspapers in Southern Illinois from GateHouse Media LLC.
The sale, expected to be finalized Thursday, includes five daily newspapers and seven weekly newspapers in seven counties.

The dailies are the Benton Evening News, The Daily Register in Harrisburg, The Daily Republican in Marion, Du Quoin Evening Calland Eldorado Daily Journal.

The weeklies are the Ashley News, Du Quoin News, The Gallatin Democrat in Shawneetown, Christopher Progress, The Randolph County Herald Tribune in Chester, The Ridgway News and Steeleville Ledger.

Employees of the newspapers were told of the sale in a staff meeting Tuesday morning in Marion. All are expected to be retained.

"The purchase is in keeping with our corporate strategy to diversify the company into areas where Paddock's brand of journalism and marketing acumen will provide additive revenues and profitability," said Douglas K. Ray, chairman, publisher and CEO of Paddock Publications. "These newspapers fit that model, and we are confident in our ability to grow the business.

"Now we take Paddock's newspapering success in the suburbs to downstate Illinois through the purchase of the Southern Illinois newspapers. If other opportunities present themselves, we will grow this community newspaper portfolio." Read more:

Daily Herald

Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce: New Holiday Traditions Set to Begin in Oxford this Year

The Oxford Lafayette-County Chamber of Commerce and Visit Oxford have come together to create a family-friendly holiday weekend beginning with the Night of Lights on Friday, December 9th and Deck the Halls: An Oxford Tour of Homes Saturday, December 10th.

“We believe this is something that people will be excited about, not only locally, but will also bring people in from out of town,” says Pam Swain, Senior Vice President of the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. “We decided to do this event, because we feel like this is something that people are already doing. This will give a format for people to come in and see those homes.”

The Night of Lights will begin on Friday, December 9th and continue until Saturday, December 27th. With the guidance of a map, members of the community are taken on a self-guided tour featuring homes across Oxford and Lafayette County decorated with magical lights and festive decorations.

The Tour of Homes will take place Saturday, December 10th from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Homeowners

from Oxford and Lafayette County are invited to participate by inviting the community to view rooms within their homes that have been decorated in great holiday splendor.

For more information or an application to be a part of the tour, call the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce at 662-234-4651 or email deckthehalls@oxfordms.com

Media contact: Pam Swain, Senior Vice President, Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

Tel: 662-234-4651; Email: pam@oxfordms.com

Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce interest: Tesla executive to speak in Madison

Fitbits. Machines that can solve problems it would take humans hundreds of years to figure out. Furniture made on 3D printers.

Those are just a few examples of the avalanche of technologies poised to dramatically change our lives.

Keith Witek, Tesla Motors Inc.'s director of autopilot enablement and associate general counsel, will share his personal views on factors that make or break these types of potentially disruptive technologies at the Badger Startup Summit this month in Madison.

"It used to be that innovations that spawn or destroy entire industries would happen very infrequently," said Witek, who has an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Now major disruptions that can be life-threatening to industries or companies are emerging almost annually."

New technology and new multibillion-dollar markets can ambush unsuspecting established companies and markets in very short periods of time, said Witek, who was previously vice president of strategy and corporate development at Advanced Micro Devices. The tablet computer, for example, went from no users to 150 million users in about 18 months, he said.

The pace of change continues to quicken. For instance, it takes three to five years to bring new semiconductors from corporate development labs to the market. Advances in 3D and chip packaging and other technologies may soon allow custom miniaturized semiconductor products to get from development labs to market in less than six months, Witek said.

Given the accelerated environment, open sharing and cross-collaboration between disciplines are critical to creating a culture that generates disruptive technologies.

"The semiconductor market innovated like no other for 60 years largely because chemists, biologists, electrical engineers, material scientists, industrial engineers, physicists, mathematicians, mechanical engineers, and many more disciplines learned to work together and build on each others' disciplines," he said.

The Badger Startup Summit is part of Forward Festival, which includes more than 40 events taking place Aug. 18-25 throughout Madison.

The core Forward Festival event, on Aug. 23, is the Forward Technology Conference, which is paired with the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce’s neXXpo business exposition and Pressure Chamber pitch events. Read more: Journal Sentinel

#FamousChamber of Commerce Quotation: Networking


Networking is marketing. Marketing yourself, marketing your uniqueness, marketing what you stand for. – Christine Comaford-Lynch

Town Square Chamber Publications: Valparaiso Chamber: Promises made, Promises kept!

Note from the Valpo Chamber 

I want to thank you for an outstanding map which you produced for our Valpo Chamber.In my 43 years as a CEO in the Chamber Field, it was the smoothest project I have ever seen done. You made all the deadlines, your print quality and cartography was second to none. And of course you paid us in exactly the time frame you said you would so we could count the Royalty Check towards our current year revenue.

Life is very good when dealing with Town Square Publications.

You have the right of first refusal to do our next map. You are a great partner for our Chamber. We are living proof that a printed map is still very much in demand by both advertisers and consumers.

It would be my pleasure to recommend Town Square Publications as a firm Chambers and Tourism Bureaus should use when considering a printed Map or other print publications.

Rex G. Richards, CCE

President

Valpo Chamber of Commerce

Charlottesville Regional Chamber Business Academy Fall Workshops Now Open for Registration

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce Chamber Business Academy Fall Workshops are now open for registration.

The Chamber Business Academy Take Away Tuesdays and Chamber Business Academy @ PVCC offer 15 workshops. Take Away Tuesdays classes will be held at the Chamber of Commerce office, and the Chamber Business Academy @ PVCC classes will be held at the PVCC Stultz Center for Business & Career Development.

Attached is a copy of the Chamber Business Academy Fall Semester offerings. Class descriptions and how to register can be found at www.cvillechamber.com or by calling 434.295.3141.

The Chamber Business Academy was established by the Charlottesville Regional Chamber as a leading member service for Chamber member enterprises – businesses, non-profit organizations and institutions – providing business technical assistance, professional and personal development.

The Chamber Business Academy offers programs in an array of areas including: social media, leadership, employee relations, sales, marketing, management skills, financial management, human resources relations, communications, computer skills and more. CBA workshops and seminars are designed to be relevant, accessible and affordable for owners, managers and employees of any business and enterprise. The CBA is a workforce development tool for greater Charlottesville enterprises; helping to build a stronger overall workforce in our community. Enterprises participating in Chamber Business Academy programs note the benefit of higher employee retention, better leadership and better work performance.

The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce is dedicated to representing private enterprise, promoting business and enhancing the quality of life in the greater Charlottesville communities. The Chamber has more than 1,200 member and affiliate member enterprises employing more than 45,000 people in greater Charlottesville, representing an estimated total payroll of more than $1.75 billion a year. Read more: NBC 29 Charlottesville

Glen Ellyn chamber has a new executive director

A Michigan native experienced in event planning and tourism will head the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce as its new executive director.

Dawn Smith, who has lived in the village for nine years, will start the full-time job Monday, Aug. 15. She succeeds Mike Formento, a former village president who stepped down after eight years from the top post at the chamber, a nonprofit group that promotes businesses in town.

Smith previously worked as a national tourism manager for Spirit Cruises and as a sales and marketing director for Photogenic, a company that offers souvenir photography at museums and other tourist hot spots.

She now works part-time managing a student foreign exchange program at the Global Education Association, chamber board President Tom Van Winkle told members in an email announcing her hiring.

"She's very exuberant," Van Winkle said Wednesday, "and she's very exited about starting."

Smith, who holds a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University, lives in Glen Ellyn with her husband Mike, a mechanical engineer at an Aurora company, and their daughters.

Since 2008, Smith has served on the Glen Ellyn Fourth of July Committee, an all-volunteer group that stages the annual parade and fireworks. Smith was "instrumental" in bringing food trucks to the Lake Ellyn cardboard boat regatta that kicks off the celebration, Van Winkle said.

Her predecessor, Formento, was the longtime face of the chamber, known around town as "Mr. Glen Ellyn." When he took the reins with another co-director in 2008, Formento was supposed to steer the chamber for two or three years, but ended up staying on to help move its main offices to north Main Street and to serve members weathering the Great Recession.

He later held the position on his own. In May, Formento announced he would step down after the chamber organized the Taste of Glen Ellyn.

Formento and Van Winkle approached the village board earlier this year about relocating the four-day festival to a downtown parking lot on the south side of the train tracks between Main Street and Forest Avenue. Read more: Daily Herald


Chamber interest: KY Board of Education presents Kelly Award to NKY’s Brent Cooper, Louisville’s Audwin Helton

The Kentucky Board of Education presented the 16th annual Joseph W. Kelly Award to two business leaders who are actively engaged in making a difference in their local schools: Brent Cooper, president of C-Forward Information Technologies of Covington, and Audwin Helton, president and chief executive officer of Spatial Data Integrations Inc. of Louisville.

“Kentucky is fortunate to have the involvement of the business community in P-12 public education,” Kentucky Board of Education Chair Bill Twyman said. “The support provided, as evidenced by these two individuals, is invaluable in helping Kentucky reach its educational goals.”

The Kelly award is given to businesspeople who offer outstanding leadership and service toward promoting school improvement and equitable educational opportunities for all Kentucky children.
In a letter nominating Cooper, Boone County Superintendent Randy Poe noted Cooper’s commitment to education as a driver of economic development.

“Brent believes an education system that prepares the next generation to become its workforce is the single biggest economic development tool a region can have,” Poe wrote.

As a member of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce board of directors, Cooper chairs the Education and Workforce Committee. He also serves as co-chair of the Greater Cincinnati Read On! campaign and as a math tutor for the Fort Thomas Independent schools. His company has a business engagement partnership with the Covington Independent schools’ James E. Biggs Early Childhood Education Center and participates in an Adopt-A-Class Foundation mentoring program with John G. Carlisle Elementary School. He also helps organize business engagement tours conducted in Boone County schools and other northern Kentucky schools. Read more: Northern Kentucky Education Council (NKYEC) Executive Director Polly Page stated, “Brent understands the interplay between business and education. From the very beginning, he has served as a liaison between the business community and education and understands how that relates to policy and funding.” Cooper has been an NKYEC board member since the inception of the council. Read more: Northern Kentucky Tribune

New federal overtime rule topic at Midland Chamber event

The U.S. Department of Labor published major changes to the overtime rule that will make about 4.2 million currently exempt employees eligible for overtime pay later this year. All employers will have to comply with the changes made to the overtime regulations by Dec. 1.

The Midland Area Chamber of Commerce is offering an informational program to help businesses learn more about the overtime rule changes and how to implement them. A continental breakfast, coffee and juice are included with registration.

The program will be Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 4 5:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Midland, 810 Cinema Drive. The seminar will be facilitated by Steve Palazzolo of Warner Norcross & Judd LLP.

Early Bird Registration is $10; after Aug. 17, registration is $15. Read more: Midland Daily News

Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps

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 Here

New Alexandria Chamber CEO Reflects on Challenges, Opportunities Ahead; The interview: 3 questions with Las Cruces' outgoing chamber CEO (and Midland Michigan’s incoming CEO); Gala for Naperville Chamber of Commerce Jan. 29; Greensburg Decatur County Chamber good news: Indiana continues lowest unemployment levels since 2001; Monroe County Chamber assistance: American Furniture Expands Production Centers In Amory, Mississippi; Greater Beloit Chamber sets workshop on regulation changes; Chamber Cheers: Frankfort Area (Kentucky) Chamber of Commerce; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!

New Alexandria Chamber CEO Reflects on Challenges, Opportunities Ahead 

From the offices of United Way Worldwide on North Fairfax Street where he serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer, Joseph Haggerty looks across the Potomac River and sees a tremendous opportunity for Alexandria as the new MGM casino is built at National Harbor.

To the north is Potomac Yard, which is slated for the construction of a new Metro station and commercial development. And in the Carlyle/Eisenhower East neighborhood, he sees great potential with the construction of the National Science Foundation.

Those and numerous other projects in the city excite Haggerty, who was announced as the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s new CEO last month, replacing the retiring John Long. As well as for professional reasons, Haggerty said he has a personal justification for agreeing to be the chamber’s new CEO.

“I travel a lot and I have a couple of kids and I thought this might give me a little more time not being in an airport on a Friday night at 10 p.m.,” he said. “I think the chamber has a lot of meetings and you’re probably out every night, but you’re not stuck at Dallas-Fort Worth airport on a Friday night. I think it will feel better to be involved in the local stuff that’s happening here, and also I’ll be running my own show.”

The New England native comes into his new role with the chamber having started at United Way as an intern while completing his master’s degree at the University of Connecticut. Read more: Alexandria Times

The interview: 3 questions with Las Cruces' outgoing chamber CEO (and Midland Michigan’s incoming chamber CEO)

If you're having business community problems, your old-school chamber of commerce might be one.

As Bill Allen, chief executive officer of the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, ends his tenure in New Mexico next week — both as CEO of the chamber, as well as president of the New Mexico Chamber Executives Association — he moves on to Midland Future, a new organization in Michigan that combines Midland's chamber of commerce with an economic development group in the area. While he says a combined platform isn't right for every city, chambers need to do more than provide networking opportunities if they're going to stay relevant to the business community.

Allen has spent the last five years leading the LCCC after moving here in 2010 following his time as executive director of the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce in Royal Oak, Michigan. Since 2010, gross revenue at the LCCC has increased by about $100,000 and the organization was one of the highest revenue-producing chambers in the state with $716,000 in revenue for the fiscal year ending in 2013.

What precipitated the change in job and the decision to go back to Michigan?

I was actually contacted by a recruiter who I helped out in the past, so he just suggested that I take a look at this opportunity. … The position itself presents a great opportunity, so that might have been the first thing I looked at. The size of the organization is a bit larger than our chamber here, so that was a positive. In addition, it’s not that much of a big deal to move back to Michigan, so that didn’t hurt.

Midland Future is a unique combination of a chamber of commerce and economic development group. Is this the future? Read more: Albuquerque Business First

Gala for Naperville Chamber of Commerce Jan. 29

Attendees have a chance to win a $2,000 grand prize.

The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce will host its Inaugural Gala: Back to Our Roots from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 at Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Naperville, located at 1823 Abriter Court. The event will benefit the Chamber as a not-for-profit organization and is its largest fundraising event of the year.

The evening will begin with an open bar cocktail reception where guests will have a chance to mingle, participate in a number of fundraising games and enjoy a hyper-local craft beer tasting. An assortment of appetizers has been carefully paired with selections from local craft breweries including: Hopvine Brewing Company, Granite City Brewery, Rock Bottom Brewery, Two Brothers Roundhouse, Pollyanna Brewing Company and Solemn Oath Brewery.

The cocktail reception will be followed by a 4-course dinner and an evening of dancing and celebration with music provided by Windy City Dueling Pianos. The evening will also feature a Draw Down presented by Banyan Treatment Center. Each attendee will be entered for a chance to win. Every 20th ticket drawn will win a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant, and the final ticket drawn will receive a $2,000 grand prize.

The ticket price for the event is $150 per person or $1,550 for a Corporate Table which includes a table of ten and a quarter page advertisement in the program. Additional sponsorships are also available. Read more: Naperville Patch

Greensburg Decatur County Chamber good news: Indiana continues lowest unemployment levels since 2001

The November Indiana Unemployment Report has been released. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.4 percent in November, which continues the trend of the lowest levels in Indiana since August 2001.

Similarly, Indiana added 7,000 residents to the labor force last month, which brings numbers to a grand total of 100,000 since January 2013 – leading the Midwest. According to information provided by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the gap in the labor force participation rate between Indiana and the national average, once again, improved for the nineteenth consecutive month.

“Unemployment in the Hoosier State continues to be at its lowest levels in more than a decade,” Commissioner Steven J. Braun of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said. “Meanwhile, Indiana continues to lead the Midwest in labor force growth by a significant amount.”

Braun also mentioned that total claims for unemployment insurance in Indiana are at their lowest levels since 1997.

The Department of Workforce Development added that the private sector employment increased by 3,400 last month. They saw significant gains in construction and trade, transportation and utilities. However, they’ve seen losses in the manufacturing sector.

As for Greensburg, according to information provided by the Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce, the unemployment rate for the city lies below the state average with a rate of 3.6 percent. They currently have the third lowest rate in a 10 county range with Columbus holding the No. 1 spot. Read more: Greensburg Daily News

Monroe County Chamber assistance: American Furniture Expands Production Centers In Amory, Mississippi

American Furniture expanded its footprint in The Magnolia State by locating a manufacturing plant in Amory, Mississippi. The project represents a corporate investment of $560,000 and the creation of 140 jobs in Monroe County. American Furniture has existing manufacturing operations in Ecru, Mississippi, where the company has 757 employees.

For the expansion, American Furniture is locating six manufacturing lines in the 130,000-square-foot facility most recently occupied by Madison House Furniture. The company will also use part of the building for warehousing and distribution.

“AFM is excited about our start-up in Amory and being located in Monroe County. Our hope was to attract skilled associates that could jump start the operation, and our expectations have been surpassed by the number and skill levels of applicants we have received. Without the support of Mississippi Development Authority, the city and county, and the Monroe County Chamber, this project would not have happened so quickly,” said American Furniture CEO Al Wiygul.

“Having grown up in Amory, I am proud to give back to a community that gave so much to me as a child growing up here. Our plan will put us at six production lines by the end of January. Our business has grown at 20-plus percent for the last three years. If that momentum continues, this could be just the beginning,” he added. Read more: Area Development

Greater Beloit Chamber sets workshop on regulation changes

Vision Beloit, 500 Public Ave., will host the upcoming Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce (GBCC) seminar on changes to overtime regulations. The event will be held from 8-9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

The seminar will review the current state of the law regarding employee exempt/non-exempt status, the propsed regulatory changes and the implications of those changes on the workforce. Cost of the seminar is $10 for non-members and free for GBCC members. Visit greaterbeloitchamber.org for more information.

Chamber Cheers: Frankfort Area (Kentucky) Chamber of Commerce

Cheers to: 

Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce: For helping to transform the image and reputation of Frankfort — a city that exists independently from being the seat of state government. Source: The State Journal



Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps 

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 publication proposal, Click here

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: (Holiday Reading) The Answer - Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life; Columbus, Ohio Chamber CEO Michael Dalby stepping down; Lakeshore Chamber event: Hoist Liftruck could employ up to 500 workers in East Chicago; Paducah Chamber, local leaders encouraged by and working for river port Foreign Trade Zone status; Chamber heart: Springfield Businesses Help Bundle Up; Baptist Memorial Hospital North to Better Serve Lafayette County Mississippi With New $300M Facility; Chamber issue: Farmers Market growth addressed by Midland City Council; Batavia Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Fox Cities Chamber announces business awards; Town Square Chamber Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Custom Maps

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: (Holiday Reading)
The Answer - Grow Any Business, Achieve Financial Freedom, and Live an Extraordinary Life

By John Assaraf and Murray Smith

A key team member behind The Secret and his business partner offer the specific tools and mental strategies to help readers leap ahead in any career or business venture and achieve major financial success. 

In this visionary work, New York Times bestselling author John Assaraf and business guru Murray Smith reinvent the business book for the twenty-first century. Two of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, they combine forces to bring their special insights and techniques together in a revolutionary guide for success in the modern business environment. 

Assaraf and Smith know how to minimize risk and maximize success, and The Answer provides a framework for sharing their wisdom, experience, and skills with the millions of people who want to accomplish their own dreams in life. Using cutting-edge research into brain science and quantum physics, they show how readers can actually rewire their brains for success and create the kind of extraordinary lives they want. By teaching readers how to attract and use newly discovered "uncommon" senses to achieve business success, the authors demonstrate the beliefs, habits, thoughts, and actions that they have used to build eighteen multimillion-dollar companies. 

Any reader who follows this step-by-step process to build his or her career will experience an enormous life transformation and reach an exceptional level of living. - See more at: Simon & Schuster

Columbus, Ohio Chamber CEO Michael Dalby stepping down

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce is searching for a new CEO.

The nonprofit business networking organization said Michael Dalby, CEO since 2011, will resign after its annual meeting on Feb. 11.
Enlarge


Michael Dalby is leaving the Columbus Chamber of Commerce after four years.

Chairman John McEwan said it was Dalby who elected to step down and that the Chamber has begun the process to find a successor, first locally and then nationally, if need be.

“This is Michael’s decision and he’s done a great job with the chamber,” McEwan, managing partner of Deloitte & Touche LLP, told me. "He’s going to stay with us through the annual meeting and I assume (he will) do something to leverage his success (with the Chamber)."

Dalby came to Columbus four years ago after leading chambers of commerce in Utah, New Mexico, Texas and Indiana.

“I could not be more proud of my time at the chamber, and of the staff and volunteers I’ve worked with,” Dalby said in a press release. “Together we’ve built a service model that has allowed us to advise hundreds of our region’s small and mid-sized businesses and help them thrive here. The Columbus region has some great entrepreneurs whose businesses will continue to fuel the economy.”

Dalby earned $227,000 in total compensation on a base salary of $196,000 in 2013, the latest year for which salary data are available from the organization's Form 990 filed with the Internal Revenue Service.


His successor will be charged with leading a 20-employee organization assisting 1,300 businesses in Central Ohio with research, marketing, talent advisement, networking and government affairs. The Columbus Chamber had a budget of $3.7 million in 2013. Source: Columbus Business First

Lakeshore Chamber event: Hoist Liftruck could employ up to 500 workers in East Chicago

A new forklift manufacturer expects to pump about $23 million or $24 million into the Northwest Indiana economy every year.

Hoist Liftruck, which makes forklifts that can lift up to 57 tons, is spending about $40 million to relocate from Bedford Park to an old tank factory in East Chicago.

The 97-year-old company, which was founded in Brooklyn, will keep the Bedford Park location open as a distribution hub because of its proximity to Chicago Midway International Airport, but will relocate 270 to 300 production workers to Northwest Indiana.

Eventually, the company might employ up to 500 in the city.

Hoist Liftruck already hired 40 employees while doing extensive work on the Railroad Avenue factory, which it hopes to move into soon after finishing a lunchroom for employees, President and Chief Executive Officer Marty Flaska said.

Flaska was showered with applause Thursday while addressing a packed room at the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce at Ameristar East Chicago Casino. Read more: NWI Times

Paducah Chamber, local leaders encouraged by and working for river port Foreign Trade Zone status

A new status for a river port could mean new jobs after four years in the works. The Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority was approved as a foreign trade zone in November. Now, they're working to activate that status.

Many goods that come through a port accrue a tax or a tariff, but a foreign trade zone removes some of those fees. Local leaders say the new status is promising.

Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority Director Bill Miller says applying for the foreign trade zone status was hard work. He says many collaborated on the effort before him starting in 2011. But now, Miller says they’re beginning to work to activate the status and increase river traffic. He says the work is mostly administrative, but businesses are already looking at Paducah.

"The site committees, when they do go look for a particular place, they wish to invest in an area, Paducah will pop up,” Miller says.

It's not just the waterway system that's appealing. Paducah's also located on the interstate system, which is appealing to big companies when it puts them  less than a day's drive away from other big cities.

Paducah Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilson says she supports anything that builds jobs. Read more: WPSD TV 6

Chamber heart: Springfield Businesses Help Bundle Up

The back of the house at Springfield’s Ecumenical Community Helping Others resembles the staging area for Santa’s all-nighter. Aisles upon aisles of assorted clothing, toys, kitchen equipment and other home goods wait in orderly fashion to be stocked in the nonprofit’s shopping area serving clients with low or no income.

#This time of year is especially hectic for outfits like ECHO, when donations around the holidays spike.

#“It’s chaotic, but it’s wonderful too,” said ECHO executive director Meg Brantley. ECHO serves about 1,500 active clients across five magisterial districts in Fairfax County, including Burke and areas of Springfield. They have 27 counselors who work one-on-one with clients on an appointment basis, figuring out how ECHO can best help them manage their food, clothing and short-term financial difficulties.

#ECHO is one of two community outreach nonprofits, the other being the Koinonia Foundation in Franconia, getting a boost in clothing on-hand from the annual Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce winter outerwear campaign.

#FOR ITS LONGEST-RUNNING collection campaign, going back more than 15 years, the Chamber works with local businesses (members and non-members alike) to set up collection boxes for coats, hats, scarves and gloves. Then the two nonprofits retrieve the boxes themselves and distribute the items through their channels.

#“At this time of year, you’re more likely to see groups working on Toys for Tots, food collection -- those are the two things generally residents think are needed at the holidays, and they are,” said Nancy-jo Manney, Executive Director of the Chamber.

#“But this is something different. Most of us don’t realize how many kids show up at school in January and February without a proper coat on. Because so many of our local kids here in the central Springfield area walk to school, it’s amazing, you see them out and they don’t have a proper coat. Mom and dad send them with just a sweatshirt because that’s all they have.” Read more: The Connection

Baptist Memorial Hospital North to Better Serve Lafayette County Mississippi With New $300M Facility

Construction crews are working to complete a major $300 million replacement facility for Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi, which will serve Oxford, Lafayette County and the surrounding area. The new five-story structure will have 602,831 sq. ft. (56,004 sq m), including 217 beds with more comprehensive medical and surgical services.

“With the growth our area has experienced in the last decade, building a newer, updated hospital to serve the community became an easy decision,” said Bill Henning, administrator and CEO of Baptist North Mississippi. “The new hospital is a replacement hospital with the same number of beds as the current hospital. However, the new building will afford us the space to add new services, the flexibility for future changes in patient care and provide the infrastructure for new technology and enhanced patient care.” ...

According to Jon Maynard, president and CEO, Oxford-Lafayette County  Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation, the new hospital reflects more than a brick and mortar facility for the area.

“The new hospital represents an investment in our community. The upgrade in facilities will help us treat patients with the latest equipment in a state-of-the-art facility that is designed to grow with the demand of the healthcare needs of the region.

“The psychological impact, however is much more than that. It allows us to recruit new physicians and new services to our area like never before. The investment by Baptist Hospital indicates a faith in the economic strength of our community. Their commitment to building a new facility in Oxford is indicative of the sort of sustainable, high quality growth that our community is experiencing.” Read more: ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com

Chamber issue: Farmers Market growth addressed by Midland City Council

Midland City Council approved the site plan for Lucky’s Steakhouse and heard an update from the Midland Area Chamber of Commerce about some possible changes to the Midland Farmers Market.

Kristy LeVasseur is the communications director for the Chamber and has been the farmers market manager for the past seven years. The farmers market is operated by the Chamber, which has a three-year lease ending October 2017 for the round structure near the Tridge at the end of Ashman Street.

The structure itself is owned by the city of Midland and was designed by architect Alden B. Dow.

 In a yearly update for the farmers market, LeVasseur discussed the growing popularity and the accompanying problems that she and staff members have encountered. The market has grown from 50 to 60 stalls in the busiest part of the season when she first managed it, and has since ballooned to about 100 stalls occupied in 2015.

There were 697 stalls rented throughout the farmers market season in 2012 and 1,518 stalls rented in 2015, according to LeVasseur.

“We don’t have 100 stalls to occupy so we did a lot of creative make-up,” LeVasseur said. Read more: Midland Daily News

Batavia Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Batavia Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Batavia Chamber today! Thanks to Holly Deitchman and the chamber team for their work in 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.

Fox Cities Chamber announces business awards

The Fox Cities Chamber will honor the following winners of The Event: Celebrating Business Awards 2015 at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, 333 W. College Ave.

The Event awards program recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in operating businesses as well as leadership in the community.

Business Hall of Fame Inductees: John Bergstrom, chairman and CEO, Bergstrom Corp.; and Richard “Dick” Bergstrom, vice chairman Bergstrom Corp. Awarded to individuals who have demonstrated personal and business success, business leaders who have gained recognition and honor for outstanding achievement in their industry and who have been dedicated to the economic vitality of the community, and are role models for future generations.

The Gus A. Zuehlke Distinguished Service Award: Jon Stellmacher, retired senior vice president, Thrivent Financial. This award is named in honor of Gus A. Zuehlke, a past chairman of the board of the Fox Cities Chamber, and recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions through leadership in business and service during his/her years as a Chamber member. The recipient of this award will have a $5,000 award/grant donated to the charitable organization of his/her choice.

Joyce Bytof Exceptional Mentor Award: Tony Busch, managing member, Priora Cash Flow Management LLC. Awarded to an individual who is proactive in the advancement of others by sharing time, talent and business experience for the purposes of promoting growth and opportunity in the Fox Cities. Read more: Post Crescent

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