Good morning #ChamberWorld! It's going to be a GREAT day!
Over 250,000 people and 16,000 classic cars expected for the 14th Annual 28th St. Metro Cruise, a Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce event
Just a heads up for our 14th Annual 28th St. Metro Cruise happening on August 24th and 25th. This car event covers the entire 13 miles of 28th St. from Granville to Cascade.
We draw over 16,000 classic cars and over 275,000 people for this weekend event. There are bands, food, non food vendors and plenty of beautiful cars. On Saturday at noon we crown Miss Metro Cruise with a Pin Up Girl Contest. A family fun event.
The 28th St. Metro Cruise is presented by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce and the Grand Rapids New Car Dealer Association.
Thank you.
Bob
Bob O'Callaghan
President/CEO
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce
616-531-5990
www.southkent.org
Governor Holcomb on the Importance of Northwest Indiana
Recently, our own Chris Mahlmann, founder and owner of Ideas in Motion Media, sat down with Governor Eric Holcomb at the Crossroads Chamber of Commerce offices in Merrillville to talk about what he finds so important about Northwest Indiana. Highlights include the diversity, economic opportunity, and unique character of the Region. With the progress made with double-tracking on the South Shore Line and other progress made thanks to ongoing cooperation in Northwest Indiana, the Governor sees a lot of positive news in the future for the Region! Watch the full video for more! See the video: La Porte County Life
LEAD Peninsula and LEAD Hampton Roads event: 2018 Leadership Summit
Friday, June 8, 2018 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM (EDT)
The American Theatre
125 East Mellen Street
Hampton, VA 23663
The Hampton Roads Leadership Summit is a collaboration of the Office of U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner, Old Dominion University, and six non-profit leadership programs in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia: CIVIC Leadership Institute, LEAD Hampton Roads, LEAD Peninsula, LEAD Historic Triangle, VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads, and Reinvent Hampton Roads. Summit co-hosts include Cox Communications, Port of Virginia, Newport News Shipbuilding, and TowneBank.
Program Overview:
9:00am - Coffee
9:30am - Welcome & Opening Remarks (Mayor Donnie Tuck, ODU President John Broderick)
10:00am- Keynote Speaker, Jon Acuff
11:30am - Break/Book Signing
11:45am - Panel discussion (Sarah McCoy, Dawna Ellis, Molly Ward)
12:15pm - Dismissal
Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of six books including his most recent Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller, Finish: Give yourself the gift of done. For over 20 years Jon has helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. Most recently he’s spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences, colleges, companies and churches. Featured regularly on national media, Jon has been seen on CNN, Fox News, Good Day LA and several other key outlets.
The Summit seeks to:
Encourage and promote continuing community engagement and service by leadership graduates and young professionals.
Foster collaboration among the leadership development programs by convening new and past graduates across Hampton Roads on topics of mutual interest.
Recruit future leadership program participants.
Provide a high value, collective educational opportunity for participants that is beyond the offerings of individual leadership programs.
This event is coordinated by, Old Dominion University's Center for Regional Excellence located in the Strome College of Business. For more information, contact Center Director, Ron Carlee (rcarlee@odu.edu).
Share this event on Facebook and Twitter. We hope you can make it!
Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber today! Thanks to Jon Maynard, Pam Swain, Rosie Vassalo and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
#FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Determine your Mindset)
"The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." - John Milton
"The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." - John Milton
Setting up shop: Resources available to help new DeKalb County businesses
When choosing to work in the new DeKalb location of ATI Physical Therapy, Kris Heitzig’s decision was an easy one to make. Heitzig is the director of the clinic, located at 2115 Sycamore Road in DeKalb.
“Why DeKalb County? DeKalb County is the community where I live, it’s the community where I go to church, it is the community were my kids go to school,” Heitzig said.
ATI Physical Therapy is one of the 31 new businesses – out of the 131 total – that joined the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce since January 2017. Six new businesses came to Genoa since 2017. Of the 110 businesses that joined the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce since 2017, 43 were new.
RoseMarie Treml, executive director of the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce, said last year was one of the chamber’s best years for adding new business members.
“Our strength lies in the number and diversity of our membership,” Treml said. “That is why we feel it is so important for us to continually increase our membership numbers as well as focus on the retention of our existing member businesses.”
Matt Duffy, executive director of the DeKalb Chamber, said the question shouldn’t be “Why DeKalb County,” it should be “Why not DeKalb County?”
“We don’t want businesses to start and fail, and we think that by having more information easily available for business starters will help them succeed,” Duffy said. “By having resources and information, like demographics and statistics, readily available, they can do some research and take their business even further.”
One of the resources available to new and starting businesses is the DeKalb County Business Incubator program. The incubator, located in the Creative Center of the Community Outreach Building, 2500 N. Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb, helps foster and support the initial development of emerging entrepreneurs’ ideas by providing a rentable professional office space. The incubator also is new to DeKalb County, starting in August 2016. Read more: The Midweek News
Gov. Bevin Awards Kentucky Work Ready Communities Certification to Christian County, Kentucky
Hopkinsville, KY – Gov. Matt Bevin announced on Tuesday that Christian County has been certified as a Kentucky Work Ready Community.
A Kentucky Work Ready Community certification is a measure of a county's workforce quality. It is an assurance to business and industry that the community is committed to providing the highly-skilled workforce required in today's competitive global economy. Through this effort, Kentucky communities can assess their own workforce strengths and follow a process to become certified as Work Ready or Work Ready in Progress.
“We were thrilled to get the designation of being a Work Ready Community”, said Angie Major, Director of Workforce & Education for the Christian County Chamber of Commerce. “I have a passion for helping students find their way to success and for many that means finding good jobs. There are a variety of programs available for both students and adults to find jobs, we just have to continue to foster those efforts and ensure success.”
Many organizations played a role in obtaining the designation to include the Christian County Chamber of Commerce, Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council, Workforce Investment Board, Hopkinsville Community College, Christian County Public Schools, Murray State University, along with multiple community, government and industry leaders.
"The Work Ready Certification helps economic development recruiting efforts tremendously in our community and showcases the commitment to workforce said Mark Lindsey, Director of Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council. “ Certifications like these demonstrate the effort and willingness from different organizations working together as a team to accomplish this goal."
To become certified, communities must gather local support and commitment and apply for the Kentucky Work Ready Communities designation. Counties have to meet criteria in seven areas: high school graduation rate, career readiness certifications, community commitment, educational attainment, life-skills development, broadband access, and matching workforce supply and demand.
Applications for the certification are reviewed by a panel appointed by the Kentucky Workforce Innovation Board. The panel recommends certification by the board for the counties that meet the criteria. The panel meets four times a year to review applications, which can be submitted at any time.
For more information about the Kentucky Work Ready Communities program, go to http://workready.ky.gov.
Rapid City Area Chamber: How to Supervise People and Lead a Team - Back by popular demand: Glenn Shepard
Hilton Garden Inn
815 E. Mall Dr.
Rapid City, SD 57701
How to Supervise People and Lead a Team
815 E. Mall Dr.
Rapid City, SD 57701
How to Supervise People and Lead a Team
Presenting: How to Supervise People and Lead a Team
Tuition: $197 for Chamber members, $247 for non members
(If your business is a member- you are a member. If you are not sure, ask.)
Group Discount: When 3 or more enroll the 4th person attends for free.
If using this discount, only register 3 then e-mail 4th name to Debbie
Managing in today's business world is complex, ever changing, and wrought with serious consequences when you make even the tiniest mistake. You can be sued just for asking the wrong question in an interview, firing an employee who deserved to be fired, looking at an employee the wrong way, or for not hiring someone who wanted the job, even though they weren't qualified to begin with. It's becoming almost common to see on television that some disgruntled former employee returns to the workplace with a gun. How does a manager learn to avoid pitfalls like these?
For more information click here
Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce Community Map
The Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce Community Map is available at the New Castle-Henry County Chamber today! Thanks to Jeff Emsweller 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 guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Reedsburg Chamber of Commerce prepares for May events
The Chamber of Commerce will be hosting two Business After Five events to recognize local chamber member businesses. One will be May 3 at J’s Pub and Grill in Reedsburg which will celebrate its fifth anniversary and May 8 Wonewoc businesses members will be recognized with Beyond Boundaries, joined by the Friends of the 400 State Trail and the Friends of the Baraboo River, Kelly’s Woodfired Bistro and The Market Pizza, Pasta and Ice Cream Parlor where members of the public are welcomed to participate.
“Wonewoc has been really thriving the last few years they’ve got some new business in they are really working together,” said Kristine Koenecke, executive director.
The chamber will host its golf outing, silent auction and dinner fundraiser May 10 at the Reedsburg Country Club which Koenecke said has raised about $5,000 for the Chamber of Commerce to help pay for general expenses.
The Reedsburg Community Wide Garage Sale will be May 17-19. Those looking to register must do so by May 10 so participants and categories they are selling to be listed and placed on a map. Koenecke said it costs $20 to register for the garage sale, which includes a deposit for a sign. Once the sign is returned the $10 deposit will be given back. The maps will be available beginning May 16 the chamber, city hall, Viking Village Foods, the Reedsburg Public Library and Quillin’s Quality Foods. Read more: Reedsburg Times-Press
Industrial Wood Products Expands Vicksburg, Mississippi, Manufacturing Hub
Wood remanufacturing company Industrial Wood Products is locating several of its existing product lines and capabilities to Vicksburg, Mississippi. The project is a corporate investment of more than $2 million and creates 50 jobs.
Industrial Wood Products of Mississippi will locate industrial component manufacturing operations and a paint line in its Vicksburg facility. The industrial division will include cut-to-length, resawing, ripping, notching and grading capabilities to service pallet and crate manufacturers. The paint line will be used for the company’s existing Rustic Collection product line, which includes pre-stained shiplap boards to be sold in retail stores across the U.S.
“Our company is excited to have chosen Mississippi and Vicksburg as our location for this project. We found in Vicksburg a set of unique location advantages that will be of great importance to our company as we continue to grow our market share and expand our business,” said Industrial Wood Products President Ryan Hilsinger.
“We worked closely with the Mississippi Development Authority and the Warren County Port Commission, and we found them to be agile and pro-business partners that were effective in helping us navigate the site selection process,” he added.
The facility will also allow the company to provide a higher level of service and decrease shipment times to customers across the Gulf Coast region. Industrial Wood Products has committed to fill the 50 new jobs in Vicksburg over the next four years. The company also has two locations in North Carolina.
The Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for building repairs and renovations. The city of Vicksburg is providing in-kind assistance to help with water runoff affecting the facility and site.
“Industrial Wood Products decision to open its first Mississippi operations in Vicksburg is a great example of a public-private partnership benefiting the local economy and its citizens through job creation and new investment, both of which are vital to a healthy economy,” Governor Phil Bryant said.
“Vicksburg’s proximity to Industrial Wood Products’ customers, coupled with a skilled, committed workforce, will enhance the company’s tradition of excellence for many years to come,” said MDA Executive Director Glenn McCullough, Jr. “We salute our economic partners at the Warren County Port Commission, the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Foundation, the city of Vicksburg, the Warren County Board of Supervisors, Greater Jackson Alliance and Entergy for their teamwork to bring Industrial Wood Products to Mississippi.” Read more: Area Development
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
