FEB 2011 NEWSLETTER.pub

Issue: February 2011
Business Broadcast
Our Mission
To develop, enhance and represent business; to serve as a source of community leadership;
and to promote trade among the members.
Annual Awards Dinner and Business Meeting Recap
The 95th Annual Awards Dinner was an evening of surprises and announcements. Receiving 282 reservations, we had a
full house. See page two for the list of business award recipients and check out the photos on the Chamber’s Facebook page.
The 2010 membership report reported a 90% retention rate from 2009 and 37 new members for the year. We are 374 members strong and keep SCORE and SBDC busy with free counseling for start-up businesses as well as updating business plans for
existing businesses.
More than 60 individuals volunteer their time and talents to assist the Chamber. Nine committees were active last year and
include: Ambassadors, Member Benefits Committee, Employee Manual Committee, Knox County Video Committee, Business
Education Workforce Development, HR Committee, Legislative Affairs Committee, Safety Council, and Leadership Knox. Our
Chamber could not operate and bring quality training and initiatives without the dedicated service of these committees. Our sincere
appreciate goes out to these individuals as well as the additional people that support and serve as volunteers throughout the year.
Goodbyes were also part of the event when we recognized the outgoing Board members. Gene Jackson, Susan Ramser,
George Small and Gordy Yance were called to stage to receive a plaque recognizing their service.
Susan Sukys received the 2010 Chair’s Award presented by our 2010 Board Chair, Sally Nelson. Susan regularly attends
Chamber events and Board meetings and attended every Member Benefits Committee meeting. Susan is a wonderful cheerleader
for implementing new benefits for our members.
Exciting news was revealed at the dinner. It was announced the Chamber’s official name is now Knox County Chamber of
Commerce. The Chamber serves all of Knox County and beyond and we wanted our name to reflect our mission in serving and
promoting the entire county, not just Mount Vernon. With the new name, came our new logo. It was designed by our own Andrea
Hayes-Caudill and incorporates part of the previous logo, but has a new, more appealing look. The Chamber staff had an aggressive
plan of work in 2010. Currently, work is being done to create a new Web site. It is scheduled to be live on February 28th.
The Member-to-Member Discount Program was implemented in 2010 and continues to grow. The members of the Chamber represent more than 14,000 employees. Each of them is eligible to purchase your product or service at a Chamber discount.
That's a huge market reach. As a Chamber member, you can reach this market by offering an exclusive discount to other Knox
County Chamber members and their employees. Your discount offer will be listed on the Chamber Web site (members only section) for that market to find.
A final announcement at the dinner was the creation of the Knox County Video. This video is posted on the Chamber Web
site and every member is welcome to host the link on their company Web site. The link is: http://knoxchamber.com/
chambervideo.htm and is a great recruiting tool for professionals and new businesses. Simply click the link, make sure your speakers are on, and enjoy our Live, Work, and Play video.
The 2011 Board of Trustees were introduced and the list may be found on page three of this newsletter. Bruce White, CEO
of Knox Community Hospital served as the Master of Ceremonies at the dinner. See this year’s recipients on the follow page.
Work will continue on these projects to implement and enhance each of them in 2011. The Chamber staff and Board have
developed an ongoing theme over the past few years to focus on delivering additional benefits to our members from all Chamber
projects. This focus includes technology enhancements to our Web site and an improved data base to allow the staff to use existing
information more efficiently. We will continue our focus in 2011 and explore new member benefits.
The staff will continue our practice of connecting with the members including individual member to one-on-one appointments to discuss how your business is doing and review Chamber services.
New in 2011 will be our Membership Appreciation Day in September. This will be an all-day celebration filled with information, drawings, gifts, and training on various available benefits.
We encourage you to visit the Chamber Web site often and read the monthly Chamber newsletter to remain informed about
upcoming events and services. We are fortunate to have a county chamber with a staff and Board that has a passion to improve and
promote business in Knox County. This has been a very exciting year and the future is bright and hopeful for the Chamber and
business climate.
Corporate Sponsor
2010 Award Recipients
2010
Lifetime
Achievement
Award Recipients.
Media Sponsor
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jim and Maureen Buchwald
Award Sponsors
Central Ohio Technical College
Lifetime Achievement Award
Killbuck Savings Bank
Ambassador of the Year Award
Ambassador of the Year Award
Joan Jones of Peoples Bank
Heart Award
Glenn A. Gallagher Centre
Quality of Life Award
American Red Cross of Knox County
Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston
Heart Award
Knox Community Hospital
Investor in the Future Award
Knox County Career Center
Quality of Life Award
Ariel Corporation
Investor in the Future Award
Kenyon College
Environmental Sustainability Award
Women in Business Leadership Award
Vickie Sant
Paul Slaughter Volunteer of the Year Award
Nancy Karam
Fredericktown Chevrolet
Women in Business Leadership Award
CenturyLink
Paul Slaughter Volunteer
of the Year Award
Zelkowitz, Barry and Cullers
Small Business of the Year Award
Info-Link
Business of the Year Award
First-Knox National Bank
Small Business of the Year Award
First-Knox National Bank
Business of the Year Award
Environmental Sustainability Award
Mount Vernon Middle School
Chamber of Commerce
2011 Board of Trustees
THERE IS NO OBLIGATION, CALL TODAY!
Executive Board
Associated Insurance Agencies
326-6458
Jim Norris, Chair
Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston
Sally Nelson, Past Chair
Nelson & Nelson CPAs
Marc Odenweller, Treasurer
Dennis & Schisler, Inc.
Jeff Boucher
Flapper’s Bar & Grille and
Parkside Restaurant & Tavern
Joel Daniels
Central Ohio Technical College
Bruce White
Knox Community Hospital
Members At Large
Margie Bennett
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Terry Bumpus
First Federal Savings & Loan
Bob Drews
Ariel Corporation
Jason Hall
Modern Builders
Bill Hanna
Ver-Mac Industries
Marc Hawk
ECR Computers, Networking
& Web Design
Korey Kidwell
Murray, Rauzi & Kidwell
Pat McLarnan
Rolls-Royce Energy Systems
Ted Rice
Kenyon College
Ryan Sponsler
Donley Ford Lincoln of Mount Vernon
Vickie Sant
First-Knox National Bank
Wage war on health care costs
Research shows that for every healthy choice we
make, the people around us make healthier choices too.
The number of people we influence through our positive
actions is called a Health Footprint. Calculate yours at
connects.anthem.com/, then leverage your good influence
to improve your employees’ health and drive down costs.
Benchmark Insurance Management
800-396-7009
Griffin Agencies 397-7488
Jon-Wesley Insurance 393-1755
Kahrl & Company 397-1066
Study the enemy
Meier Benefit Resources 501-5050
Examine where your company’s health care dollars are going. Are many of your employees and their
W.S. Hogg Insurance 397-7676
dependents overweight or obese? Does your workforce
suffer from smoking-related complications? Are your employees using the emergency room for
non-emergencies? This data will show where you can have the greatest impact.
Plan your attack
Once you’ve identified where you’re spending the most money, check out Anthem Blue
Cross and Blue Shield’s Time Well Spent℠ tools at anthem.com/timewellspent/. You’ll find articles, posters, payroll stuffers, charts, and more – everything you need to launch a health improvement campaign for your workforce.
Enlist help
A small group of employees can brainstorm the best ways to involve
the company at large. Select upbeat, energetic people who are friendly and
Chamber Group
socially involved with other employees. Ideas might include a “Biggest
Health Plan
Loser” type competition, a company-wide smoking cessation program, or a
mileage club for walkers or runners.
Contact one of
these Chamber
Rally the troops
member agencies
Whatever you come up with, make it fun for your employees. Any- to receive a
thing that’s too competitive or potentially embarrassing will discourage some. quote.
And be sure to get buy-in from the top – when company executives actively
participate in wellness programs, employee participation goes up. Incentivize There is no
people to get involved. An extra paid day off for members of the team that
obligation so
loses the most weight, or a spa gift card for those who test negative for towhy not get a
bacco following a smoking-cessation campaign, can give your employees a
check-up on your
target to shoot for.
insurance?
The fight against high health care costs is a battle you can’t afford to
lose. There’s no time like the present to shore up your employees’ efforts toward achieving good health.
Susan Sukys
Money Concepts Financial Planning
Myra Wilson
Knox County Career Center
Ex-Officio
Terry Divelbiss
ADF Board Chair &
Divelbiss Corporation
Chamber Staff
Carol Grubaugh
Executive Director
Andrea Hayes-Caudill
Member Services Specialist
Tina Cockrell
Administrative Assistant
Photos from Annual Dinner
Congratulations to this year’s recipients and nominees. To view
photos from the dinner, click here: http://www.facebook.com/
home.php#!/pages/Mount-Vernon-Knox-County-Chamber-ofCommerce/272011821628.
Monthly Events—RSVP to Chamber
Safety Council meeting will be held on February 16, 2011, at the Mount Vernon Country Club, 8927
Martinsburg Road in Mount Vernon. Guest speaker will be Thomas Cunningham, Assistant Coordinator for Small
Business Assistance and Outreach Program at the national Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). He will
discuss “Workplace Health Issues” and will provide literature and CDs. Cost is $10 per person. Doors open at 7:20 a.m.
and meeting will begin at 7:30 until 8:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend. RSVP to the Chamber office. 740-393-1111 or
e-mail Chamber@KnoxChamber.com.
Business After Hours will be held on February 22, 2011, at Griffin Insurance. It is co-hosted with David Perry &
Associates. The event will be at Michael Percy’s office, 300 Coshocton Avenue in Mount Vernon. Guests may park on
Catherine and Greer Streets and there are a few spaces at the Griffin office. Join us from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. All are
welcome so bring a friend or co-worker. This event is free! Bring your business cards! RSVP to the Chamber office. 740393-1111 or e-mail Chamber@KnoxChamber.com.
Midday Matters will be held on February 24, 2011, at The Alcove Restaurant & Lounge, 116 South Main Street
in Mount Vernon. Guest speaker will be Andrea Hayes-Caudill, Member Services Specialist, from the Chamber office.
She will explain and demonstrate the new member benefit, iConnect. Cost is $10 per person for members and $15 for nonmembers. The luncheon meeting will be held from Noon until 1 o’clock. All are welcome to attend; Chamber members,
public, friends, and associates. Bring your business card. RSVP to the Chamber office. 740-393-1111 or e-mail
Chamber@KnoxChamber.com.
Welcome New Chamber Members
Lady Bug Lane Gift Shop
Karla Corl, Owner
28770 Mount Zion Road
Frazeysburg, Ohio 43822
740-668-2900
ladybuglanegiftshop@yahoo.com
Pat Catan’s Craft Center
Steve Eckrich, Manager
1550 Coshocton Avenue
Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050
740-392-0784
www.patcatans.com
We offer products made in the USA. We have home décor,
accessories, arts and crafts, puzzles, and train sets. Come
browse our gift shop and toy store where some of our items
are handmade by local artisans.
Pat Catan’s craft store is packed with craft supplies, floral
decorations, wood furnishings, art, jewelry making supplies, and
much more.
News Bulletins
Griffin Insurance is pleased to announce they will now have a tax preparer on site for appointments and consultation. This
service is being provided by David Perry and Associates, Inc., CPA. Please stop in or call Griffin Insurance today at 740-397-7488.
Be sure to ask about a 10% discount you could receive off of the price you paid last year for your tax preparation.
Replex Plastics President, Mark Schuetz, is pleased to announce they have collaborated with Case Western Reserve University and was awarded $899,800 in Ohio Third Frontier Photovoltaic Program Funding. They will develop mirror-augmented solar
photovoltaic (PV) systems. As part of a prior Ohio Third Frontier funded project, Replex developed solar mirrors that showed potential to double the annual power output of commercially available flat panels. Professor Roger French of the Case Department of Materials Science and Engineering has 25 years of experience with material degradation studies including for solar applications. The grant
will fund the research and help Replex refine their solar mirror designs for market, with the goal of lowering the cost per kWh of solar
power. “If we are successful, this project will not only benefit Ohio’s own growing PV industry, but will provide important information to the industry as a whole,” stated Schuetz. “It’s exciting to think we’re making an international impact right here in Ohio.”
iConnect Join the Network!
iConnect is the Knox Chamber’s own social media network. We are proud to be the third Chamber in the U.S to offer this
benefit to our members! Much like Facebook, it is our own social network site where you can easily create your own profile and begin
to share business information with others, such as PowerPoints, articles you have created, videos and blogs. iConnect is an automated
syndication site that integrates with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn to allow you to post something to all media outlets with
one easy step. Look for the iConnect logo on our new website or go to iconnect.knoxchamber.ning.com to get started. The site will
offer a video tutorial if you have questions and Andrea Hayes-Caudill will be giving an introduction to using the site at the February
24th Midday Matters.
State Representative,
90th District
Margaret Ann Ruhl (R)
77 South High Street, 11th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-466-1431
district90@ohr.state.oh.us
State Senator, 19th District
Kris Jordan (R)
Senate Building
1 Capitol Square, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-466-8086
SD19@senate.state.oh.us
U.S. Senators
Rob Portman (R)
37 West Broad Street, Room 300
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-469-6774
800-205-6446 (OHIO)
http://portman.senate.gov/
Sherrod Brown (D)
200 North High Street, Room 614
Columbus, Ohio 43215
1-888-896-6446
E-mail form at
http://Brown.senate.gov
U.S. Representative
Bob Gibbs (R)
1166 Military Road, Suite B
Zanesville, Ohio 43701
740-452-2279
http://gibbs.house.gov/office/zanesville
Legislative Update By Andrea Hayes-Caudill
Tuesday, February 1st the Chamber met with the representatives of new U.S Senator
for Ohio, Rob Portman. His representatives, John Campbell, Central District Director and
Apps Akpofure, Central District Representative and Outreach, expressed interest in continuing the open lines of communication which were set up with former Senator Voinovich
connecting the Knox Chamber to our Senators in D.C.
Senator Portman has been busy in his first couple of weeks. On his first day in
session he introduced the Job Creation Act of 2011. The key claims in this bill include providing tax and regulatory relief to the private sector. It would lower payroll taxes for employers
by 2% for one year, on top of the Obama employee payroll tax cut of last year. It would also
repeal some of the healthcare mandates, and permanently extend the research tax credit
incentive to hire. He was appointed to the Budget, Armed Services, Energy, and Homeland
Security Committees.
In the meeting with his representatives we discussed local infrastructure, energy,
funding and grants issues. We intend to keep the lines of communication open in the future.
The Chamber is a voice for our business community. If you have issues you would like the
Chamber to communicate to our representatives, please send them to chamber@knoxchamber.com. You can also contact Senator Portman’s office directly.
Human Resources
HR Views-N-News is a group of individuals that share HR law and discuss scenarios
on how to properly handle HR issues in the workplace. Enjoy the benefit that HR professionals bring to the meeting. Whether you are new to HR topics or a seasoned veteran, you will
want to join this group. The information is valuable to any business of any size.
The group meets eight times a year at Emeritus at HillenVale, located at 1615 Yauger Road in Mount Vernon. Meetings begin at 7:30 a.m.
To learn more about HR Views-N-News, contact: Myra Wilson 740-393-2933, ext.
1108. E-mail: mwilson@kccc.k12.oh.us. RSVP to Myra.
Next Meeting: February 23rd. Donna McNally will speak on
“Healthcare Compliance Updates”
Country Club
Retirement Campus
Ask how we can
Get You Back Home
with our NEW
Occupational
Therapy Services
Red Cross Blood Drive
Monday, February 7 - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Free Senior Lunch & Bingo
Tuesday, February 15 - 1:00 p.m.
Please RSVP, Seating is Limited
New Rehab Therapy Gym
February 1 - 28
Call Tami or Roger to schedule a visit
Rehabilitation & Therapy Services
Skilled & Restorative Nursing
Independent & Assisted Living Apartments
1350 Yauger Road Mt. Vernon, Ohio 43050 (740) 397-2350
www.countryclubretirementcampus.com