August 2004 - Solon Chamber of Commerce

Providing Business Opportunities
News & Views
Volume 20 Issue 8
ANOTHER GREAT HOME DAYS RAFFLE!
August 2004
Coming Events
Chamber Coffee Connection
No meeting in August
See you September 17
Annual Golf Outing
Thursday, September 9
Grantwood
Raffle co-chairs Phil Wenk (left) and
Jim Bialosky (right) get help setting up
from committee member Todd Gemma
A bigger tent meant room for
more prizes!
It’s time to sign up for the
Annual Solon Chamber Golf Outing
Attention non-golfers: This is our
monthly meeting so be sure to
sign up to attend the dinner.
Don’t be left out - our golf outing
is the best in the area!
See page 5 for details.
A little rain on Sunday didn’t
keep people away
Another lucky winner!
Marketing Seminar
Thursday, September 23
7:30 a.m.
Hampton Inn
IN THIS ISSUE
Mayor Patton announced
the grand prize winners
Grand Prize winner of the trip
was Tim Siebert
COMING IN SEPTEMBER
Master Your Market
a business growth series
“Communications & PR Techniques”
Thursday, September 23
7:30 - 9:15 a.m.
Hampton Inn
6035 Enterprise Parkway, Solon
Join our expert panel to learn communication and public relations techniques, including media relations, Internet strategies, community relations and how to create your best
60-second commercial.
Fee is $12 for Chamber members. Contact the Chamber office at 440 248-5080 to
register. Program sponsored by Anna Maria of Aurora.
Chairman’s Message
Welcome New Members
July Luncheon Pix
Business After Hours Pix
Members in the News
Workers’ Comp News
Golf Outing Bonus
Golf Outing flyer
New Member Pix
Marketing Series Pix
Membership Committee
Raffle Thank You
August Calendar
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For the monthly
CALENDAR OF EVENTS,
including all committee
meetings, see the back cover
of this newsletter or visit
us on the web at
www.solonchamber.com
Chairman’S MESSAGE
Did you have a winning
raffle ticket at Solon Home
Days? With all the prizes,
it seems as if everyone was
a winner! A very special
thanks to the Raffle Committee, Chamber staff, and
all the Chamber volunteers.
Sue Huff
Your efforts help us grow
Project Help and the Solon Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund, Inc.
The Annual Chamber Golf Outing is only
a month away! Have you signed up to play?
Are you sponsoring a hole? Now is the time
to register. Please call the Chamber office to
get involved. The Golf Outing has four premier sponsors this year, in addition to the
regular sponsor opportunities. A special
thanks to premier sponsors The Cleveland
Clinic, Edge Learning Institute of Ohio, Heavenly Ham and KeyBank.
Things are going well at the Chamber.
We gave a new set of Property Enhancement
Awards - perhaps you noticed the signs in
front of the winning companies. Solon has
one of the nicest industrial areas in the State,
and the awards were well-deserved. We
should all be proud of our companies.
Membership continues to rise as more
and more people realize the value of a Solon
Chamber of Commerce membership. If you
haven’t looked into the cost savings offered
by your Chamber in group discounts for health
insurance or workers’ compensation, please
do. It could more than cover the cost of your
membership. Of course, networking remains
an outstanding membership benefit!
See you on September 9th at Grantwood!
W
ELCOME
NEW MEMBERS
MP Biomedicals LLC
Robert Beattie
1263 South Chillicothe Road
Aurora, Ohio 44202
216 562-1500
Resale & distribution of research
biomedicals worldwide
WellCorp, Inc.
Vlad Argranovich
30700 Bainbridge Road
Solon, Ohio 44139
440 715-0011
Health management & wellness
consulting firm
Personnel Evaluation Partners
Andrew Lynch
7991 Chagrin Road
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023
440 543-6436
Consulting - personnel & human
resources
Living Arts Style, Inc.
Julie Hanahan-Schmader
5859 Briar Hill Drive
Solon, Ohio 44139
440 248-5588
Interior redesign, one day decorating
home staging for real estate
Cleveland State University
Paul Haught
34055 Solon Road
Solon, Ohio 44139
440 498-9684
University/education
Jennifer Cobbs
UPS
4300 E. 68th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44105
216 641-4908
Worldwide transportation & supply
chain solutions
Sam’s Club (Marketing/Membership)
Rita Debelak
23300 Broadway Avenue
Oakwood Village, Ohio 44146
440 232-7545
Marketing
People Express Transportation
Jeffery & Eileen Pickus
28861 Naylor Drive
Solon, Ohio 44139
440 248-3007
Personal transportation business
Precision Funding Corp.
Jim Calder
34050 Solon Road
Solon, Ohio 44139
440 519-0590
Mortgage services
Jeffrey Elman
Smith Barney
37162 O’Neil Drive
Solon, Ohio 44139
216 241-7010
Investment management; retirement,
estate planning
We extend a warm welcome to our
new members and encourage you to patronize their services.
2005 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Any Chamber member in good standing
who is interested in being considered for a
position on the 2005 Chamber Board of Directors should contact the Chamber office at 440
248-5080.
CHAMBER GOES ELECTRONIC!
The Solon Industrial Directory is available free to Chamber members in electronic
format. Please call 440 248-5080 for a copy.
An electronic version of the Chamber
newsletter is now available on our web site,
www.solonchamber.com.
This will enable multiple employees
within a company to easily access information about Chamber events. Please share our
web site address with those in your company
who would like to keep up-to-date on Chamber happenings.
Providing Business Opportunities
News & Views is published monthly by The Solon Chamber of Commerce,
33595 Bainbridge Road, Suite 101, Solon, Ohio 44139
Phone 440 248-5080, Fax 440 248-9121
Emails: staff@solonchamber.com
ntraum@solonchamber.com
Chamber Officers
Chairman of the Board ................. Sue Huff
Chairman Elect.....................David Andrews
Vice Chairman.............................Hal Becker
Vice Chairman.................................Jim Bird
Secretary ................................Nancy Traum
Treasurer ..............Natalie Young Liberatore
Extra copies of News & Views
are available at the Chamber office.
Chamber Staff
President/CEO ......................Nancy Traum
Administrative Assistant......Peggy Fletcher
Administrative Assistant.......Kathy Piunno
Newsletter Staff
Newsletter Chair.......................Galen Swab
Printed by ............................Evans Printing
Visit us on the World Wide Web at
www.solonchamber.com
page 2
J
ULY PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT LUNCHEON Solon Community Center
Attendees included Janis Evans, Evans
Printing; Jim Bird, Bird Technology Group;
Bob Pohland, Heavenly Ham; and
Heather Hall, Evans Printing
Tom Wasson, Wasson Insurance with
Larry Snow, Anne and Bob Gable of
Solon Freeway Lanes
(Sorry, camera malfunction! No more pictures available)
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS AT GRANTWOOD
Attendees benefitted from a golf
lesson at the new, heated driving range
Scott Pollack, golf pro at Grantwood,
demonstrated the proper swing
Jim Bird, Bird Technologies Group;
Kate Kelly, Master Benefits; and
Dennis Demshar, Heavenly Ham
Todd Gemma, Gemini Construction
Services, took time out for a photo while
networking in the Grantwood atrium
WAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS
Chamber sponsorships can help you
market your business.
Program Sponsorship
Monthly Luncheon Meeting - $150
Dinner Meeting - $250
Breakfast Growth Seminar - $75
Benefits include your name and logo on
all material relating to event, including web
site, ticket(s) to event, opportunity to address
audience.
Newsletter Advertising
Call the Chamber office for rates. Space
available starting soon!
Door Prizes
Name recognition at programs and
events. Donated items may contain your
company name and logo. A low-cost way to
promote your business!
To participate in any of these advertising opportunities, call the Chamber office at
440 248-5080.
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
q Congratulations to Matthew Kanan,
King Nut Company, who has been
appointed to the Solon Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors.
q The International Association of Business Communicators Cleveland Chapter has awarded Greg Rosenberg,
Business Communication Solutions,
and Ernst & Young its Vision Award
for the best employee magazine.
q Solon City Council has approved a
Jobs Creation Grant for MP
Biomedicals LLC who will be relocating to the former Clestra Hauserman
building on Fountain Parkway.
q Congratulations to Richard and Lisa
Thomas, CEO & COO of CarkPak, Inc.
who were named 2004 Entrepreneur of
the Year finalists.
q Two Chamber members, Swagelok and
Dr. Scott Rose, DDS, have made donations to the Solon K-9 fund that
trains and feeds Rex, the city’s K-9.
q The Village of Glenwillow held a
groundbreaking ceremony for its new
town center, including retail, office
space and new housing.
q Congratulations to the following who
made Crain’s list for Who’s Who in
Technology: George Buzzy and Chaz
Napoli, Datavantage; Joseph Keithley,
Keithley Instruments, Inc; David
O’Connor, Swagelok.
q Congratulations to Colortone, winner
of the 2nd annual Rental & Staging
Systems Award, presented by International Communications Industry
Association.
q The Campus of Anna Maria, 889 N.
Aurora Road, will host it’s 8th Annual
Classic Car Show, including music,
food and activities, on Thursday, August 12 from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Donation
of $1 ($5 to register vehicle) goes to
the Alzheimer’s Association.
q Congratulations to Mary Jane Skala
who has been promoted to senior editor, East Group for Sun Newspapers.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
IN AUGUST?
As you can see from the many photos
in this newsletter, the Chamber has been
busy holding lots of events! What is
scheduled for August? Not much! Since
so many people are busy squeezing in that
one last vacation of the summer, the Chamber uses August to regroup and get ready
for our next big event, the Annual Chamber Golf Outing. Remember the dinner is a
great networking event for non-golfers
also. Have a safe and happy month and
call us if you have any questions!
page 3
TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
1. It is Required. There are some exceptions, but in Ohio if you have employees it
is your responsibility to have Workers’
Compensation coverage.
2. It is Unusual. Ohio is one of the few
states in the country that has a state-run
monopoly. Most other states require private insurance.
3. It is Costly. If an employer is not in a
group they are paying “retail”.
4. It is Based on Payroll. Employers report their payroll twice a year to the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. This information is used to calculate the next billing.
5. It is Based on Industry. The industry
classification is a major factor in rating a
group.
6. It is Based on Experience. Claims from
the previous five years (excluding the most
recent year) are used in the calculation.
7. It is Paid in Arrears. The bill you pay
is for the previous six months.
8. It is More Than Just Medical Claims.
In fact, Lost Time Claims are of much more
concern. These claims involve time off
from work. There are also varying degrees
of disability and wage loss compensation
claims.
9. It is Constantly Changing. Workers’ Compensation rules are not static. Employers are
expected to keep up with the changes.
10. It is NOT Hopeless. Your Chamber group
saw 6.8 million dollars in savings last year. This
was done through accessing group discounts,
effective claims processing, and legal representation at Industrial Commission proceedings included in the administrative free paid by members.
For more information contact Don
Knepper or Barry Davis of Comprehensive Risk
Management at 216 901-0066.
Comprehensive Risk Management is a
NOACC benefit provider, and group rating
discounts are available to qualifying members
as part of your membership benefits in the
Solon Chamber of Commerce.
Save the Date
October 21, 2004
Chamber Annual
Meeting & Wine
Tasting Event
GOLF OUTING HOLE
SPONSORS
GET EXTRA BONUS!
Picture
Your Company
Here
Hole sponsors at the annual Chamber
Golf Outing on September 9th will be supplied with a tent/canopy at their hole. We
encourage sponsors to be creative (and
legal!) in what activities they schedule
within their “tent”.
Some suggestions:
Caribbean or Mexican Theme, Ye Olde
Watering Hole, Cigar Bar, Advertising &
Promotions, Photo Opportunities, Raffle,
Contests, Snacks & Goodies, Beach Party.
Hole sponsors are responsible for
bringing their own chairs and tables.
Be creative - this is a great way to
make people remember your business!
EN RO LL NO W FOR FO R FALL PRO GRAMS
S O LO N
C R E AT I V E
P LAY RO O M S
AMS MONTESSORI SCHOOL
& CHILD CARE CENTER
32800 Solon Road l (440) 248-3100
Ø
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INFANT-TODDLER CARE
NURSERY SCHOOL
PRE-K CLASSES
MONTESSORI KINDERGARTEN
TRADITIONAL KINDERGARTEN
BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
SUMMER CAMP
ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
COMPUTERS & LIBRARY
INDOOR POOL
6 Weeks-12 Years l Open Year Round l 6:00am-6:30pm
CLEAN, SAFE, MODERN FACILITIES
TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE
OUR OTHER LOCATIONS
Maple Heights
Independence
Strongsville
(216) 475-6464
(216) 524-8008
(440) 572-9365
Parma
(216) 898-9520
Stow
(330) 928-1444
Westlake (440) 835-5858
ADVERTISEMENT
A Senior Caring Community
7000 Cochran Road
Glenwillow, Ohio 44139
(440) 914-0900
Assisted Living
Nursing Center
Rehabilitation Services
www.creativeplayrooms.com
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
page 4
Solon Chamber of Commerce
Annual Golf Outing Scramble
Thursday, September 9, 2004
7:30 a.m. Shotgun
12:30 p.m. Shotgun
Golf: Grantwood Golf Course
38855 Aurora Road, Solon
Dinner: Grantwood Golf Course
BE A SPONSOR PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS!
There are several ways to get involved.
Simply choose one of the following sponsorship levels.
Hole Sponsor: $300
Package consisting of one hole sign, two tee signs
Bonus: Interactive display at hole - we supply
the canopy, you supply the people to “Man Your
Hole” Be remembered - have fun with creative
“themes” or giveaways. LIMITED NUMBER!
Tee Sponsor: $75
Golf Ball Tee Sign with your company name great advertising!
Beverage Cart Sponsor: $300
Travel around the course greeting thirsty golfers!
Company name on flag flying from beverage cart
Lunch Sponsors: $200
Sign at lunch recognizing you as event Lunch
Sponsor. Opportunity to meet & greet at gazebo
Exposure for both a.m. & p.m. golfers
Breakfast Sponsors: $75
Sign at breakfast recognizing you as Breakfast
Sponsor. Opportunity to meet & greet golfers.
All Sponsors receive recognition in program,
on Chamber web site, and in Chamber newsletter.
Questions: call 440 248-5080
“2004 Premier
Golf Sponsors”
Bonus
for A.M. golfers only
(Limited #) Add 9 holes of afternoon play at
Signature of Solon for an additional $75.00
PLAY GOLF!
Golfer’s Complete Package:
$100 per person
Non-Golfer’s Package:
$45 (Open bar & dinner)
Please sign me up for the following:
______ Hole Sponsor
($300)
______ Tee Sponsor ($75)
______ Beverage Cart Sponsor ($300)
______ Lunch Sponsor ($200)
______ Breakfast Sponsor ($75)
______ Complete Golfer’s Package ($100)
Time Preference:
_____A.M. (7:30) _____P.M. (12:30)
______ Afternoon 9 Holes (A.M. golfers only) at
Signature of Solon ($75)
Golfer’s Name(s)
Company
1.________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________
3.________________________________________________
4.________________________________________________
(Note: we will match single golfers)
______ Non-Golfer’s Package ($45-open bar & dinner)
Name(s)
Company
1.________________________________________________
2.________________________________________________
Payment enclosed: __________
Method of Payment: ____check ____credit card
____Master Card ____Visa ____American Express
Card #_______________________________
Expiration date__________
Make checks payable and send to
Solon Chamber of Commerce
33595 Bainbridge Road #101 Solon, Ohio 44139
Sponsorships are limited so sign up early.
Deadline for golf registration is September 2, 2004.
Reservations firm upon receipt of payment.
AM/PM Tee times on first come, first served basis.
page 5
SOLON 2004 HOME DAYS RAFFLE
Thank You to all those who contributed items or services to make the raffle a success!
Grand Prize Donors
Liberty Ford Auto Group
Action Travel
Mustard Seed Market & Cafe
Cadillac Music
Grand Prize Winners
Car lease/cash - Lori Gemma
California Vacation - Tim Siebert
$1,000 Mustard Seed - Renee Mezera
CD Jukebox - Tom Hathaway
Hourly & Big Nightly Prize Donors
AAA
Adjer Industries
Berris Optical
Bird Technologies Group
Bob Evans
Bobbie Barna’s Dance Studio
Bogart, Cunix & Associates
Brittain Gallagher
Caito’s Health
Carl’s Men’s Hair
Carver House
Century Cycle
Chicago Deli
Cleveland Cavs
Cleveland Cinema Theater
Cleveland Indians
Computer Troubleshooters
Crain’s Cleveland Business
Datavantage
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dino Palmeri Salon
Dodd’s Camera
Dominos
Dots
Dr. Patton DDS
Duffy’s
Dunkin Donuts
Electrical Design Consultants
Embroidered ID
Evans Printing
Fasteners For Retail
Framart
Frame City
Future Directions
Gemini Construction Services
Glavin Industries
Goodwin Grier Consulting
Grantwood
Great Harvest Bread
Hal Becker
Hampton Inn Solon
Hawthorne Valley Country Club
Heavenly Ham
Hilton Garden Inn Twinsburg
Hometown Buffet
Homewood Suites Solon
Huntington Bank
Imperial Wok
Jim’s Open Kitchen
John Roberts Studio & Spa
King Nut
Kinko’s
KMart
Malley’s
Maple Jewelers
Marathon
Maria Giallanza Salon & Spa
Mazel Company
McDonald’s
Merry Maids
Mitchell’s Ice Cream
My Gym
Nestle
O’Brien & Nye
Panera Bread
Pepsi
PIP Printing
PlayMatters
Plumbing Source
Port Royal
Pretzables
ProCare
Rinaldi Jewelry
Ritz Camera
Rockne’s
Royal Appliance Mfg.
R-Solutions
Rube Adler Sporting Goods
Sam’s Club
Santino’s Salon
Solon Bicycle
Solon Center for the Arts
Solon Freeway Lanes
Solon Recreation Department
Solon Sunoco
Solon Valley Hardware
Solon Wine & Liquor
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Station Street Salon
Telephone Credit Union
The Gallman Group
The Gas House
Tom’s Shoe Repair
Tops
United Wireless
Village Flowers
Wildlife Garden
Solon Home Days Raffle
Committee
Special Thanks
to Raffle Co-Chairs
Phil Wenk & Jim Bialosky!
And Committee Members
Hal Becker
Mary Jane Camarato
Brad Cisar
Lorna Chernomorets
Todd Gemma
Caroline Guzzi
Scott Harvey
Greg Rosenberg
Steve Schwartz
Jennifer Stefacin
Tom Wasson
Bob Zelwin
Plus
Home Days Raffle Volunteers
Natalie Young Liberatore
Matthew Kanan
Robert & Diane Garrett
Sue Drucker
Sally & Tom Deitrik
Bill Russo
Joe Kelley
David Andrews
Todd Brewer
Larry Dubrava
Donna & Galen Swab
Kristin Dean
Jim Bird
Ed Tancredi
Dave Krus
Pat Barta
Judy & Kevin Caine
Steve Fletcher
Joann Bialosky
Mary Ann Aue
Dave & Sue Carlson
Ken Traum
Don Holub
Sue Wolf
Jeannie Devereaux
Dave Hromco
Mary Ann & John Aue
Bill Mazur
Special Thanks to
Mayor Patton
Sally Deitrick
Solon Recreation Department
And
anyone else we
inadvertently omitted!
page
7
NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION BREAKFAST
Thanks to host & sponsor Max & Erma’s!
Membership Chair Mary Ann Aue, Aue
Design Studio with Wayne Bergman,
Action International of Chagrin Valley
Chris Borsellino, UBS Financial;
Sherry Rinaldi, Rinaldi Jewelry; Eileen
Pickus, People Express Transportation
Vice Chair Hal Becker, The Becker Group;
Marc Insul and Jim Calder, Precision
Funding Corp
John Spolarich, VEC Systems Integrator;
Jill Vance, Aurora Inn of Mario’s
International; John Aue, Venture Plastics
Regina Olbinsky, The Career Group; Carolyn
Gilbert, Cleveland State; Nancy Herman,Ohio
Savings Bank; Donna Heffernan, Heffernan
& Koenig, CPA; Sarah Bacon, Zeppe’s
Rita Debelak, Sam’s Club; Jennifer
Cobbs, UPS; Peter Balunek, New York Life
MARKETING BREAKFAST SERIES
SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Curves for Women of Solon
served as meeting sponsor
Jill Zabka, The Massage Studio of Solon
with Janie Carlini, SpringHill Suites
NEW MEMBER BREAKFAST
WELL ATTENDED
Do you know Chris Borsellino? Have
you met him yet??
If you attended the new member
breakfast at Max & Erma’s on July 15th, then
you met him.
As a veteran of the Membership
Committee, I first met Chris late last year at
our very successful rally for potential new
members. Since then, Chris has jumped in
and become a valuable member of our
committee. He enjoys making the endless
phone calls and talking about the benefits
of Chamber membership to prospective and
new members. In short, Chris Borsellino is a
schmoozer.
“I like meeting new people,” says Chris,
who is a financial advisor for UBS Financial
Services. “I help new members learn about
all the Chamber has to offer and how to take
advantage of various opportunities.”
With Chris leading the way we welcomed
over 30 new members at Max & Erma’s. Paula
and her staff at the restaurant had the
scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee ready for
us. There were a number of Chamber leaders
there to introduce the merits of various
committees. Judging from the enthusiastic
response of the new members, many of who
stayed after to learn more about specific
areas of interest, there was significant
schmoozing going on. New members
sounded, and acted, like old friends.
Jennifer Cobbs and I discovered our
daughters played clarinet in the same high
school band. Regina Olbinsky and Nancy
Herman thought the other looked familiar,
then realized they had a mutual friend. John
Aue sheepishly admitted he was a new
member because his wife is a committee
chairperson. Each one had their own
motivation for being there.
Before you knew it, breakfast was over
and I asked Chris Borsellino what’s in store
for new members. “We’re planning a yearend event for the new member class of 2004”
said Chris. “A more relaxed, social gathering
where we can recognize accomplishments
and continue to share ideas.” Stay tuned for
details later this year.
And with that, Chris Borsellino
cheerfully shook my hand, smiled and drove
off to schmooze another day.
In addition to being a member of the
Membership Committee, John Martin is also
a schmoozer and the Director of Sales &
Marketing for Colortone Staging &
Rentals and can be reached at
jmartin@colortone.com.
To find out how you can become a
fellow schmoozer and join the rest of the
Membership Committee, please call the
Chamber office.
This seminar was a sell-out!
page 6
AUGUST CALENDAR OF EVENTSMarch
SUN
1
MON
2
WED
TUE
3
4
Membership
Committee Meeting
8:00 a.m.
Chamber office
THU
5
Golf Committee
Meeting
8:00 a.m.
Grantwood
FRI
6
SAT
7
Annual Meeting
Committee
8:30 a.m.
Chamber office
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Bd of Directors
Mtg. 8:00 a.m.
Solon Community
Center
Newsletter deadline
22
23
24
29
30
31
25
26
Golf Committee
Meeting
8:00 a.m.
Grantwood
27
28
Solon Chamber of Commerce Mission
To serve as advocates for the business community by supporting and fostering vibrant economic growth.
Solon Chamber of Commerce
Suite 101
33595 Bainbridge Road
Solon, OH 44139
PLEASE ROUTE TO:
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