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Fort Wayne Chamber brings home 7 awards at statewide conference

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:10:03 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce took home seven honors at the Indiana Chamber Executives Association (ICEA) Awards Luncheon held Thursday in Indianapolis.

In the Communications Excellence Awards, The Chamber received top honors in three categories:

The Graduate Retention Program won in the category, “Passing The Torch: Programs That Engage The Next Generation.”
The Links4Leaders and Chamber Golf School won in the “Innovative New Ideas” category.
The Chamber’s Legislative Agenda won in the “Brochures” category.

The Chamber also received accolades for its Emphasis Magazine, its web site, the GovConnect email newsletter, and its annual report.

“The hard work and dedication of the professionals leading the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber are apparent through the works submitted for review by the judging panel,” said Shelli Williams, President of the ICEA. “The Fort Wayne chamber was up against some very well-respected competition, so to take top honors like this really says a lot about your Chamber.”

The Chamber was recognized in all seven of the categories in which they submitted entries. The Chamber was also recognized as one of the top 5 finalists for the annual Chamber of the Year Award.

“The Chamber team is committed to providing exceptional member service and these awards acknowledge that dedication and commitment to our members,” said Mike Landram, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber President and CEO. “I’m really proud of their hard work.”

“I often call our team our ‘rock star’ team. They earn these honors every day so I’m thrilled to see the Chamber recognized,” said Michelle Merritt, Vice President of Member Relations and Communications. “They really are the best in the business.”

Mike Landram, Chamber President & CEO shows support for 122nd Fighter Wing in NPR interview

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:47:30 Z

The Pentagon is deciding what to cut from its budget. Defense officials want to push many of the planned cuts onto the National Guard and Reserves. This is already leading to a campaign by Guard-backers to keep their forces strong. But active-duty military say cuts in recent years have taken too much from them, so it's the Guard's turn.

The following is the transcript of the interview:

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Pentagon hopes to save about half a trillion dollars through budget cuts over the next decade. The military budget, released yesterday, plans to achieve some of those savings through downsizing, which means the Pentagon is going through a kind of corporate restructuring.

As NPR's Larry Abramson reports, those plans have sparked opposition from Congress and from communities who worry about losing jobs.

LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: When the Pentagon says cut the budget, military towns around the country get nervous. Take Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Air Force plans to shrink the 122nd Fighter Wing, where Air National Guard pilots fly A-10 Warthogs.

Mike Landram, president of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, says that base means a lot to the surrounding community.

MIKE LANDRAM: About $58 million of economic impact. And if you total up the reservists plus the civilian state-federal workforce there, you've got a combined total of about 1,200 folks.

ABRAMSON: Now, it's not certain just how big the cuts to this Air National Guard base will be, but overall, the Air Force plans to retire over 200 aircraft, including a lot of A-10's. And Air Force cuts in the coming years will fall disproportionately on Guard and Reserve troops.

Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Dunn explains why.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL MIKE DUNN: The Guard and Reserve really have not been reduced much in the last decade, while the active forces have been.

ABRAMSON: In fact, back in 1990, the Guard and Reserve made up 25 percent of the Air Force. Now it's up to 35 percent. Air Force officials say it's simple math: The Guard and Reserves have to shrink more than active duty forces. But many members of Congress say if we're cutting the budget, grow the Guard. A part-time airman costs about a quarter as much as a full-timer.

Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina took to the floor of the Senate last week to recall the Guard's service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: When you go into the combat theater, you can't tell the difference between Guard, Reserve or active-duty member, which is a testament to all three.

ABRAMSON: And Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont said the Guard and Reserve represent the kind of military the country needs as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq come to a close.

SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY: Turn to our historic roots as a militia nation. It means we should return to the constitutional construct for our military in the days when we maintained a smaller standing military.

ABRAMSON: Senators Graham and Leahy promise to fight these cuts. Concern about the unsung role of the National Guard led to the creation of a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff this year. That move came over the objections of the other branches.

General Craig McKinley took his post on the Joint Chiefs on January 1st, maybe too soon to assess whether he's having an impact.

Retired Major General Gus Hargett, head of the National Guard Association, says he thinks the Guard does need better PR. He realized this when he flew a mission a few years back to Uzbekistan.

MAJOR GENERAL GUS HARGETT: I was met on the ramp by an active Air Force wing commander. They had 16 C-130s sitting on the ramp. Every one of them belonged to the Air Guard. But there was nothing out there that ever said, OK, we deployed an Air Guard wing.

ABRAMSON: In the end, Guard supporters will also have to argue they fit into the Pentagon's new strategy for a smaller, more nimble force focused on the Pacific and the Middle East.

Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Mike Dunn says Guard and Reserve forces are not designed for every mission.

DUNN: Remember, these guys have civilian jobs, and while they're patriots, you know, they are militia. They are supposed to be a reserve, not a primary response force.

ABRAMSON: The Fort Wayne, Indiana Chamber of Commerce is mounting a letter-writing campaign to fight the cuts to the 122nd Fighter Wing. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and members of Congress should be getting plenty of messages as these cuts hit home.

Larry Abramson, NPR News.

Click here to listen to the interview.

McMillen Center seeks nominations for Vitality Awards

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:35:30 Z

The McMillen Center for Health Education seeks to honor individuals who create a vital community in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. Professionals and/or volunteers working in the areas of direct healthcare, wellness and/or health education will be recognized in one of the following categories:

Nutrition & Wellness – Including direct care, community and academic education
Drug, Alcohol or Tobacco – Including prevention and/or treatment
Social & Emotional Well Being – Including mental health, bullying, counseling, or suicide prevention
Human Growth & Development – Including physical and dental hygiene, fitness, pregnancy prevention or education, STD/HIV prevention
Health Education – Including preschool, elementary, middle and high school teachers

The McMillen Center will also award a $500 Vitality Student Ambassador Award to someone pursuing a health or wellness career. The student must be currently enrolled or accepted in a certificate or degree program.

Nominations are due March 10.

Click here to nominate someone!

The event will be held at the beautiful Pine Valley Country Club on May 17, 2012.

Interested in Sponsorship Opportunities? Contact Sal Soto, Sr. Director of Development

Your input wanted about zoning

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:29:43 Z

The City of Fort Wayne and Allen County would like your input on changes to the current Zoning Ordinances.

The changes will be made as part of the ongoing Ordinance Update project, and will be part of the Legislative Streamlining project. Both projects are part of an effort to improve, clarify, simplify, and streamline the permitting process.

Please take a few moments to provide your input and ideas by filling out the business stakeholders’ survey.

Chamber thinks smarter with new smartphone app for its members

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:47:22 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce announces plans to launch a free smartphone app that will help users connect with local businesses and events.

The Chamber will host a free informational session on the app from noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 24. Lunch will be provided to those who pre-register at fwchamber.org/events.

Visit our friends at the Journal Gazette for local media coverage on the launch of our smartphone app

Fort Wayne Chamber to launch smartphone app that benefits entire community

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:49:09 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with MetroMedia, will launch the FortWayneChamber2Go Smartphone App, for iPhone, Android and mobile web for Blackberry and other devices on February 24. The goal of the FortWayneChamber2Go app is to help on-the-go individuals by putting this valuable tool right in the palm of the user’s hand.

“We are very excited to be one of the first chambers in the Indiana to offer this free mobile chamber app,” said Mike Landram, President and CEO. “This app is not only geared towards our members, but it is truly something that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors. The app will benefit the entire Fort Wayne community.”

The Chamber will host a free informational session on the app on February 24 from noon-1 p.m. Complimentary lunch will be provided to all who register in advance.

The FortWayneChamber2Go app features the following:

Online business directory of Chamber members and geo-location and mapping technology
Touch to call option
Chamber calendar of events
Community calendar of festivals and events
Special text offers from member businesses
QR code scanner
“Near Me” button which shows sponsored business listings near the user
Inventory Listings for members such as realtors and automotive dealers

Chamber members also have the opportunity to upgrade their listings to be featured on the business landing page.

“All chamber member businesses receive a free listing, and with more smartphones in the marketplace, we saw the importance to promote our members to this audience,” said Landram. “I think everyday users will also enjoy The Chamber and community calendar of events which will keep them in the know on fun events."

Early Bird registration for Media and P.R. Summit closes at 5 p.m. today

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:28:46 Z

Don't miss out on our Early Bird registration for our Media and P.R. Summit on Feb. 22.

The Early Bird discount ends at 5 p.m. today. Early Bird price for Chamber members is $49. Early Bird price for nonmembers is $99.

After 5 p.m. today, the price for members goes up to $69 and nonmembers to $129

To register, visit our events page.

The Alliance Names Mick McCollum as Interim President

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:38:17 Z

The Board of Directors for the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance appointed Mick McCollum as interim President today. McCollum is the founding Chairman of the Board for the Alliance. He has been a board member since 2000 and will now serve as the Alliance’s interim President until a permanent replacement is hired. The Alliance's Board is expected to form a selection committee to begin a search for a full-time Alliance president.

“Mick has a wealth of knowledge to share, is committed to the mission of the Alliance and is a highly respected business leader and entrepreneur in this community,” stated Alliance Board Chair Jill Perillo. “We are exceedingly fortunate that Mick is willing to make his talents available to us during this important transitional period.”

McCollum is a graduate of Indiana University School of Business. He started his career in the United States Army, where he served as a medical evacuation helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He and his family later settled in Fort Wayne and in 1976, he started a technology business, Automation Engineering, in his garage. In 2011, McCollum sold his business, and decided to focus on his civic volunteer activities.

McCollum serves on several boards in the community, including The Canterbury School, the History Center, STARBASE Indiana, and numerous others that promote the development of Fort Wayne-Allen County. McCollum also served in the past as President of the Allen County Redevelopment Commission, identifying target areas for industrial development, economic development, and also undertaking infrastructure projects in the county.

"My experience from being a small business owner in Allen County and my service on community boards and commissions will allow me to hit the ground running as I transition into the Alliance,” said McCollum. “I am passionate about this community and I am excited to be in the position to assist with job creation through growing business in Fort Wayne-Allen County.”

"McCollum’s founding knowledge and understanding of the Alliance will allow him a smooth transition into interim President,” said Perillo. “His presence as interim President can only benefit the Alliance as we assess our current competencies and plan for the future.”

Fort Wayne Chamber engages members in campaign to keep A-10’s at the Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:46:30 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Fort Wayne Base Community Council is encouraging Chamber members and the Northeast Indiana business community to show their support of the 122nd Fighter Wing through a letter writing campaign to federal officials.

The Chamber has been active in demonstrating the business community’s support in keeping the Air National Guard Base in Fort Wayne after they learned the base may be affected by Department of Defense budget cuts to take place over the next 10 years.

“We’re asking Chamber members and the entire business community to join us by taking an active roll in keeping the A-10s in Fort Wayne,” Mike Landram, President and CEO of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce said. “The business community recognizes the economic importance of the 122nd Fighter Wing in our community. We are asking for their immediate help.”

“The letters need to be sent right away,” Landram noted. “Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta is expected to present his budget to President Obama on Monday, February 13 leaving a small window of opportunity for the community to let Washington know how we feel about this situation.”

The Chamber supplied each of its members with a sample letter and talking points on Wednesday. The letters are to be addressed to: Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, and Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Donley. Copies of the letters may be downloaded here:

The Chamber is asking that letters be emailed to Dan Harman in Congressman Stutzman’s office at daniel.harman@mail.house.gov. Congressman Stutzman’s office will then forward them to the proper parties.

The Chamber will remain actively engaged in this issue, acting as an advocate for the Fort Wayne community. The Chamber’s goal is to ensure Indiana’s only reserve fighter wing isn’t negatively impacted by the Defense Department’s decision to trim its budget.

Elizabeth Smart: The Journey From Abduction to Empowerment

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:30:21 Z

The Women’s Bureau and 3 Rivers Federal Credit Union will proudly present Elizabeth Smart at the Scottish Rite Auditorium on Thursday, March 8.

Elizabeth’s triumphant story is one of courage and self-determinism. Her traumatic experience has led Elizabeth to become an advocate for change related to child abduction, recovery programs and National legislation. She is currently involved in the “Elizabeth Smart Foundation” and has helped to promote The National AMBER Alert, The Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions.

Elizabeth’s abduction and recovery continues to motivate parents, law enforcement and leaders worldwide to focus on children’s safety. With the Department of Justice and four other recovered young adults, Elizabeth created a survivors guide entitled “You’re Not Alone: The Journey From Abduction to Empowerment.” It is meant to encourage children who have gone through similar experiences to not give up and know that there is life after tragic events.

Elizabeth’s mission and life work parallel many programs offered by the Women’s Bureau.

For more information, or to register, click here.

Chamber hosts luncheon with Canadian Consul General Norton

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:43:40 Z

The Canadian Consul General at Detroit will be the speaker at a business luncheon on Feb. 23 hosted by The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

Consul General Roy Norton will discuss “Why Canada Matters to Indiana Business,” including the importance of international trade between Canada and the U.S., specifically Indiana, and highlighting many aspects of the Canada-Indiana relationship. This is a unique opportunity that you do not want to miss.

Norton is based in Detroit and promotes Canadian interests in areas such as trade, investment, the environment, culture and academic relations with Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. He previously served at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., where his responsibilities included serving in the Economic Section and negotiating NAFTA.

“Canada is a significant trading partner to Indiana,” said Michael Landram, president and CEO of The Chamber. “Our luncheon is an excellent opportunity to hear about the success businesses from Indiana are enjoying with Canada as a trading partner, as well as learn about opportunities for those that don’t currently have a relationship with Canada.”

The four states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky share a common economic space with Canada. For each, Canada is the principal destination for their exports. The four states consume 15 percent of Canada’s exports to the world, often remanufacturing Canadian components into U.S. exports to third countries. These large trade volumes mean jobs in the industrial heartland: More than 700,000 jobs in these four states depend on two-way trade with Canada.

The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, at The Chamber. The cost for this members-only event is $10. Register online at fwchamber.org/canada. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Melissa Beber at (260) 424-1435 or mbeber@fwchamber.org.

The media are welcome to attend. Those interested in interviewing Norton should contact Melissa Beber at (260) 424-1435 or mbeber@fwchamber.org.

Early Bird registration for Media and P.R. Summit closes Friday

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:54:29 Z

Don't miss out on our Early Bird registration for our Media and P.R. Summit on Feb. 22.

The Early Bird discount ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10. Early Bird price for Chamber members is $49. Early Bird price for nonmembers is $99.

After 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, the price for members goes up to $69 and nonmembers to $129.

To register, visit our events page.

Chamber President Mike Landram issues letter of support to keep Air National Guard base in Fort Wayne

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:24:34 Z

The President and CEO of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, Mike Landram, issued a letter of support today to maintain funding for the 122nd Fighter Wing in Fort Wayne.

Landram’s letter of support demonstrated the business community’s support in keeping the Air National Guard Base in Fort Wayne. The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce has learned that the base may be affected by Department of Defense budget cuts to take place over the next 10 years.

“The Chamber is taking an active roll in keeping the Air National Guard Base in Fort Wayne,” Landram said. “We recognize the economic impact the base has on our community and are working to ensure it stays put.”

The letter, submitted to various legislators and government officials, including Adjutant General Martin Umbarger, focused on why Fort Wayne is the right community to maintain the Air National Guard Base. The operational efficiency of the base is extremely high, operating at 28 cents on the dollar compared to active duty bases. Landram also cited Fort Wayne’s defense industry cluster, making the community the logical place for the Department of Defense to concentrate their efforts and funds.

The letter also noted the $100 million investment that has been made at the base since 2001, the substantial room for growth, and the state-of-the-art facility that makes up the Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base.

Landram also cited the efforts of the Fort Wayne Base Community Council as a reason for the Air National Guard Station to remain. The Base Community Council and The Chamber, representing the business community, are in full support of Col. David Augustine and the 1,200 military and civilian personnel employed there. The Air National Guard Base is responsible for $58 million in local economic impact in the Greater Fort Wayne community.

The Chamber plans to remain actively engaged in this issue, acting as an advocate for the Fort Wayne community to ensure Indiana’s only reserve fighter wing isn’t negatively impacted by the Defense Department’s decision to trim its budget.

Update: An incorrect year was originally listed in the fifth paragraph.

Indiana Business Council's 2012 Business Outlook

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:32:36 Z

Here's a portion of a report about how Hoosiers view the outlook of their company for 2012 from the Indiana Business Council.

MORE EMPLOYERS "NOW HIRING!"

One year ago, Council members were cautiously optimistic about the outlook for their company. They had a positive outlook about the company’s future but less positive regarding adding jobs. In 2012, Council members appear ready to take the next step in the state’s economic recovery by expanding their workforce.

Last year, 40 percent of Council members said they were likely to increase hiring whereas in 2012 that number jumped significantly to 47 percent. And the driving force behind this increase is company leadership. Specifically, 46 percent of all CEOs plan to increase hiring in 2012 compared to only 38 percent in 2011.

This is also encouraging given the percentage of Council members who plan to look for a job in the next year remains at 14 percent, which could mean opportunities for employees. However, the percent of staff indicating they are going to look for a job this year rose dramatically from 22 percent to 36 percent.

INDIANA’S ECONOMY GETTING STRONGER

Indiana once again shows regional and national economies can run on different tracks. National economic challenges withstanding, Indiana continues to shape itself as a leader. For example, 76 percent of Council members indicated they feel very confident about our local economy–and that’s an improvement of 11 percentage points from 2011.

Yet even a strong Indiana economy can’t overcome the toll of a lagging national economy. The Council’s negative perceptions of the nation’s economy remain strong as only 25 percent share a positive outlook on the nation’s economy, essentially unchanged from a year ago. And showing little hope or optimism for a national economic turnaround, only 41 percent believe the national economy will improve in 2012 while 33 percent actually disagree.

TECHNOLOGY SPARKS POSITIVE OUTLOOK

Once again, the technology industry established itself as a leader in the state of Indiana. When compared to other industries, Council members from technology companies reported more positive outlooks in the four critical business areas, including increases in customer spending, increases in workforce, improvements in morale, and increased in need for products/services. In fact, the Business Confidence Index for Technology was 75%, highest of all industries.

With technology and business services leading the way, 2012 shows lots of promise for Indiana's business climate.

Mike Landram’s testimony on Right to Work

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:12:12 Z

Here is the testimony by Chamber President and CEO Mike Landram before the Indiana Senate Pensions and Labor committee on House Bill 1001 from Monday, January 30:

Good morning. My name is Mike Landram and I am the President and CEO of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

I would like to thank Chairman Boots and the other committee members for hearing this bill.

Our Chamber has been a major force in economic development for 137 years. We are the second largest metro area chamber in the State with 1,650 members. Our membership is diverse in both size and industry including union and non-union businesses.

Our Chamber has been in support of passing Right to Work for nearly two decades. Our Chamber generates its legislative priorities through our Legislative Council, whose job is to discuss and debate issues that affect the business community. Our Board then votes on the issue. Both of these groups mirror the composition of our members in both size and industry.

Others join us in support of RTW including the Allen County Commissioners, Allen County Council, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, five additional Northeast Indiana Chambers, and six Northeast Indiana Local Economic Development organizations.

In addition, 54 member businesses and 74 individuals have signed our petition in support of Right to Work. The 54 member businesses employ over 1,600 employees. Those businesses are located in four Senate districts and seven House districts. The individuals who have signed the petition are in eight Senate districts and thirteen House districts.

We have heard clearly from our members on this issue. I have spoken with many of our members and a vast majority expressed their support of Right to Work. We have encouraged our members to contact their legislators and sign our resolutions of support.

Indiana is missing out on many job and economic development opportunities simply because we are not on the same level playing field as the 22 states that are right to work. The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce urges you to grow Indiana’s revenue through attraction, expansion of business, and employ more Hoosiers. It is time to pass Right to Work.

Thank you,
Michael Landram
President and CEO
Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

Ivy Tech welcomes "Disney's Approach to Quality Service"

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:29:06 Z

Full-day program explores secrets of great customer service

Ivy Tech Corporate College is bringing Disney Institute to Fort Wayne for a third time. “Disney’s Approach to Quality Service,” a renowned professional development program, will be Wednesday, April 11 at the Holiday Inn Fort Wayne. It is being sponsored locally by Ivy Tech Corporate College with marketing partners Indiana’s NewsCenter, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and Gordon Food Service.

“We had an overwhelmingly positive response to the first two Disney Institute programs, with more than 500 participants total,” said Jerrilee K. Mosier, chancellor of Ivy Tech−Northeast. “We are pleased to be able to once again bring this professional development opportunity to the community.”

The full-day event will demonstrate how anticipating and reacting to customers’ needs, wants and emotions is an integral aspect of delivering quality service and achieving business results.

“Delivering great service is critical for companies looking to survive and prosper,” said Jeff James, vice president for Disney Institute. “This program is a rare opportunity for northeast Indiana business professionals to go inside the Disney organization and learn innovative, easy-to-implement best practices that can give them the competitive edge.”

The full-day “Disney’s Approach to Quality Service” program will give participants an insider’s look at business practices that have helped Disney become respected for product and service quality. In 2010, Fortune magazine recognized Disney as the world’s most admired company for quality. Participants will learn how to exceed customer expectations using a well-defined service infrastructure, ongoing research and service standards.

“In an era where everyone is competing for business and market share, excellent customer service isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” James said. “This program is made for organizations – large and small – that are looking to create a service experience that exceeds customer expectations and drives repeat business.”

Program registration is $359 per person prior to March 16 (early-bird registration) or $399 after (regular registration). The price includes all course materials, a continental breakfast and lunch. Employers sending five or more participants receive $20 off each registration. Ivy Tech employees, students and alumni will receive a $20 discount, as well.

For more information or to register, go to IvyTech.edu/quality or call 260-480-4118.

Blue Water Mortgage receives 2011 Best of Fort Wayne award

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:26:43 Z

Blue Water Mortgage has been selected for the 2011 Best of Fort Wayne Award in the Real Estate Financing category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

The Chamber is proud to have Blue Water as a member.

Chamber announces ATHENA Scholarship for local high school seniors

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:45:06 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the ATHENA International Award Committee, is pleased to announce the 2012 ATHENA Scholarship for the Fort Wayne area.

In 2006, the ATHENA Scholarship was founded with a generous contribution from Dr. Michele Helfgott of Northeast OB/GYN. In the spirit of the ATHENA Award, the ATHENA Scholarship honors young women who have excelled in their academic careers while demonstrating leadership potential and a commitment to their community.

This scholarship is open to young women graduating with the high school class of 2012 who plan to pursue higher education in the state of Indiana. The ideal recipient will be a high achiever in academics who demonstrates leadership in her school and community.

The scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded at the eighth Annual ATHENA Award luncheon on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in the Diamond Room at Ceruti’s Summit Park.

The deadline for the scholarship application is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22. The Chamber encourages all eligible students to apply.

You can find the nomination form on The Chamber’s web site at fwchamber.org/athenascholarship.

Right to Work bill makes more progress

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:43:56 Z

Today, the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee voted to pass House Bill 1001, the House version of the Right to Work, to the Senate floor by a vote of 6-1. This is an essential step to the passage of this vital bill. The next step for this bill is amendment in the Senate. Finally, the Senate will vote on final passage Wednesday.

The fight is not over yet! Please take a moment to send an e-mail or make a phone call to your Senator urging them to support Right to Work and to pass the bill this week with no amendments.

Your voice matters and we encourage you to express your support of this legislation.

For talking points, information on the issue, and helpful hints when contacting your legislator, go to our RTW Resource Center at www.fwchamber.org/RTW.

FWA Celebrates Five Years with Allegiant by Hosting “Pack & Fly” Giveaway

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:15:43 Z

In celebration of Allegiant’s fifth anniversary at FWA, the Airport Authority and The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce have teamed up with WAJI, Majic 95.1 and Allegiant to give away two 3-night trips for two to Tampa Bay, Florida! Prize packages include round-trip airfare for two, hotel accommodations, and transfers to/from the airport from February 16 through February 19, 2012. There are two ways to win:

Listen to WAJI Majic 95.1: Beginning on January 30, Majic listeners will have three chances to qualify throughout the workday by calling into the station. The station will announce the winner on the air on February 15. Those who don’t win on the air are welcome to stop by the airport the following day for a second chance to win.
Register at the airport on Thursday, February 16: To be eligible, passengers must arrive at the airport, with their bags packed, between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on February 16. Passengers must register upon arrival and one lucky winner will be drawn at 6:15 p.m. The winner and their guest will then board the 7:40 p.m. Allegiant flight to Florida. The winner and their guest must be present to win. Parking will be validated for those who register.

“We thought this would be the perfect way to thank our loyal passengers,” said Dave Young, Vice President of Air Service Development at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. “Allegiant offers an easy and affordable option for traveling to Tampa Bay, and we appreciate the support of the community in making this route successful.”

Allegiant began its service in the Fort Wayne market in 2007 with flights to Orlando and Las Vegas. Since then, the low-cost air carrier has seen more than 200,000 passengers take advantage of their arriving and departing flights. All routes utilize a 150-seat, MD-80 series, jet aircraft.

“Our goal moving forward is to continue to increase the ease of travel at FWA through convenient, non-stop destinations and affordable fares,” said Young.

For a complete list of contest rules, visit www.flyfwa.com. For more information about Allegiant or to reserve tickets, visit www.Allegiant.com.

Deadline to apply for YMCA Workplace Wellness Awards: January 31

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:20:21 Z

It's not too late! Deadline to apply for the 2012 YMCA Workplace Wellness Awards is January 31!

Your workplace does not have to have a wellness expert in order to take part in our 2012 Workplace Wellness Awards! The entire process is an educational experience that will benefit your business regardless of its current stage in wellness development.

By participating in the application process, you will learn about potential ways to incorporate additional wellness initiatives at your business, as well as have the opportunity to share ideas, successes and challenges with other companies in the greater Fort Wayne community.

All companies will be recognized for submitting their assessment and receive recognition during the YMCA Awards presentation at the March 7th symposium.

Don't miss out! Let everyone know that you're a HEALTHY EMPLOYER in your community! Complete your workplace wellness assessment online by January 31.

Join us at the symposium featuring:

Keynote address on community engagement by Dr. Jane Ellery of the Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology at Ball State University
YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne Worplace Wellness Awards
Healthy employer vendor displays
Repeated concurrent sessions, ensuring that you don't miss any key facts and materials relevant to your organization

Investment
Indiana Chamber, Fort Wayne Chamber, or Indiana Wellness Council member: $79 (each)/$599 (table of 8)
Non-member rate: $99 (each)/$789 (table of 8)
Receive additional savings when you send one and get the second half off. Download this form to take advantage of this discount; offer not available online.

Registration/additional information. You may also register by contacting Lisa at (800) 824-6885 or seminars@indianachamber.com . Please use priority code 399 when registering.

Senate to vote on local government reform

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:06:03 Z

The Indiana Senate is expected to vote soon on important local government reform legislation to give county government more options.

Senate Bill 110 would provide county governments (other than Marion County) the option to reorganize their county government structure, including replacing three member county commissions with a single county commissioner and transferring the county legislative functions to the county council.

Your state legislators want and need to hear from business and community leaders who want to improve local government. Please call and write them!

Lobbyists and elected local government officials are putting tremendous pressure on state legislators to oppose any form of local government reform. This bill would simply provide county officials with the ability to choose for themselves whether to restructure or not.

For more information on Senate Bill 110, go here.

Errors in Emphasis Monthly magazine's calendar

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:41:39 Z

Due to some editing blunder, the dates for two events in the February edition of Emphasis Monthly are incorrect.

The date for the President's Lunch with Mayor Tom Henry is Monday, Feb. 13, but we already have 10 attendees for that events, so registration is now closed.

The Meet Me @ 5 at Rothberg, Logan, & Warsco/Landquest Title Group, which actually has two incorrect dates listed in the magazine, is on Thursday, Feb. 16. You can find out more about that here.

We apologize for any confusion these errors may have caused.

From the Indiana Chamber: House Passes Right-to-Work

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 23:12:29 Z

Hereis the press release sent by the Indiana Chamber today:

It wasn’t a smooth ride – by a long shot – but today the House version of the right-to-work bill (HB 1001) passed 55-42.

As the bill was taken up for debate, Rep. Terri Austin (D-Anderson) and Rep. David Niezgodski (D-South Bend) demanded the doors to the House chamber remain open so union protestors could be heard. So amid those loud chants, bill author Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) kicked off the proceedings.

Torr restated that the measure represents choice for workers on whether to join a union, job creation and making the state’s business climate more attractive for companies looking to expand or relocate. He also said right-to-work is necessary and “just common sense” for worker freedom and jobs.

House Minority Leader Pat Bauer (D-South Bend) then took to the microphone to reiterate his caucus’ contention that the joint Senate-House hearing on January 6 was really a Senate hearing and not focused on HB 1001; therefore the legislative process was “violated.”

One by one, many House Democrats – some of whom were former union members or have relatives who are union members – went on record with their opposition to right-to-work. Sprinkled among them were Republicans who (primarily) were in favor of making Indiana the 23rd right-to-work state.

Representative Sue Ellspermann (R-Ferdinand) used her time at the mic to recount her experience working in right-to-work states and how those employees and states benefitted. “The sky will not fall the day after right-to-work passes. It will not,” she said. “Right-to-work is a balance between workers’ rights and collective bargaining rights.”

Next step: While both the House and Senate right-to-work bills are essentially the same, one of them must be passed by the other chamber for it to go to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Given the difficulty of getting the House together for a quorum the first time around, the task will fall to the Senate to pass the House right-to-work bill. The Senate can begin that process as early as tomorrow.

That means your senator needs to continue to hear from you about why right-to-work needs to happen, right now. You can easily make that important connection through http://www.indianaprosperity.org.

Also, you can use The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber's Right to Work resource page at fwchamber.org/rtw.

Government Contract Procurement Expo

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:00:41 Z

The Government Contract Procurement Expo is a networking event bringing together Indiana businesses, federal and state government agencies, and prime government contractors. The expo includes an evening networking event, (cash bar) breakfast buffet and lunch. A series of workshops will be offered to attendees throughout the day.

The expo will begin with an evening networking event on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The networking event will be held in The Grand Hall Ballroom in the Historic Union Station. Exhibits will be open on Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ( They will close during the lunch break)

When; Tuesday, April 24th and Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Where; Crowne Plaza at Historic Union Station - 123 West Louisiana St. Indianapolis, Indiana 46225

For more information, visit Partners In Contracting Corp.

Partners 1st FCU Receives 2011 Best of Fort Wayne Award

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:41:39 Z

Partners 1st Federal Credit Union, a member of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber Of Commerce, has been selected for the 2011 Best of Fort Wayne Award in the Credit Unions category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

Partners 1st Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, since 1952 with $235 million in assets, serves over 28,000 members nationwide from 28 branch office locations.

Chamber announces 2012 ATHENA Award nominees

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:58:16 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce fifteen nominees for the Eighth Annual Northeast Indiana Athena Award Program.

The Chamber will award two deserving community leaders this year. The highly coveted ATHENA Award celebrates exceptional individuals who have achieved excellence in their profession, served the community in a meaningful way and assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills. The ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award celebrates those same qualities in community leaders forty years of age or younger.

The 2012 ATHENA nominees are:

Denise DeMarchis, Founder and CEO, Matilda Jane Clothing
Christine Hootman, Managing Director, Baden, Gage, & Schroeder, LLC
Susan Makofka, Programming Engineering Analyst, Raytheon Co.
Sherry Myers, Outreach Coordinator, Huntertown United Methodist Church / Career Closet; Paralegal, Benson, Pantello, Morris, James and Logan
Jill Perillo, Economic Development Manager, Indiana Michigan Power
Glenna Raber, Senior Engineer II with Honors, Raytheon Co.
Sharon Simmons, Board President, Francine’s Friends, Inc.

The 2012 ATHENA Young Leadership Development nominees are:

Denice Beights, Executive Director, Fort Wayne Children’s Choir
Kassie Bowman, Software Engineer II-Team Lead, Raytheon Co.
Allison Dowe, Proposal Analyst II, Raytheon Co.
Julia Fiechter, Founder, Lendingahand.net
Rebecca Preston, Solution Integrator and Six Sigma Lead, Raytheon Co.
Christen Shiman, HR Business Partner, Raytheon
Katy Silliman, Regional Alignment Director-Vision 2020, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
Lisa Updike, Attorney, Barnes and Thornburg, LLP

The nominees will be honored and the winners announced at a luncheon on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. in The Diamond Room at Ceruti’s Summit Park. Tickets may be purchased at fwchamber.org/athena or by calling (260) 424-1435.

The Athena Award includes presentations to more than 5,000 individuals across the world. The Fort Wayne recipients will be invited to the International Athena Leadership Conference.

The Chamber’s ceremony includes a presentation of $1,000 scholarships to female high school students for use in continuing education, sponsored by Dr. Michelle Helfgott and Northeast OB/GYN.

Blanket and pillow drive to help the needy

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:46:25 Z

Several downtown business partners are joining forces to collect new twin size blankets and new standard size pillows to be distributed to the homeless and needy individuals in the Fort Wayne area.

The Great Fort Wayne Coverup is sponsored by The Rescue Mission, the Downtown Improvement District, Peerless Cleaners, PNC Bank and Office One.

Did you know:

2,500 people are estimated to be homeless each night in Fort Wayne?
The average age of a homeless person is 9 years old?
In the last year, The Rescue Mission provided more than 219,000 meals and 46,000 bed nights to those in our community facing a homeless crisis?

Drop off locations for the Great Fort Wayne Coverup are The Rescue Mission, 301 W. Superior St., and Peerless Cleaners, 515 W. Main St.

For more information on how you can help, contact Andrea Hatfield at 426-7357 x138.

YLNI supports Right to Work legislation

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:12:31 Z

The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) Board of Directors has voted to support the proposed Right to Work legislation currently before the Indiana General Assembly.

The vote was approved on Monday following the recommendation of the Community Impact Committee, which has been tracking and researching the proposed legislation for several weeks.

In December, YLNI began obtaining feedback from its membership, including conducting an online survey on Right to Work and other items on the legislative agenda of the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana. On January 10, YLNI hosted Right to Work 101, a nonpartisan educational forum on the issue. The Committee then evaluated the merits and impact of the proposed legislation on its demographic and Northeast Indiana.

Passage of Right to Work legislation is also a priority of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. Go to its web site for reasons for its support of RTW, along with an RTW petition to sign.

“The Committee felt strongly that YLNI should take a stance on Right to Work," said Community Impact Chair, Michael Barranda. "It encourages employment flexibility and merit based advancement for young workers. We want to provide a strong and unified voice for our regional economic development efforts, along with the Regional Chamber and Regional Partnership."

The Community Impact Committee presented a unanimous (10-0) recommendation to the YLNI Board for endorsement. Thereafter, the Board voted in favor of the proposal.

YLNI’s mission is to attract, develop, and retain emerging leaders through community, professional, and social engagement.

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana is a dynamic group that is connected to our community and committed to making it a vibrant and viable place to live, work and play. Our mission is to engage and empower our young leaders through community, professional and social opportunities. For more information about the organization, visit www.ylni.org.

Networking 101: Join Wednesday's Lunch 'n Learn!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:55:51 Z

Wednesday's Lunch 'n Learn, "Networking 101," promises to help you meet your resolution of building your network. Join notable networkers and community leaders Nancy Steigmeyer and Michelle Merritt to get the inside track on how to build a better network. Networking 101 will provide tips on how to meet the right people, build a network you can rely on, and make meeting people easier.

The following post is by Merritt, vice president of member relations and communication for The Chamber:

It’s such an honor to be teaching Networking 101 with Nancy Steigmeyer! When I moved to Fort Wayne four years ago, several people told me I was “networking like Nancy Steigmeyer." I had no idea who this Nancy Steigmeyer person was but was dying to meet her! After getting to know her over coffee, I realized what a compliment it is to be counted in such great company.

Nancy is a pro at getting to know people and building a network. She understands what it means to promote your personal brand and your organization’s brand. She sees the value in building relationships over contacts and is a woman of her word. The best part, she’s one of the nicest people you’ll meet. Can you tell how excited I am to be teaching with her?

At Networking 101, we’re going to be teaching you how to build the networks that we’ve built. It wasn’t easy and it took some hard work. It also took some strategy. Having a strategy in place as you build or expand your network is so important. We are all so busy today and our time feels like its at a premium, so we need to make the best use of that time. By having a networking strategy, you make the best use of your time and the people you’re networking with.

A networking strategy starts with understanding what you want out of your networking. By knowing what you want to accomplish, you can then determine where to start your network. You may need to increase brand awareness for your company, you may be looking for volunteers for your organization, you may be looking for new customers, or even seeking donors for a cause you are passionate about. Once you’ve identified what you wish to accomplish, then connecting with the right people becomes the easy part.

Sign up for Wednesday's Lunch 'n Learn on The Chamber's web site. Register by 3 p.m. today to guarantee a box lunch from Calhoun Street Soups, Salads and Spirits.

FWA Unveils Complimentary Electronic Charging Stations

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:22:24 Z

Passengers at Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) can now charge their personal electronic devices for free while awaiting their flight. The airport recently unveiled 25 complimentary charging stations at various locations throughout the terminal, each designed with two standard outlets and two USB ports.

“We were starting to see more people sitting on the floor in order to be near a power source, and we realized that because most passengers are now traveling with electronic devices, these charging stations are a necessity,” said Daniel Rak, Terminal Services Supervisor.

The stations are an excellent example of the airport’s commitment to providing the highest level of service to all customers. They are conveniently located underneath the seats in the terminal and can safely provide power to numerous electronic devices, including cell phones, lap top computers, digital cameras, and gaming systems, while also shielding devices from power spikes or surges.

“Our staff members are continually seeking new ways to enhance hospitality and meet the needs of our passengers,” said Scott Hinderman, Director of Operations and Facilities. “The new charging stations are extremely convenient and will help us provide a better experience at the airport.”

In addition to the airport’s comfortable business center, FWA has been providing free Wi-Fi service to travelers for approximately eight years.

Learn how to get your business noticed at Media and P.R. Summit

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:58:45 Z

Join The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce for its first educational summit of the year:

The Media and P.R. Summit

Wednesday, Feb. 22 · 8 a.m.-1 p.m. · The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

Learn how to get your business noticed from some of Fort Wayne’s top media experts. Attendees may choose session from four of the following presenters:

Ryan Elijah, Indiana’s News Center: Working with TV Media
Jeanette Dillon, IPFW: How To Get Your Event Noticed
Charly Butcher, WOWO: Working with Radio Media
Susan Sigworth, Brand Innovation Group: Unleash the Power of PR
Elbert Starks III, The News-Sentinel: Why Your Press Release Gets Ignored
Matt Kelley, One Lucky Guitar: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Jeff Bowman, Indiana’s News Center: How To Be Interviewed on Air
Dan Copeland, Business People Magazine: How To Tell Your Story in Print

Keynote address will be delivered by Larry Wardlaw of Asher Agency.

The summit is open to Chamber members and nonmembers. The early-bird registration rate, which ends Feb. 10, is $49 for Chamber members. The nonmember registration rate is $99 for the day. After Feb. 10, registration is $69 for Chamber members and $129 for nonmembers.

The registration fee also includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials. Lunch is sponsored by Qdoba Mexican Grill.

Athena nomination deadline approaches!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:41:48 Z

You have until Friday to submit your nomination for the 2012 Athena Awards! Look over the nomination form now — you may need more time than you think to fill it out.

The ATHENA Award is presented to an individual who is recognized for professional excellence, for providing valuable service to the community and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. The ATHENA Award highlights what recipients have accomplished in addition to paving a path for future successes.

The award is established through local host organizations in partnership with ATHENA's national underwriters, local businesses and individual sponsors. By honoring exceptional leaders, the ATHENA Award Program seeks to inspire others to achieve excellence.

ATHENA Leadership Award criteria

ATHENA Award Nominees must meet each of the following three criteria:

Demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession
Provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community
Actively assist women in achieving their full leadership potential

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award criteria

ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Nominees are emerging leaders age 40 or younger who meet each of the following criteria:

Demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in his or her business or profession
Provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community
Clearly serves as a role model for young women both personally and professionally

Check out the form here and fill it out by Friday!

PHP appoints Cochran as president and CEO

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:37:42 Z

Physicians Health Plan of Northern Indiana, Inc., (PHP), a local managed-care organization, announced that it has named Rick Cochran as President and Chief Executive Officer. Cochran joins PHP from Universal American, located in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was the Vice President and General Manager.

“With over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Rick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to PHP,” said Dr. David Stein, Interim CEO and Chairman of the PHP Board of Directors. “We are excited to have Rick join the PHP team.”

PHP offers fully insured and TPA health insurance products and services to businesses, individuals and families. Products include: HMO and POS plans that include high deductible health plans compatible with HSAs, Dental, HRA, FSA and Self-funded medical administration, life and disability.

PHP also offers its Health Matters program to Chamber members. It's a joint effort between The Chamber and Physicians Health Plan to offer discounts on employee health insurance, resulting in significant savings that in most cases far exceed the annual cost of Chamber membership.

For more information on the PHP Member Discount, check out The Chamber's PHP page.

Networking 101: The importance of networking

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:08:34 Z

Next week's first Lunch 'n Learn of the year, "Networking 101," promises to help you meet your resolution of building your network. Join notable networkers and community leaders Nancy Steigmeyer and Michelle Merritt to get the inside track on how to build a better network. Networking 101 will provide tips on how to meet the right people, build a network you can rely on, and make meeting people easier.

The following short post is by Steigmeyer, Northern Indiana Regional Manager for Employment Plus:

Networking is important, because it is fundamental in virtually every business environment. Networking is a also a key component to overall personal, professional and social well-being.

When you are intermixed within a network, it simply means you are connected to a group of people of similar interests, thoughts and dynamics. Typically you will build upon those that you “connect” with and share and discover additional interests that you learn through via connections.

Networking for business is truly where business professionals come together to explore areas of common interests, common needs and discover where commonalities lie. These commonalities are a part of building strong business relationships which ultimately can lead to strong business growth and development.

Additionally, networking is the basis of personal branding, growth and professional development.

Employment Plus is a human resources solutions firm headquartered in Bloomington, Ind. Employment Plus has 60 locations in 13 states and employs more than 125 full-time employees and more than 18,000 temporary associates.

Former Magnavox CEO, Chamber chairman Loomis passes away

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:18:43 Z

As reported by WANE-TV:

Jim Loomis, the former CEO and president of the Magnavox Electronic Company in Fort Wayne died Friday afternoon. He was 85.

Friends of Jim told NewsChannel 15 he was a great man, knew everything about everything, and was a “take charge” kind of person. He was an advisor for Dan Quayle when Quayle was running as Vice President. Friends also said Jim was full of advice. They said he had a lot of it because he had contacts with a lot of people in the business.

Loomis was a Past Chairman of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and its Executive Committee.

Read the story and view the video at wane.com.

Where should you look for work? HLN says: Fort Wayne

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:04:18 Z

More good publicity for Fort Wayne! CNN's HLN network says if you're out of work, you may want to move here.

According to a report by 24/7 Wall Street, these are the cities that gained the most jobs:

1. Fort Wayne, Indiana
2. Pueblo, Colorado
3. Springfield, Missouri
4. Bakersfield, California
5. Miami, Florida

Here's the original report from 24/7 Wall Street that names Fort Wayne the No. 1 place in the country to find a job.

Meet Me @ 5 at CS3 next Thursday!

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:17:41 Z

Don't miss this month's Meet Me @ 5! It's Thursday, January 19, from 5-7 p.m. at Calhoun Street Soups, Salads & Spirits, 1915 S. Calhoun St. It's just a few blocks south of downtown. Link to Google Map

Calhoun Street is offering a door prize drawing of a $25 Gift Certificate at the event.

Enjoy an evening of networking with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

Meet Me @ 5 is an after-work event designed to create opportunities for you to build lasting relationships with other Fort Wayne professionals and find out the latest business buzz without being bombarded with sales pitches.

Deadline for Athena nominations: January 20

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:56:27 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the eighth annual Athena Awards, which will be presented at a luncheon March 14 in The Diamond Room at Ceruti’s Summit Park.

Online nomination forms and criteria are available at www.fwchamber.org/athena with a deadline of 5 p.m. on January 20, 2012.

The Chamber is awarding two Athena awards:

The Athena Leadership Award celebrates exceptional individuals who have achieved excellence in their profession, have served the community in a meaningful way and have assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.
The Athena Young Professional Leadership Award celebrates emerging women leaders age 40 and under who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession, provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in her community, and clearly serves as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

Past winners include Marilyn Moran-Townsend of CVC Communications, Tonya Vojtkofsky of the Fort Wayne Derby Girls, Irene Walters of IPFW, Dr. Wendy Robinson of Fort Wayne Community Schools, Sister Elise Kriss of the University of Saint Francis, Chief Deputy Dottie Davis of the Fort Wayne Police Department, Sandi Kemmish of Lincoln Financial Foundation, and Kathleen Randolph of WorkOne Northeast.

Governor's Workplace Safety Awards applications due Jan. 18

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:42:44 Z

The application for the 2012 Governor's Workplace Safety Awards is available!

The annual Governor's Workplace Safety Awards are a result of a partnership among the Indiana Department of Labor, on behalf of Gov. Mitch Daniels, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers. The award provides recognition for companies based on best practices for eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses. The award salutes those organizations for which safety and health have been made a top priority.

The Governor's Workplace Safety Awards are open to all organizations, regardless of size or number of workers. All Hoosier businesses, unions, municipalities, schools, service organizations, nonprofit organizations or individuals are eligible to apply for the awards. To qualify, a company must be deemed to be free of compliance disputes concerning all applicable local, state and federal statutes and regulations.

The 2012 awards will be presented at the state's annual Indiana Safety and Health Conference and Expo (March 12-14), during the Governor's Workplace Safety Awards Luncheon. Applications for consideration must be received by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, by no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 18.

View more information about the Governor's Workplace Safety Awards or read information about past recipients. For more information, e-mail insafe@dol.IN.gov

Detour planned for U.S. 27/Clinton Street beginning Monday

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:08:18 Z

Construction of the new gateway Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Bridge enters a new phase next week as crews begin placing the signature overhead steel arches. To accommodate the construction, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) and the City of Fort Wayne will close U.S. 27/Clinton Street at the bridge beginning Monday, January 16. The closure is scheduled for two weeks, weather permitting.

The official detour is east on Route 930/Coliseum Boulevard to Washington Boulevard west (Cloverleaf interchange). Westbound Washington Boulevard will return to U.S. 27 Downtown Fort Wayne. Truck traffic and especially semi-trucks are encouraged to use the official detour due to several 90 degree turns on a local detour, which utilizes Fourth Street, Harrison Street and Superior Street. (Download the PDF map)

The City of Fort Wayne's local detour will make it easy to access downtown businesses. It begins at Clinton Street and Fourth Street and follows Fourth Street west to Harrison Street, then south on Harrison to Superior Street and east on Superior back to Clinton. Harrison and Fourth Streets will be temporarily redirected as one-way streets during this construction period. (Download the PDF map)

The two overhead arches consist of 80 pieces of structural steel and will be constructed in sections. The entire process will take about two weeks, weather permitting. This process could take longer if the weather becomes problematic. The top of the arch will be 50 feet above the bridge deck. The gateway bridge connects to Downtown, Lawton Park, the Rivergreenway, and Headwaters Park. It will have sidewalks on both sides with seating halfway across the river and plaques with quotes from Dr. King Jr. attached to the railings.

When the bridge is re-opened to traffic, one of the three lanes will be restricted for 2-3 months. The restriction is due to continued illumination work on the bridge.

The project will be complete in the spring.

YLNI sponsors Right-to-Work educational forum on Tuesday

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:34:40 Z

On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, YLNI will host “Right to Work 101,” an educational forum designed to help the YLNI network understand the proposed legislation, its history and the potential lasting impacts.

While many debate the costs and benefits of the proposed legislation, few doubt the potential for lasting impacts of the passing of such legislation on Indiana’s workforce. The Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI), a non-profit organization representing, perhaps, the demographic with the most at stake in the proposed legislation, is making preparations to educate its members on the issue of “right to work.”

“It is essential that the young leaders of this community be informed of the proposed legislation and its potential impact on the region and workforce,” says Lisa Updike, YLNI president. “YLNI has hosted various educational forums to ensure that its membership and demographic are engaged and informed regarding issues affecting the greater community. This legislation will be heavily debated at the Statehouse, and YLNI wants to make sure its membership and demographic have access to information on both sides of the issue.”

Proponents of right to work, such as Governor Mitch Daniels and The Chamber, insist that the proposed legislation encourages new business attraction by removing dues paying requirements as a condition for employment in some circumstances. Opponents, such as the Indiana AFL-CIO, disagree with the suggestion of a correlation between economic growth and right to work legislation and insist that the legislation simply promotes lower wages.

YLNI’s forum will feature attorney Tuck Hopkins who has practiced labor and employment law for more than three decades. Hopkins will present a non-partisan overview of the proposed legislation, including an overview of points and counterpoints, followed by a question and answer session facilitated by two young leaders compiling questions from both sides of the aisle. The forum will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be held in the Auditorium of the Downtown Branch of Allen County Public Library.

The forum is hosted by YLNI’s Community Impact Committee. In furtherance of the YLNI mission the Community Impact Committee educates YLNI members about issues that impact the community, and in particular, the young leaders demographic.

What: Right to Work 101, hosted by YLNI
When and Where: Tuesday, January 10 at 5:30 PM, Auditorium, Downtown Branch, Allen County Public Library

For more information about this event, contact impact@ylni.org.

New date for Athena luncheon! Chamber seeks nominations

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:26:00 Z

Note: The date of the Athena luncheon has been moved to March 14. All other dates remain the same.

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce it is seeking nominations for the eighth annual Athena Awards which will be presented at a luncheon March 14, 2012, in The Diamond Room at Ceruti’s Summit Park.

The Chamber is awarding two Athena awards:

The Athena Leadership Award celebrates exceptional individuals who have achieved excellence in their profession, have served the community in a meaningful way and have assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.
The Athena Young Professional Leadership Award celebrates emerging women leaders age 40 and under who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession, provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in her community, and clearly serves as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

Online nomination forms and criteria are available at www.fwchamber.org/athena with a deadline of 5 p.m. on January 20, 2012.

The Athena Award includes presentations to more than 6,000 individuals in hundreds of cities across the world. The Fort Wayne recipient will be invited to join the thousands of Athena Award Recipients worldwide at the annual Athena Leadership Conference.

The Chamber’s Athena Award ceremony includes a presentation of $1,000 scholarships to female high school students for use in continuing education. In 2006, the Athena Scholarship was founded with a generous contribution from Dr. Michelle Helfgott of Northeast OB/GYN. Dr. Helfgott has continued to donate and will present the scholarships to this year’s recipients.

Mike Landram’s Testimony on Right to Work

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:32:19 Z

Mike Landram, President and CEO of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, was slated to give his testimony at today's Right to Work joint hearing in Indianapolis. But because of the number of supporters wanting to testify on behalf of the legislation, time ran out for everyone to speak.

Landram left copies of his written testimony with the committee members and reached out to all of them prior to the meeting. Below is his testimony:

Good Morning, My name is Mike Landram and I am the President and CEO of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

I would like to thank Chairman Boots, Chairman Gutwein (if House Committee present), and the other committee members for hearing this bill.

As President of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, I have the privilege to lead a premier organization that has a long history of advancing Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana. The Chamber has been a major force in economic development for 137 years. We are the second largest metro area chamber with 1,650 members. Our membership is diverse in both size and industry including union and non-union businesses.

Our Chamber and its members have been in support of Indiana passing Right to Work legislation for nearly two decades and we continue to fight for it today. The Chamber generates its legislative priorities through a group of 30 members that make up our Legislative Council, whose job is to discuss and debate issues that affect the business community. The 22 member Chamber Board then votes on the issue. Both the Legislative Council and the Chamber Board mirror the composition of our members in both size and industry.

The Chamber Board voted unanimously to support Right to Work. And many other area organizations have shown their support such as the Allen County Commissioners, Allen County Council, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, five additional Northeast Indiana Chambers, and six Northeast Indiana Local Economic Development organizations. In addition, 24 member businesses and 46 individuals have signed our Right to Work petition.

Our membership of 1,650 employers, employ nearly 100,000 people and does $18 billion in annual business. We would not consciously support or promote legislation that would reverse the standard of living for our member’s workers.

Our public/private funded economic development entity in Allen County that has repeatedly stated that being non-Right to Work has left us out of the batters box for many projects. Indiana is very often crossed off the list of possible places to locate before the game has even begun. Right to Work would give Indiana the opportunity to compete for more business relocation and expansion projects.

Right to Work also makes small business, including many of our members, a winner. It would create an economic opportunity for small businesses by becoming part of the new supply chain. More business expansion and attraction would increase economic opportunities for many small businesses to grow their revenue and create more jobs for Hoosiers.

Indiana has made progress over the last several years by creating a favorable business climate. With all the hard work that has been done to maintain and further develop Indiana as a competitive location for business attraction, enacting Right to Work legislation would improve the chances of landing and retaining businesses to further drive our local and regional economies.

In November 2011, Forbes announced their Best States for Business. Of the top ten states, 7 of the 10 are Right to Work. Of the top twenty states, 14 of the 20 are Right to Work states. Indiana was ranked 34th. Indiana can do better and Right to Work can give Indiana the edge.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the three states with the lowest unemployment rates in October 2011 – North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota – are Right to Work states. Of the top ten states with the lowest unemployment, 7 of the 10 are RTW states. In October, Indiana had an unemployment rate of 9 percent with 283,611 Hoosiers out of work and over 15,000 unemployed in Allen County. Right to Work will help retain and attract new businesses and projects bringing an opportunity for jobs.

Northeast Indiana has a history of a skilled and talented workforce. In order for Indiana to compete and be on the cutting edge, it needs to retain its talent. By passing Right to Work legislation, more businesses will choose to locate here, creating more jobs and economic growth and keeping our talented workforce here in Indiana.

Right to Work does not change any of the rules concerning the right of unions to organize employees nor does it prohibit unions from adding members who voluntarily elect to join and pay the dues. Right to Work does give private sector workers the freedom to choose whether or not to join a union much the same as currently exists for all public workers in Indiana As President of a membership organization, I know if we provide value, members will remain. If we don’t, those members won’t stay with us very long and we certainly can’t compel them to remain members. Why not the same for unions?

Indiana is missing out on many job and economic development opportunities simply because we are not in the same ball field as other states that have Right to Work legislation. The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce urges you to grow Indiana’s revenue through attraction, expansion of business, and employ more Hoosiers. It is time to pass Right to Work.

Thank you.

Michael S. Landram
President and CEO
The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

Right to Work legislation moves in Senate

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:57:01 Z

From Katy Stafford-Cunningham

Today, the Senate and House Labor Committees joined together to hear SB 269 and HB 1001, the Right to Work bill. The two bills are currently companion bills – they have identical language.

The House was not able to amend the bill or take a vote today on HB 1001. The House Democrats have not come to the House floor this week to establish a quorum. Sixty-seven members are required to do business. Therefore, the list of filed bills that Leadership has assigned to committees has not been handed down to the floor and cannot be heard in committee. Today’s hearing on HB 1001 was an informational hearing only.

However, the Senate was able to take action on SB 269. After hours of testimony on both sides of the issue, the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee passed the bill 6-4. Senators Waltz (R), Arnold (D), Tallian (D), and Skinner (D) voted against the bill.

We will continue to monitor the progress of SB 269 and hope to see HB 1001 get a hearing soon.

Feel free to contact us at any time if you have any questions: kstafford@fwchamber.org

Testifying on behalf of Right to Work

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 16:54:39 Z

Mike Landram and other Northeast Indiana leaders are testifying on Right to Work in Indianapolis.

You can watch and listen to the testimony by going to http://www.in.gov/legislative/2441.htm and clicking on the “Watch video from the House."

This will open a separate video player for watching the testimony.

USF business programs earn ACBSP accreditation

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:08:43 Z

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners awarded the University of Saint Francis initial accreditation of its business programs in December.

ACBSP accreditation certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership (KBSOBEL) business school meet the rigorous educational standards established by ACBSP.

“The University of Saint Francis has shown its commitment to teaching excellence and to the process of quality improvement by participating in the accreditation process,” said ACBSP Director of Accreditation Steve Parscale, who will present the certificate of initial accreditation at the ACBSP annual conference in Baltimore on June 17. “This accreditation is evidence that University of Saint Francis is committed to providing the highest quality business education for their students.”

The accreditation was accomplished through the work of many people, said KBSOBEL Dean Helen Murray. The project helped the school develop an accurate measurement of student learning, while the accreditation supplies tools for the continuous improvement of programs.

“ACBSP commented favorably on the combination of experiential learning with academic rigor in all of our programs,” Murray said. “The CEO Forum was singled out as a best practice to be shared with other universities in the ACBSP family because it was a benefit to multiple constituents — students, faculty and the broader business community.”

ACBSP also cited impressive and committed support from the regional business community and the school’s board of advisers, and commended USF for its evident and strong commitment to the mission and to the Franciscan values that underlie that mission.

“We realize we are lucky to be part of a university with capable leadership, solid policies and procedures, and a bias towards stringent assessment of student learning,” Murray said.

Established in 1988, ACBSP is the only business accrediting organization for all associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degree programs.

Contact House and Senate Committee Members

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:39:38 Z

Right to Work is scheduled to be heard Friday morning in a Joint Hearing with the House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee and Senate Pension and Labor Committee.

Contact the members of these committees to let them know how important this issue is to you and your business.

For helpful hints and other resources, go to The Chamber's Right to Work resource page at www.fwchamber.org/rtw

House Employment, Labor and Pensions Committee

Chairman Doug Gutwein - R
District 16 - Francesville
H16@in.gov
317.232.9509

Vice Chairman Sue Ellspermann - R
District 74 -Ferdinand
H74@in.gov
317.232.9769

Rep. Bill Davis - R
District 33 - Portland
H33@in.gov
317. 234.3827

Rep. Bob Morris - R
District 84 -Fort Wayne
H84@in.gov
317.232.9603

Rep. Mike Speedy - R
District 90 -Indianapolis
H90@in.gov
317.232.9619

Rep. Greg Steuerwald - R
District 40 - Danville
H40@in.gov
317.232.9769

Rep. David Niezgodski - D
Ranking Minority Member (RMM)
District 7 - South Bend
H7@in.gov
317.234.9218

Rep. Jerry Torr - R
District 39 -Carmel
H39@in.gov
317.232.9677

Rep. Tim Wesco - R
District 21 -Osceola
H21@in.gov
317.234.3827

Rep. John Bartlett - D
District 95 -Indianapolis
H95@in.gov
317.232.9991

Rep. Clyde Kersey - D
District 43 -Terre Haute
H43@in.gov
317.234.9218

Rep. Chuck Moseley - D
District 10 - Portage
H10@in.gov
317.232.9976

Senate Pensions and Labor

Chairman Sen. Phil Boots - R
District 23 - Crawfordsville
S23@in.gov
317.234.9054

Sen. Brent Waltz - R
Ranking Member (RM)
District 36 - Greenwood\
S36@in.gov
317.234.9426

Sen. Jim Buck - R
District 21 - Kokomo
S21@in.gov
317.234.9426

Sen. Dennis Kruse - R
District 14 - Auburn
S14@in.gov
317.232.9443

Sen. Scott Schneider - R
District 30 - Indianapolis
S30@in.gov
317.232.9808

Sen. Mike Young - R
District 35 - Indianapolis
S35@in.gov
317.232.9517

Sen. Karen Tallian - D
Ranking Minority Member (RMM)
District 4 - Portage
S4@in.gov
317.232.9847

Sen. Jim Arnold - D
District 8 - LaPorte
S8@in.gov
317.232.9532

Sen. Tim Skinner - D
District 38 - Terre Haute
S38@in.gov
317.234.9222

Larry Wardlaw, The JG's Citizen of the Year

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:11:35 Z

Congratulation to Larry Wardlaw, senior vice president for account services with the Asher Agency and a friend of The Chamber, for being named The Journal Gazette's Citizen of the Year.

As the Journal Gazette's story says,

"In 2010 the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce established the Larry Wardlaw Humanitarian Award in honor of his service to the (AIDS Task Force). The inaugural recipient was Lutheran Hospital."

Wardlaw also was master of ceremonies for The Chamber's 2010 Annual Meeting and serves on The Chamber's communications committee.

Chamber seeks nominations for eighth annual Athena Awards

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:19:33 Z

The Chamber is awarding two Athena awards:

The Athena Leadership Award celebrates exceptional individuals who have achieved excellence in their profession, have served the community in a meaningful way and have assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.
The Athena Young Professional Leadership Award celebrates emerging women leaders age 40 and under who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession, provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in her community, and clearly serves as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

Online nomination forms and criteria are available at www.fwchamber.org/athena with a deadline of 5 p.m. on January 20, 2012.

Helpful hints when contacting your legislator

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:54:23 Z

Here are some tips from Katy Stafford-Cunningham, The Chamber's Vice President of Government Affairs:

Your elected representatives want to hear from you. Remember that you have the right and the responsibility to speak up about issues that are important to you.

Lobbying is simply the process of promoting change effectively. Here are some helpful hints to remember:

E-mail:

Be polite.
Avoid sending multiple attachments.
State your position clearly – I SUPPORT/OPPOSE…
When possible, reference bill numbers – House Bill XXXX (HB XXXX) or Senate Bill XXX (SB XXX).
Include contact information so they can follow-up if they have questions.
Specify if you are a constituent in their district.
Ask for something specific: “Please support HB 1001 in Ways & Means Committee...” “Please oppose sales tax on services in SB 233 on the Senate Floor…”
Speak from your point of view and talk about how this issue impacts you directly.

Phone:

Call the office of your Member.
Ask to speak with their Legislative Assistant, who handles the issue you are calling about.
Have the information in front of you.
Be concise.
State your name and location.
Have a specific request or action.

Letter:

Keep the letter short.
Tell your personal story.
Explain the issue and the desired action and outcome.
Include your full name and address.
Email it as attachment and then mail it.

Testimony:

Set up meeting or phone call to discuss testimony with Katy Stafford-Cunningham at The Chamber.
Use only information you know is 100 percent factual.
If asked a question you don’t know the answer to, say, “I don’t know, but I can get you that information.” NEVER guess.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact The Chamber's Vice President of Government Affairs, Katy Stafford-Cunningham, at (260) 424-1435 or kstafford@fwchamber.org.

Time running out to buy YLNI Masquerade Ball tickets!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:15:03 Z

Tickets for the Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana's seventh annual New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball are available only through Friday.

Tickets must be purchased by December 30. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

The event is from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at the Parkview Field Suite Level Lounge, 1301 Ewing Street, Downtown Fort Wayne. This 21-and-over event includes:

Fireworks
Music and Dancing
Cash Bar (credit cards accepted)
Masks required. Prize given to best mask!
Black tie optional

Purchase your ticket at the YLNI web site.

NLRB Postpones Effective Date of Rights Posting Rule

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:01:40 Z

The National Labor Relations Board has agreed to postpone the effective date of its employee rights notice-posting rule at the request of the federal court in Washington, DC hearing a legal challenge regarding the rule. The Board’s ruling states that it has determined that postponing the effective date of the rule would facilitate the resolution of the legal challenges that have been filed with respect to the rule. The new implementation date is April 30, 2012.

Most private sector employers will be required to post the 11-by-17-inch notice on the new implementation date of April 30. The notice is available at no cost from the NLRB through its website, www.nlrb.gov, which has additional information on posting requirements and NLRB jurisdiction.

Longtime business, civic leader Ruffolo dies

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:32:49 Z

Local business leader Joe Ruffolo died Tuesday after a lengthy illness. He was 70.

The Wisconsin native served as NorthAmerican Inc.'s CEO and co-founded RuffoloBenson LLC, a merchant banking company with a mission "to regain and retain local ownership of regional companies."

As detailed in this article in The News-Sentinel, Ruffolo was behind many economic and civic projects in Fort Wayne:

As a partner in the consulting Ruffolo Benson, he was part of a group that unsuccessfully tried to buy the bankrupt Tokheim Co. in 1983. The former executive director of North American Van Lines also chaired the team that advised former business partner Graham Richard during his entry into the mayor's office and was instrumental in the creation of Tower Bank. And in 2000, Ruffolo was a member of a committee Richard created to study the feasibility of building a new arena downtown – a project eventually dropped in favor of expanding Memorial Coliseum.

Read Ruffolo's obit here and leave a note on the online guest book.

Chamber seeks nominations for eighth annual Athena Awards

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:50:16 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce it is seeking nominations for the eighth annual Athena Awards which will be presented at a luncheon March 21, 2012, in The Diamond Room at Ceruti's Summit Park.

The Chamber is awarding two Athena awards:

The Athena Leadership Award celebrates exceptional individuals who have achieved excellence in their profession, have served the community in a meaningful way and have assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.
The Athena Young Professional Leadership Award celebrates emerging women leaders age 40 and under who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession, provides valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in her community, and clearly serves as a role model for young women both personally and professionally.

Online nomination forms and criteria are available at www.fwchamber.org/athena with a deadline of 5 p.m. on January 20, 2012.

Commissioners back Right to Work legislation

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:29:51 Z

The Allen County Commissioners join The Chamber in its support of Indiana passing Right to Work legislation.

Read the story here.

Chamber closed Monday for the holiday

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:08:27 Z

The Chamber's office is closed today, Monday, Dec. 26, and will also be closed Monday, Jan. 2.

Our staff wishes you happy holidays.

Right to Work is a Winner for Workers, Unions

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:27:35 Z

By Senate President Pro Tempore David Long

There is little question what the No. 1 issue is on the minds of Hoosiers today: jobs. It’s all about jobs. Getting a job if you are currently unemployed; keeping your job if you are lucky enough to have one; attracting new jobs if you are involved with economic development. Indiana has seen unprecedented changes in its economic climate the past few years. We are consistently ranked in the top 10 states for doing business as a result of our reasonable cost of living, low taxes, and strong economic incentives and opportunities. And yet, it’s not enough.

A quarter of a million Hoosiers remain unemployed, with tens of thousands trapped in an underemployed situation. Our youth unemployment rate is much higher, as it is, sadly, for our returning veterans. Can anyone question that we must do everything possible to bring more high-quality, high-paying jobs to our state? This is the goal of Republican leaders in the state legislature. Last week, we announced that our top priority for the upcoming legislative session is to pass a right-to-work law. There are some very good reasons why this is being proposed.

Numerous testimonials by our state’s local economic development specialists show that nearly half of all companies looking to expand or relocate will not consider a state that doesn’t have a right-to-work law. This means that Indiana is losing out on thousands of high-paying jobs and billions of dollars in capital investment.

In addition, there is strong research to support the economic case for a right-to-work law. A study from the Bureau of Economic Analysis found that personal income of residents in right-to-work states is higher than in non-right-to-work states. The National Institute for Labor Research found that right-to-work states score better on several key economic indicators, including faster growth and lower unemployment.

The concept behind right to work is simple: It makes it illegal for unions to collect dues from employees who choose not to join the union. Federal law prohibits anyone from being forced to join a union, but it allows unions to collect dues from non-members working for a unionized company. Passing a right-to-work law would prevent a union from forcing a non-union worker to pay dues against his or her will.

Click here to read the expanded column in The Journal Gazette.

City gaining the most jobs? Fort Wayne

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:39:29 Z

More good news for Northeast Indiana! In a list of "The American Cities That Gained (And Lost) The Most Jobs," none other than Fort Wayne came out on top.

"In just one year, Fort Wayne has added more than 7,000 jobs, increasing its employed population by some 6.4%. The unemployment rate dropped from 10.7% to 8.7%. Fort Wayne added the 11th most positions in the country, eclipsing the natural job growth of much larger cities like San Antonio, Phoenix and Philadelphia. In fact, the Fort Wayne metro area had the fastest job growth, according to The Fiscal Times. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette explains that 'Fort Wayne — which had a 4 percent increase — continues to benefit from the rebirth of auto manufacturing and high levels of defense spending.'"

Read the encouraging Yahoo! News story here.

Apartment Association donates to Mustard Seed Furniture Bank

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:20:25 Z

During the past several months, the dedicated membership of the Apartment Association of Fort Wayne has collected 123 household items to be donated to Mustard Seed Furniture Bank.

Donations from the Apartment Association membership include brand new pillows, sheets, blankets, and a variety of kitchen items such as silverware, dishes, pots and pans.

The Apartment Association has partnered with Mustard Seed Furniture Bank this year to raise both monetary and household donations. Mustard Seed provides furnishings to people in our community as they rebuild their lives after suffering disaster, personal tragedy or other catastrophic misfortunes.

The Community Outreach Committee (of the Apartment Association of Fort Wayne) organized the collection. Each year, the Apartment Association selects a few local non-profit organizations to assist. In January 2012, the Community Outreach Committee will once again select charitable organizations and projects to support. Naturally, the Association looks to partner with organizations that benefit the people of the rental community in some way.

Fort Wayne Airport offers complimentary gift wrapping

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:56:32 Z

The holiday travel season is quickly approaching, and Fort Wayne International Airport is wrapping up the holiday cheer! As a thank you to passengers and a reminder that all gifts should be left unwrapped when going through security, FWA will launch a Holiday Wrap Station, where airport volunteers and employees will wrap gifts free of charge.

The Holiday Wrap Station will be available post-security from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Monday, December 19 through Thursday, December 22.

“The Holiday Wrap Station is another example of our strong dedication to personal attention and delivering top-notch customer service,” said Torrance Richardson, Executive Director of Airports. “We want to make sure that each and every passenger has a pleasant experience at our airport, especially during the holidays. So bring in your gifts and let FWA do the wrapping.”

Gifts should be left unwrapped when traveling because Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel may need to gain access to all items at the security checkpoint. If passengers choose to wrap their own gifts, they are encouraged to store them in their checked bags or ship them ahead.

Aside from gifts, passengers are also being urged to pack their patience this holiday season.

“Travelers need to keep in mind that those who don’t normally travel all year will be around Christmas and New Year’s Eve, so be prepared for larger-than-normal crowds at airports across the country,” said Dave Young, Vice President of Air Service Development at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

For a complete list of TSA prohibited items, visit www.tsa.gov. For more information about holiday air travel, call the Airport Authority offices at 260-747-4146.

Recognize the "Rising Stars" in Northeast Indiana

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:56:49 Z

You are invited to submit nominations for the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly’s 2012 “40 Under 40” Awards, which honor up-and-coming business and civic leaders in our region. It is truly one of the most significant honors a young leader can receive.

The awards will be presented on March 22 during a recognition dinner at Yolo’s Event Center.

Now is the time to nominate deserving individuals. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2011. You may do so by going to:

http://www.fwbusiness.com/special/40under40

Sponsorship opportunities are also available for this high-profile event. Contact Lynette Donley, sales manager, at 260-426-2640, ext. 305 or lynetted@kpcnews.net for sponsorship information.

Awards for the Taste of the Chamber announced

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:35:37 Z

Here are the winners of the Taste Awards from this year's Taste of the Chamber:

Best decorated booth: J.K. O’Donnell’s
Best dessert: DeBrand Fine Chocolates – Raspberry Chocolates
Best beverage: Ivy Tech – Spritzers
Best entree: Qdoba Mexican Grill
Best overall: Pine Valley Country Club

Thanks to our 35 vendors for making this year's Taste such a success!

Stafford-Cunningham named Vice President of Government Affairs

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:01:31 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Kathryn “Katy” Stafford-Cunningham has been promoted to Vice President of Government Affairs. Stafford-Cunningham has been with the Chamber for one year. She began her work at the Chamber as Director of Government Affairs in December 2010.

“Katy has earned this promotion through her hard work and dedication to our members,” said Mike Landram, President and CEO of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. “Her ability to work with a variety of individuals and communicate the needs of our members makes her a great asset to our organization. Her extensive business knowledge, passion for excellence and superior reputation as a lobbyist have elevated our offerings to the next level.”

As Vice President of Government Affairs, Stafford-Cunningham is charged with all facets of the government advocacy on behalf of our members.

Prior to joining The Chamber, Stafford-Cunningham was an associate at the Corydon Group where she was responsible for lobbying before the Indiana General Assembly, grassroots coordination and support, management of a professional education association, and various other operations roles.

Chamber's Legislative Agenda for 2012 available!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:24:14 Z

In what has become a tradition, the Chamber hosted our annual Legislative Preview during the first big snow fall of the season! The Chamber along with the Regional Chamber of Northeast Indiana, and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce presented their 2012 Legislative Agendas to the Northeast Indiana Legislative Delegation and our members.

The Chamber’s Legislative Agenda, which you can read and download here, is published annually and outlines our public policy positions and legislative priorities. The Government Affairs team works with Chamber members to develop the legislative agenda and continually monitors the legislative and regulatory landscape at all levels of government. The 2012 Legislative Agenda includes the following priorities:

Local Issues

Support using the light lease funds for long-term economic development initiatives.
Support the continued efforts to streamline the local permitting process.
Support the revitalization of Downtown and the development of our rivers.

State Issues

Support making Indiana a Right to Work state.
Support the elimination of Township Advisory Boards.
Support a target industry credit to enhance development in Northeast Indiana.
Oppose sales tax on services.

Federal Issues

Oppose legislation which would eliminate the secret ballot election in union organizing and replace it with a card check procedure.
Support federal funding for an interoperability study at IPFW, which would develop a method for testing and evaluating communication devices
Support Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization

Get updates on government affairs by following us on Twitter: @FWGovConnect. We are always in Session!

Visit this page to read and download the 2012 Legislative Agenda.

Third service member will come “Home for the Holidays” thanks to FWA, The Chamber and WAJI Majic 95.1

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:18:04 Z

On November 30, Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) and The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with WAJI, Majic 95.1, announced the two winners of their annual “Home for the Holidays” contest. Two service members will be flying home to Fort Wayne – free of charge – this holiday season. Today, the airport and partnering agencies announced that they will be bringing a third service member home - Robert Hardesty, E5 of the United States Army. This is the first year in the contest when an additional service member has been awarded a trip home.

“We were able to bring another service member home this year based solely on the affordable fares offered at FWA,” said Dave Young, Vice President of Air Service Development at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. “We’re very excited to extend this service to another deserving candidate, and we hope this encourages more travelers to check FWA’s fares for their holiday travel – they may be surprised.”

Hardesty is currently stationed in Afghanistan. Since he is stationed in a war zone, final travel plans are complicated and are still being determined. The Authority will share more details as they become available.

Gregory Bolden, E2 of the United States Army and Matthew Art, Petty Officer, Second Class of the United States Navy will also be flying “Home for the Holidays” free of charge. Bolden is currently stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington. Art is stationed in Yokosuka, Japan on the USS McCampell. During his visit home to Fort Wayne, Art will meet his 6-week-old daughter for the first time and marry her mother.

“Spending time with family is the best gift of all during the holiday season,” said Torrance Richardson, Executive Director of Airports. “We at Fort Wayne International Airport are proud supporters of the military, and we’re thrilled to be able to give that gift to two military members again this year.”

Save $5! Purchase your Taste ticket before NOON

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:15:10 Z

Buy your tickets to the Taste of The Chamber before noon today to save five dollars off the admission price.

Tickets are $10 in advance, either in the lobby of The Chamber building, or online. Advance sales end at noon today. At the door, tickets will be $15.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. for what promises to be the biggest and tastiest community party of the holiday season! Join The Chamber and 40 vendors on all three floors of our historic building for samples of food and drink from Fort Wayne's finest restaurants and caterers.

Get your tickets now at fwchamber.org/taste.

FWA Brings Two Lucky Service Members “Home for the Holidays”

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:10:25 Z

Fort Wayne International Airport and The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce have announced the winners of their 4th annual “Home for the Holidays” contest in conjunction with WAJI, Majic 95.1. Two service members have been chosen to fly home to Fort Wayne for free this holiday season: Gregory Bolden, E2 of the United States Army and Matthew Art, Petty Officer, Second Class of the United States Navy.

“It was a tough choice this year. We had a lot of great candidates and we wish we could bring them all home for the holidays,” said Dave Young, Vice President of Air Service Development at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate the time everyone put into this and we would like to thank those who submitted an entry.”

Bolden is currently stationed in Fort Lewis, Washington. Art is stationed in Yokosuka, Japan on the USS McCampell. During his visit home to Fort Wayne, he will meet his 6-week-old daughter for the first time and marry her mother. The two will ultimately join him in Japan as a family.

“We are so very excited for Matthew to be coming home for the holidays to get married and meet his baby girl,” said Art’s fiancé Sara. “Thank you to Fort Wayne International Airport, the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and WAJI for making it possible."

Fort Wayne International Airport wins 2011 Airport Safety Award

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:18:53 Z

Building on its operational excellence, Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) has been awarded the 2011 Airport Safety Award at the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Great Lakes Region Airports Conference. Over the past several years, the airport has implemented a number of initiatives aimed at improving safety for the airport’s passengers, business partners, and staff.

“I am extremely proud of our staff for earning this award,” said Torrance Richardson, Executive Director of Airports. “The FAA’s selection of FWA for this award validates the hard work and many accomplishments of our Board and staff.”

Fort Wayne International is one of the first airports in the region to develop a Safety Management Systems (SMS) manual and hire an SMS Coordinator, all before there were any formal rules made for airports to do so. The airport’s SMS program was implemented outside of the FAA’s SMS Pilot Program and is now a standard operating procedure at FWA. The airport also partnered with the FAA in another pilot program for the Direct Digital Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) System. FWA’s participation in the program helped to identify improvements in the system and move it forward for aeronautical use.

The airport’s creation of an Operations Department also contributes to its safety accomplishments. This department maintains and streamlines how the airport manages its operating requirements and develops new safety strategies. The Airport Authority also installed an internet based emergency alert system over fiber optic cabling, with connectivity between the FAA Air Traffic Control Tower, public safety building, and operations offices. This system was installed to automatically transmit important airport operational information to each party.

The FAA often makes safety recommendations to airports for best management practices of their operations. These are only recommendations and are not mandatory for airports to execute. FWA’s commitment to safety is evidenced by its continued priority to make sure those safety recommendations are implemented. These recommendations included a perimeter road system to decrease vehicular activity on the runway and runway guard lights throughout the airfield.

“Safety is our top priority at the airport,” said Scott Hinderman, Director of Operations and Facilities at FWA. “It’s our job to make sure we’re operating in a way that promotes safety and efficiency.”

Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority staff members are continually seeking innovative ways to improve operational efficiency and safety at our airports. They do so with a focus on convenience, service, and technology. It is a goal of the Airport Authority to not only provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere but to do so with hospitality and a strong dedication to service.

Regional collaboration results in national news coverage

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:15:06 Z

Fort Wayne, Indiana, was featured last week in the Wall Street Journal in the Plots and Ploy section, one of the most well-read sections of the Journal. This article is the first direct result of a recent, collaborative effort between the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Indiana Michigan Power to create national news coverage for the region.

"When Fort Wayne receives national attention in such a respected publication it is a win for the whole region," said John Sampson, President & CEO of the Regional Partnership. "It is exciting to see the collaborative leadership that is taking shape in Northeast Indiana begin to create results on a national scale."

Karl Bandemer, of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance, was quoted in the article in regard to how Fort Wayne is seeing a tipping point in bringing people downtown, highlighting the minor league baseball team, new restaurants and new developments including the Anthony Wayne Building, which will have 40 condos through the redevelopment.

"This is exactly the results we are targeting, national media for our efforts to transform the economies of I&M served communities," said Jill Perillo, I&M Manager of Economic Development.

To view the article, visit the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership's website.

Mitch Daniels at The Chamber: Slideshow

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:08:34 Z

This is the slideshow provided by Mitch Daniels during his keynote speech at the annual meeting for the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 15, 2011.

Mitch Daniels at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

Lugar Introduces legislation to assist small business growth

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:44:59 Z

U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar introduced legislation today that would extend for another year the bonus depreciation and small business expense deductions.

“Together, bonus depreciation and increased small business expensing provisions have given small businesses accelerated tax savings during uncertain times in our economy,” Lugar said. “These extensions will benefit Hoosier businesses by providing certainty and stability as they look to invest in purchasing business equipment, creating jobs and growing their companies.”

Under current law, businesses of all sizes can write off 100 percent of the cost of new capital assets purchased and placed into service in 2011. Additionally, small businesses can expense new and used equipment purchases up to $500,000, provided that total purchases do not exceed $2 million. In 2012, the depreciation bonus will drop to 50 percent and small business expensing will fall to $125,000 with a $500,000 cap.

Americans for Tax Reform along with a coalition of 77 trade associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers and the Associated Equipment Distributors, support extending bonus depreciation and small business expensing at these levels.

Be sure to follow up with your tax advisor on any kind of tax advice.

ESI Ventures / Touché Controls celebrates business expansion with ribbon cutting

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:56:01 Z

Nov. 16 at 10 a.m., Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce member ESI Ventures / Touché Controls celebrated its recent business expansion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Participating in the ribbon cutting, and pictured in the attached photo, from left, were the staff of Touché Controls: Anish Mathew, software engineer; Nate Fitch, lead developer; Kyle Haber, design engineer; Mike Picco, president; Matt Prater, production manager; Ron Laux, vice president; Ryan Miller, engineering technician; and John Falkenstern, director of sales and marketing.

Also present at the ribbon cutting were many vendor representatives and Chamber President and CEO Michael Landram.

ESI Ventures has introduced Touché, a total touch-screen building management and lighting control system designed to maximize energy savings and provide enhanced management and control functionality. Touché incorporates a state of the art “Touch-Screen” LCD display on most devices including a unique configurable “Touch-Screen” LCD display switch.

Other features include real-time control and monitoring from any computer on your network or through the internet; Windows® based interfacing utilizing drag-and-drop technology for easy setup and adjustment of all devices on the system; and auto-calibration of all sensors.

ABOUT ESI VENTURES / TOUCHÉ CONTROLS

Touché Controls is a product of ESI Ventures, with the offices and the assembly of the Touché product being in Fort Wayne, IN. Touché Controls will be selling its “lighting control systems” into the commercial and industrial markets across the U.S. and Canadian markets. The Touché lighting control system is backed by a three-year warranty, with free technical support for the life of the system. ESI Ventures LLC also owns Engineered Systems Inc. To learn more about ESI Ventures and Touché Controls, visit www.touchecontrols.com.

ABOUT THE CHAMBER
The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving its membership of more than 1,700 Northeast Indiana businesses. The Chamber serves as a catalyst for economic growth in Northeast Indiana by providing relevant business resources for our members and facilitating strategic connections across business, education, and government. As the recognized voice of commerce in our region, we leverage our influence to advocate a pro-business agenda at the local, state and federal levels while serving as a government watchdog to keep our members informed of policy changes that will impact their businesses. By working in partnership with regional stakeholders, we will align the development efforts of our community to drive progress and promote economic vitality for Northeast Indiana.

Today's Lunch 'n Learn canceled

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:08:44 Z

Today's Lunch 'n Learn, "Your Chamber's Connection to Government," has been canceled.

Coverage of our annual meeting

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:04:55 Z

Thanks to our local media for attending and covering our annual meeting, with Gov. Mitch Daniels as our keynote speaker.

Here are some stories posted today:

Also, check out The Chamber's Facebook page for dozens of photos from the event. And if you find any other stories of interest, leave a comment and we'll post it tomorrow.

Chamber announces winners of annual business awards

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:53:39 Z

Great contributions and innovations by local business leaders were honored by The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce with its 2011 awards.

Here are the winners:

Small Business of the Year: Design Collaborative.
Large Business of the Year: Frontier Communications.
CEO of the Year: Joe Dorko of Lutheran Health Network.

The winners of the awards were announced at The Chamber’s Annual Meeting, which took place Tuesday, November 15, at The Women’s Club Ballroom at The Chamber building on Ewing Street. The awards were presented to the winners by Gov. Mitch Daniels, the keynote speaker at the event.

Here are the prerequisites for the awards:

Small Business of the Year: Presented to a Fort Wayne Chamber member business which has been in operation for at least five years and has fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees. This company will have contributed to the community, has a reputation for integrity and fair business practice and has examples of product or management innovation and successful problem-solving.
Large Business of the Year: Same qualifications as above, with the business having 50 or more full-time equivalent employees.
CEO of the Year: Presented to the CEO of a Fort Wayne Chamber member who has made unique contributions not only to their business and employees, but to the Fort Wayne community as a whole.

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving its membership of more than 1,700 Northeast Indiana businesses. The Chamber serves as a catalyst for economic growth in Northeast Indiana by providing relevant business resources for our members and facilitating strategic connections across business, education, and government.

As the recognized voice of commerce in our region, we leverage our influence to advocate a pro-business agenda at the local, state and federal levels while serving as a government watchdog to keep our members informed of policy changes that will impact their businesses. By working in partnership with regional stakeholders, we will align the development efforts of our community to drive progress and promote economic vitality for Northeast Indiana.

CEO Roundtable Kickoff on Wednesday!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:45:12 Z

On Wednesday of next week, you can learn about our confidential forums of peers at the free CEO Roundtable Kickoff! The event is from 7:30-9:30 a.m. and includes continental breakfast.

CEO Roundtables offer a confidential forum of peers in non-competing businesses to regularly gather and share practical knowledge and best practices in today's business environment.

CEO Roundtables are comprised of no more than 15 persons of ownership or top management positions based on meeting time availability, business fit, and consent of existing group members.

They are structured to help business leaders address a variety of important issues and to offer a springboard for solutions to help improve operations and profitability.

By one member's description: "I couldn't afford to hire advisors like these to help me once a year ? and I get to meet with them every month!"

Detour that affects Chairman's Reception

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:43:13 Z

Please note: If you're coming to the Chairman's Reception tonight, Spring Street is closed between Leesburg Road and Tyler Avenue.

If you're coming from the east, take West Main Street to Leesburg Road (at the VFW) and turn right. That will get you to Saint Francis.

NIDIA and PICC collaborate on workshop

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:07:16 Z

The Northeast Indiana Defense Industry Association (NIDIA) and Partners In Contracting Corporation (PICC) are collaborating to offer an upcoming NIDIA membership meeting and an introductory workshop on doing business with the government. The consecutive events are scheduled for Friday morning, November 18, at Ivy Tech Community College–Northeast, 3800 North Anthony Boulevard at East Coliseum Boulevard in Fort Wayne.

The day starts with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. in Ivy Tech’s Crescent Commons, immediately followed by the NIDIA meeting in the Ivy Tech Auditorium. The members-only meeting, which will run until 10 a.m., will include a report on NIDIA initiatives, a perspective on the Indiana Defense assets and an introduction to a statewide Aerospace and Defense Council.

At 10:30 a.m., PICC Executive Director Mary Kaczka will present a two-hour workshop titled “Introductory Government Contract Procurement.” This free workshop is for NIDIA members as well as PICC clients and the general public to learn how to get started in government contracting, as well as to receive an overview on the procedures and qualifications for doing business with the government.

“Even though the nation is anticipating major cuts in Pentagon budgets, Indiana is well positioned to continue supporting the defense, homeland security and aerospace industries,” according to Gil Perry, counselor/trainer for PICC’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) in Fort Wayne.

The local PTAC is based at the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center. PICC’s original PTAC is housed at the organization’s headquarters in Hammond and a third location is planned for Bedford, near the Crane Division of the U.S. Navy and in cooperation with Radius Indiana, the region’s economic development organization.

Reservations are required to attend both the meeting and the workshop on November 18; go to the PICC Web site at http://www.piccorp.org/ to register for either event. For more information on PICC and the upcoming workshop, contact Perry at 260-481-0491 or fgperry@piccorp.org. To learn more about NIDIA, go to www.nidiaonline.org.

The Fiscal Times ranks Fort Wayne first in nation for job creation

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:38:18 Z

The Fiscal Times issued an article today stating that the Fort Wayne metro area has the highest job growth rate in the nation. The online publication ranked the 100 largest metro areas in the U.S. by the rate of new job generation over the past 12 months, compared to the number of jobs

they had in September 2010.

The Fort Wayne metro area added 8,000 jobs to its base of 203,000 jobs, which gave Fort Wayne a 3.9 percent increase in the total number of jobs, placing the city at the top ranking. That surge was also enough to bring the unemployment rate down by 1.3 percentage points to 8.1 percent – a full point below the national average.

“We’ve got our act together,” Andi Udris, president of the Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance, told The Fiscal Times Thursday. “We’ve had a real coming together of the private sector and the public sector to get things done.”

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance (the Alliance) has realized tremendous success this year in corporate investment and new job creation. The Alliance, with the help of its partners, the City of Fort Wayne and Allen County, have brought $484 million of investment to the area in 2011.

"The magnitude of corporate investment in our community has fueled its job growth," said Udris. "It is not surprising that the Fort Wayne area has been ranked #1 in job creation by this news source."

The Fiscal Times is an editorially independent enterprise, written, edited and produced by experienced professional journalists, that provides an array of original reporting and analysis. It also publishes curated content from its partners, including The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Kaiser Health News, and research data important to understanding government policy and economics.

Source: The Fiscal Times, "Where the Jobs Are: Ten Surprising Places"

Chamber tour returns from China

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 19:28:30 Z

Lisa Esquivel Long, a reporter with The News-Sentinel who traveled with The Chamber on its recent trip to China, posted another article about her experience. Here are some excerpts:

After six days of touring Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou on a trip that would include three days of travel, chamber President and CEO Mike Landram thanked the group of 19. He's working on plans for the chamber to offer the China trip to the public in odd years and another location in even years, he said. ...

Greg Maggert, who went with his wife, Linda, said the most interesting thing he learned about China was the peaceful interaction of its 1.4 billion citizens.

"It's just phenomenal that they can cohabitate the way they do," he said. "Solitude is something I take for granted. Here you're never alone. They can't be (aggressive). ... I didn't see any road rage."

Read the article in its entirety here.

Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26 helps drive business to small business

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:23:12 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce today announced its participation in the second annual Small Business Saturday on November 26, 2011. Small Business Saturday is a day for dedicating a portion of holiday shopping to local, independently-owned small businesses.

Small business advocate groups, public and private organizations, and elected officials joined American Express, the founding sponsor of Small Business Saturday, to launch the national program in 2010 in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: more demand for their products and services. The second event will build on last year’s inaugural program that drove millions of dollars to main street merchants.

The Chamber recognizes the importance of small businesses in Fort Wayne and Allen County, the jobs they create and the culture they instill in local communities. Small businesses have generated 64 percent of net new jobs over the past 15 years and employ just over half of all private sector employees, according to the Small Business Administration.

Joining the annual initiative

Social media will play a central role in helping raise awareness about the importance of supporting small business and recognizing Small Business Saturday. The Small Business Saturday Coalition will be driving consumers and business owners to facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday where they can participate in many ways, including:

Small business owners can go to facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturday to download online promotional materials that will help them drive sales to their business on Small Business Saturday.
Everyone can spread the word about the day and favorite businesses by giving a shout-out to favorite local shops and restaurants via Facebook and Twitter.

Small Business Saturday is a day to support the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday (SBS) was created in 2010 by American Express in response to small business owners’ most pressing need: creating more demand for their products and services.

Economic Development Alliance chooses Catalyst as strategic marketing partner

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:55:01 Z

Catalyst Marketing Design announces its selection as marketing partner for the Fort Wayne - Allen County Economic Development Alliance. The Alliance works with businesses and community leaders to further the base employment of Allen County through business retention, expansion and

attraction projects.

"We have been looking for opportunities to share our expertise with local companies," said Shannon McNett-Silcox, Catalyst Principal and VP of Account Services. "We couldnʼt be happier to have found that partnership with the Alliance."

"We already have a great relationship with Catalyst," said Marla Schneider, Senior Vice President, Fort Wayne - Allen County Economic Development Alliance. "Their strategic thinking is a real benefit to us, and the materials we have developed together are helping us to further our mission in Fort Wayne - Allen County."

Catalyst Marketing Design, an integrated marketing company, was founded in 1997 by Ted Kucinsky. The company has expertise in all forms of media including mobile, digital, web, social, insurgent, and traditional. More information is available at www.catalystgetsit.com.

The Fort Wayne-Allen County Economic Development Alliance began in 2000 as the lead organization for economic development activities throughout the county. They are a not-for-profit organization supported by Allen County, the City of Fort Wayne, the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority. Its goal is to further the base employment of Allen County through business retention, expansion and attraction projects. For more information visit www.theallianceonline.com.

“Home for the Holidays” contest kicks off at airport

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:49:46 Z

Today marks the beginning of the “Home for the Holidays” contest sponsored by Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) and The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with WAJI, Magic 95.1.

Two lucky winners currently in the armed services will be selected to fly home to Fort Wayne free of charge this holiday season to spend time with their families.

Interested parties who have a family member on active military duty are encouraged to submit their story, in 300 words or less, explaining why their service person should come home for the holidays. Two winners will be selected to receive one free round-trip ticket to FWA, no matter where in the world they may be serving our country. Winners must be able to receive leave from duty to travel home between December 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012.

Entries can be submitted online at www.flyfwa.com or www.waji.com or mailed to Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority, ATTN: Home for the Holidays, 3801 W. Ferguson Rd., Suite 209, Fort Wayne, IN, 46809. Entry forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, November 28, 2011.

Winners will be announced live on WAJI, Magic 95.1 and on the FWA website on Wednesday morning, November 30, 2011. Complete rules and requirements are available at the web sites listed above.

N-S: Chinese learning to capitalize on tourism

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:13:39 Z

Here's the third article from The News-Sentinel's Lisa Esquivel Long, one of the 19 local residents traveling with The Chamber's President and CEO Mike Landram through China:

Thursday marked the second day in Beijing for the group, which left New York City late Monday afternoon. The chamber-sponsored trip, made up of 19 Allen County residents and others, including chamber President and CEO Mike Landram, toured the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven and enjoyed lunch at a Chinese family's home in a traditional neighborhood.

They also received continuous requests for purchases at stops that included a government-run pearl factory and a health center where herbalists offered free medical checks, then offered dietary supplements that would cost hundreds of dollars monthly.

Here's the entire story at The News-Sentinel's web site.

N-S: Fort Wayne group tours China's ancient wonders

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:59:30 Z

A view of Beijing on Wednesday morning. The city is hazy not only from fog on this rainy day but also from air pollution. By Lisa Esquivel Long of The News-Sentinel

Nineteen people from Northeast Indiana are touring China with The Chamber, and The News-Sentinel's Lisa Esquivel Long is among them.

Here's an excerpt from the second story she's filed from overseas:

The trip made their first visit in Beijing after arriving at their hotel around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday China time, which is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Saving time.

Hawkers carrying rice paper kites with colorful Chinese designs, from pandas to dragons, followed members to attempt a sale during a visit to get photos of the 2008 Olympics sites. The steel geometrically designed stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, stands opposite "the Water Cube," where Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in swimming for the U.S.

Read the whole article at news-sentinel.com.

N-S: Group from Fort Wayne to get taste of China

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:00:07 Z

A writer with The News-Sentinel, Lisa Esquivel Long, is one of 19 people on a tour organized by the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce that arrived Tuesday afternoon, China time, in Shanghai, headed for Beijing.

She writes the first of what promises to be a series of articles from China about the trip.

With China’s rapid growth and invitation to foreign investment, the chamber’s tour is designed to give participants a taste of the culture and familiarity with a country so often in the news for its economic power, said Mike Landram, CEO of the chamber .

It will involve views of many of the country’s ancient buildings, fairly modern ones such as the Bird’s Nest built for the Olympics, and the massive development occurring. The impressive scope of construction going on in Beijing and Shanghai has changed the face of the cities so much that one native says she wouldn’t recognize the city she left in 1990, while a recent Fort Wayne visitor pointed out the problems in the country’s lack of maintenance for those new buildings.

Read the entire article here.

JG story: "Coats: Dueling visions define U.S."

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:35:15 Z

Here's some press coverage of Monday's luncheon with Sen. Dan Coats. As quoted in today's Journal Gazette:

“In 2008, we saw hope and change, and we saw it implemented,” Coats told a crowd of about 160 people attending the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce event. “In 2010, a lot of the American people said, ‘Huh-uh, that’s not the hope and change we planned on.’ We have two visions of what the role of federal government should be.”

Read the article here.

More seating opened for Chamber’s annual meeting with keynote speaker Gov. Daniels

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:53:54 Z

Because of overwhelming ticket demand, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce has opened an overflow room to allow for an additional 100 seats at its annual meeting at noon on Nov. 15 at The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St., Fort Wayne, featuring keynote speaker Gov. Mitch Daniels.

The Chamber’s Anthony Wayne Ballroom on the second floor will provide a live video of the entire event as it happens on the third floor in The Chamber’s Women’s Club Ballroom. Chamber members attending the event in the overflow seating section will enjoy the same great lunch and exceptional networking opportunities.

“The Chamber is honored to have Gov. Daniels attend our annual meeting,” said Chamber President and CEO Michael Landram. “The governor’s passion for the business community makes him an excellent choice as keynote speaker. Chamber members will benefit greatly from Gov. Daniels’ wisdom and insight.”

Members may purchase the tickets for $35 a piece at fwchamber.org/annualmeeting. Tickets are reserved exclusively for the first 100 Chamber members who register.

Also, the 2011 Chamber Business Awards will be handed out for CEO, Employee, Small and Large Business of the Year. Chamber members who meet the following criteria are eligible for nomination:

Small Business of the Year: Presented to a Fort Wayne Chamber member business which has been in operation for at least five years and has fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees. This company will have contributed to the community, has a reputation for integrity and fair business practice and has examples of product or management innovation and successful problem-solving.
Large Business of the Year: Same qualifications as above, with the business having 50 or more full-time equivalent employees.
CEO of the Year: Presented to the CEO of a Fort Wayne Chamber member who has made unique contributions not only to their business and employees, but to the Fort Wayne community as a whole.
Employee of the Year: Presented to the employee of a Fort Wayne Chamber member who serves as a positive role model in the workplace along with showing exceptional dedication to advancing the interests of his or her organization.

Purchase your ticket for the annual meeting at fwchamber.org/annualmeeting.

Survey: Small businesses on U.S. economy

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:25:41 Z

The latest Small Business Outlook Survey was recently released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The third edition of the quarterly survey revealed that small businesses remain uncertain about the economy and are hesitant to hire.

A vast majority of respondents, 89 percent, believe the economy is on the wrong track, and just 17 percent plan to hire workers, down from 19 percent in July's survey.

What's preventing them from hiring? Small business owners still find economic uncertainty to be their most-pressing concern (53 percent), but also worry about uncertainty from what Washington will do next (39 percent), and the health care law (33 percent).

The survey also found that small business owners overwhelmingly support the U.S. Chamber's jobs plan. Eighty percent think increased domestic energy production would be helpful to the economy, 74 percent think speeding up permitting and regulatory relief would be helpful, and 67 percent think the same about passing tax incentives.

Read the report and download a printable PDF at the U.S. Chamber's web site.

Special day devoted to collecting turkeys and holiday food for the hungry

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:09:53 Z

Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana is encouraging all individuals, businesses, schools, organizations, and groups to begin collecting food and funds for Turkey Rally 2011. On Thursday, November 3, from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Community Harvest will collect frozen turkeys, hams, holiday food items, and monetary donations to help provide holiday meals to those who are struggling this year. Throughout the day the food bank will track donations and Indiana's NewsCenter will broadcast the results and even feature some of the donors during their newscasts. All donations can be brought to Community Harvest, 999 E. Tillman Road, Fort Wayne.

"This is a critical time for us and this year, I hate to say it, is even worse than last year in terms of the need," said Jane Avery, executive director, Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc. "We are really hoping individuals, groups, and corporations will organize and begin collecting food and funds immediately to bring to the food bank on November 3rd. It's going to take all of us to fill the need. We are so pleased to have Indiana's NewsCenter partnering again with us for the fifth year in a row to help get the word out that we need holiday food to help those who are having a difficult time this season enjoy the dignity of a traditional holiday meal with their family."

Over the last four years, the Turkey Rally has raised $27,409, 1,099 turkeys, 22 hams, 3,379 pounds of holiday food items. Often times the people bringing in donations during Turkey Rally state that they have used Community Harvest for food assistance in the past and want to help give back now that they're able.

BizPAC endorses 10 candidates in Fort Wayne election

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:02:44 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Business Political Action Committee (BizPAC) Board of Directors conducted written and in-person candidate evaluations of those running in the Nov. 8 Fort Wayne elections.

Endorsements were given to candidates who BizPAC believes demonstrated leadership in economic development and local business enhancement.

As a result of the candidate evaluations, BizPAC formally endorses the following candidates:

Mayor: Tom Henry
City Council District 1: Tom Smith
City Council District 2: Karen Goldner
City Council District 3: Tom Didier
City Council District 3: Christian Nagal
City Council District 5: Geoff Paddock
City Council At-Large: Marty Bender
City Council At-Large: John Shoaff
City Council At-Large: John Crawford
City Council At-Large: Tom Freistroffer

The Greater Fort Wayne Business Political Action Committee, or BizPAC, is an organization directed by its own board. Board members are Co-Chairman Ben Eisbart, Co-Chairman Tom Kimbrough, Treasurer Fred Eckart, Chris Battell, Walt Branson, John Brogan, John Gerni, Tom Jones, Matt Kelley, Ric Zehr and Tim Zumbaugh.

BizPAC supports, on a non-partisan basis, elected officials or candidates who are advocates for limited government, free enterprise and a pro-business, pro-economic growth environment in the greater Fort Wayne area.

Ball State professor to speak at Graduate Retention Breakfast

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:28:07 Z

The Graduate Retention Department of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is offering a free breakfast session for local businesses about the benefits of internships. Businesspeople can hear from interns, employers, and others about how an intern could be a great solution for their business.

The event is Nov. 2 from 7:30-9 a.m. at The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St., Fort Wayne, Ind.

The keynote speaker for the morning is Dr. Michael Hicks, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

Hicks has economics degrees from Virginia Military Institute and the University of Tennessee and has been on the faculty at the University of Tennessee, Marshall University and the Air Force Institute of Technology. In addition to writing a syndicated weekly column on economic policy, he has written three books, more than 30 scholarly papers and more than 150 technical reports. He has testified before U.S. House and Senate committees, several state legislatures and in federal and state courts. Mike will provide us with a great perspective on Northeast Indiana and our future.

This breakfast is free of charge and provides a great opportunity to learn more about highly successful internship programs as well as the newly designed indianaintern.net web site.

Airport cookies get noticed on MSNBC blog

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:56:10 Z

Free cookie upgrade! MSNBC blog reports on Fort Wayne International Airport and its new cookie kiosk, for passengers arriving on later flights.

Here's the link to the story:

Free cookies! Late arrivals at Ind. airport now also get treats

For more about the Fort Wayne International Airport, check out its web site.

Happy Boss's Day!

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:45:05 Z

Happy Boss's Day, Mike Landram! To celebrate, The Chamber had a staff pancake breakfast this morning. In the photo are Michelle Merritt and Katy Stafford. How is your company celebrating?

Graduate Retention Breakfast! Nov. 2

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:07:49 Z

You're invited to Graduate Retention's Biannual Graduate Retention Breakfast on Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce.

Our keynote speaker for the morning is Dr. Michael Hicks, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research.

Hicks has economics degrees from Virginia Military Institute and the University of Tennessee and has been on the faculty at the University of Tennessee, Marshall University and the Air Force Institute of Technology. In addition to writing a syndicated weekly column on economic policy, he has written three books, more than 30 scholarly papers and over 150 technical reports. He has testified before U.S. House and Senate committees, several state legislatures and in federal and state courts. Mike will provide us with a great perspective on Northeast Indiana and our future.

This breakfast is free of charge and provides a great opportunity to learn more about highly successful internship programs as well as the newly designed indianaintern.net website. No matter what the stage of your internship program, this breakfast has something to offer!

Be sure to register for the Breakfast on our web site. See more about Graduate Retention on the web at fwchamber.org/grad.

Taste of The Chamber gets even tastier

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:37:27 Z

Bigger. Better. Tastier.

This year’s Taste of the Chamber, the community holiday party of the year, will be Thursday, December 1, from 5-8 p.m.

All three floors of the Chamber building at 826 Ewing St. will be overflowing with an array of meats, sweets, beverages, soups, and finger foods. Each floor will also offer a cash bar.

Attendees can enjoy all the complimentary hors d’oeuvres while networking with hundreds of area business professionals.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Purchase your tickets online at fwchamber.org/taste or at the front desk of the Chamber building.

Improvements for this year’s event include:

Better food: Among the new, tantalizing dishes to be offered are barbecue kangaroo and caramelized bacon by Pine Valley, Guinness beef and barley soup by J.K. O’Donnell’s, a whole suckling pig with an array of sauces and chutneys by the Memorial Coliseum/Aramark, and Orchard Ridge’s filet-a-tini: garlic whipped potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and a filet tenderloin drizzled with a red wine demi-glaze in a mini martini glass.

Mini Christmas trees: Back by popular demand, the silent auction for these one-foot-tall symbols of the holiday spirit is returning. The trees will be decorated by various Chamber members and will be auctioned off during the Taste.

Better signage: The Chamber stairwells can be hard for first-time visitors to find. This year we are installing large signs directing visitors to the beautiful third floor via stairs or the elevator.

Two entrances: To help with crowd control, The Chamber will use the entrances on Wayne Street as well as the entrance on Ewing Street. One door will be for those who purchased advance tickets, the other will be for those who need to buy them at the door. Signs will direct every guest to the appropriate entrance.

Better maps: Each visitor will receive a map showing where every vendor is located, in addition to the entrances and exits for each floor.

Any Chamber member restaurant, caterer or food vendor interested in taking part in this year’s Taste of the Chamber should contact Liz Struckholz at 424-1435, extension 259 or by email at lstruckholz@fwchamber.org.

Special thanks to Taste of the Chamber sponsor Comcast Business Class.

This year’s vendors

Local food and beverage specialists participating this year, as of our magazine deadline of Oct. 11, are:

J.K. O’Donnell’s
Club Soda
Calhoun Street Soups, Salads and Spirits
Fort Wayne Off-Track Betting
Splendid Fare
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery
HoneyBaked Ham
Nutcracker Sweet Shoppe
Five Star Distributing
Mad Anthony Brewing Co.
Fort Wayne Chocolate Fountain
Hyatt Place
Ceruti’s Catering
DeBrand Chocolatier
The Olive Twist
Orchard Ridge Country Club
Pine Valley Country Club
Office Depot (coffee)
Lighted Gardens Catering
IPFW Hospitality
Ivy Tech Catering
Sam’s Club
Aramark Catering/Memorial Coliseum
The Landmark Conference and Reception Centre

Purchase your tickets online at fwchamber.org/taste.

Fort Wayne leaders learning from Metro Denver region

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:27:19 Z

Today through Saturday, thirty-six community leaders, including Fort Wayne Chamber President and CEO Mike Landram, are participating in a community visit to Denver.

The Metro Denver Economic Development Corp., an affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, is the nation's first and only truly regional economic development entity where 70 cities, counties and economic development organizations in the seven-county Metro Denver and the two-county Northern Colorado region have successfully come together to represent the economic development interest of the entire region. The Denver EDC is nationally and internationally recognized for its collaborative approach to regional economic development.

The Regional Leadership Experience community visit provides a platform to accelerate transformational change in Northeast Indiana by bringing business and community leaders together to learn from the innovations and best practices of successful communities.

The goal is to create two outcomes: build a public will for change around Vision 2020 and further develop collaborative leaders focused on improving economic vitality in the region.

The Regional Leadership Experience is a program of Leadership Fort Wayne in collaboration with the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership through its Vision 2020 program. The Regional Leadership Experience provides the opportunity to learn from other successful communities for the benefit of northeast Indiana by working together to design and implement appropriate solutions for northeast Indiana.

Saving member dollars with e-billing

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:08:09 Z

If you’ve renewed your Chamber membership in the last two months, you might have noticed something different. The Chamber is moving to e-billing.

The Chamber is now sending all invoices to members via email with information on how to login to your account and pay the bill online.

By using e-billing, The Chamber makes better use of each member dollar. Such a green business practices cuts down on excess waste.

“We’re excited to put technology to use for our members in a way that supports efficiencies for all of us,” said Deb Boyd, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Controller.

Of course, if you prefer to receive your invoice the old-fashioned way, all you have to do is call The Chamber’s Karen Patterson at (260) 424-1435 or send her an email at kpatterson@fwchamber.org and she’ll be sure it’s mailed to you.

Sen. Dan Coats luncheon on Oct. 24 at The Chamber

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:35:56 Z

Please join the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce in welcoming U.S. Senator Dan Coats to a luncheon at noon on October 24.

The Senator will speak at The Chamber building, 826 Ewing St., on the current political climate in Washington, D.C., including pressing issues such as the Super Committee and federal regulation.

Pricing for this event:

$25 per person
$300 for a table of eight
$1,000 to sponsor (includes table of eight and your company name on all signage and any printed material, and in The Chamber's press release)
$2,000 to sponsor (includes everything in the $1,000 sponsorship, plus a seat at the head table)

This event is reserved for Chamber members.

Click here to register for the event. For questions or for sponsorship information, please contact Government Affairs Coordinator Melissa Beber.

City hosts open house for its Gateway Plan

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 09:51:17 Z

The City of Fort Wayne is developing a plan to enhance the city’s primary gateways into the community. The city says this will help Fort Wayne market and promote the city to visitors and investors, enhance public pride, and foster economic development.

The public is invited to either of two open houses, where they can learn more about the city's gateway design solutions and policy recommendations. The public can review the ideas and give its comments.

The open houses will be on Monday, Oct. 17, from 11:30 a.m.-1p.m. and from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Auer Center for Arts and Culture, 300 E. Main St.

During the open house, the public can stop by the new Artlink exhibit, "100 Years of Connectivity: George Kessler Park and Boulevard System." View the work of area artists whose work celebrates Fort Wayne's beautiful parks and broad boulevards.

For more information, contact Russ Garriott, City of Fort Wayne, Community Development Division, at (260) 427-2138 or Russell.Garriott@cityoffortwayne.org.

“Freedom’s Call” Concert Set for Veterans Day

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 09:58:02 Z

The U.S. Air Force Band of Flight will present a concert titled "Freedom's Call" on the evening of November 11 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in honor of Veterans Day.

Details of the concert were announced today by the Allen County Board of Commissioners and Memorial Coliseum officials. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Coliseum's main arena. There will be no charge for admission to this non-ticketed event. Special floor seating will be offered to veterans, current military personnel and their families.

“On November 11th, our community will be afforded an extraordinary opportunity to recognize and honor the veterans from Allen and surrounding counties while enjoying a free night of high-quality music performed by a first-class band at our region's premiere entertainment center,” said Nelson Peters, president of the Board of Commissioners.

The Band of Flight, stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio, is one of twelve bands in the Air Force. The concert band entertains hundreds of thousands of people each year with its dynamic performances. Its varied repertoire ranges from classical symphonic compositions and military marches to Broadway show tunes and popular contemporary music.

"We are very excited about bringing our Veterans Day program to Fort Wayne and appreciate the support we are receiving from the community,” said Major R. Michael Mench, commander of the Band of Flight. “We honor our nation's veterans every time we perform, but this concert will be an opportunity for us to pay special tribute to their lives and sacrifices on the day our country also pays tribute."

“This should be a Veterans Day to remember – and we hope everyone will come out and enjoy 'Freedom's Call,'" added Commissioner Peters.

The weekend of tribute to local veterans will continue on Saturday with the annual Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony, sponsored by the Allen County Council of Veterans. The parade will start at precisely 11 a.m. and travel north on Parnell Avenue to the Memorial Coliseum. In addition, all veterans attending the parade and ceremony will be given a complimentary ticket to the IPFW vs. University of Nebraska-Omaha basketball game scheduled for 1 p.m. in Memorial Coliseum.

Changing of the guard in Chamber's board of directors

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:16:55 Z

The chairmanship of The Chamber has changed hands. From left are Pat Sullivan, Executive Vice President of the Hylant Group and Past Board Chairman of The Chamber; Mike Christman, President and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers and new Chamber Chairman; and Mike Landram, CEO/President of The Chamber.

By Michelle Merritt, vice president of member relations and communications

One thing the business community knows better than anything else is that change is one of the few guarantees they have. Change has been a theme for many businesses during these challenging economic times as many of us examine old ways of doing business and turn to new and inventive ideas.

While some changes are out of a necessity for survival, others are by design. Change that is architected into an organization’s business plan is meant to keep things fresh, guarantee the flow of ideas, and ensure the energy of the organization remains high.

This is the kind of change designed by the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Every two years, the board of directors elects a new board chairperson and chairperson elect.

Effective October 1, Michael Christman, President and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers, will begin his two-year term as Chamber board chairman. The Chamber’s board of directors has also selected Ben Eisbart as chairman elect.

As board chairman, Christman will guide and direct the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and be a source of support and direction for Chamber President Mike Landram.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Christman said as he anticipated the new role.

Christman’s professional leadership experience stems from his career in the newspaper industry. Christman has been President and CEO of Fort Wayne Newspapers since 2006. He and his wife Janet moved to Fort Wayne with their two children from Parkersburg, W.Va., where he published two newspapers.

In addition to serving as Chamber Board Chairman, Christman also serves on the Fort Wayne Phil Board of Directors, the Junior Achievement of Fort Wayne Board of Directors, and the Regional Chamber Board of Directors.

When not working, Christman and his wife are actively involved with their young children, such as Christman coaching their basketball team. They also enjoy getting away on their Harley when not working or volunteering within the community.

Stepping into Christman’s previous Chamber board of directors role as board chairman elect is Ben Eisbart, vice president of human resources and corporate compliance officer for Steel Dynamics Inc.

Eisbart and his wife Sharon moved to Fort Wayne in 1972 with their two sons.

In addition to serving as Chamber board chairman elect, Eisbart serves as the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Council chairman, Allen County’s representative to the Capital Improvement Board, president of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, chairman of the Anthony Wayne Services Foundation and a member of the Board of Visitors of Indiana University’s Jewish Studies Program.

When not working, Eisbart and his wife enjoy volunteering for not-for-profits, spending time with their children and grandchild, reading and debating “the issues of life” with their friends.

Moving into the role of past board chairman will be Pat Sullivan, executive vice president of the Hylant Group. Sullivan has served for two years as Chamber Board Chairman and says he’s enjoyed his time in the role.

“Pat has been a great leader for the Chamber and will continue to be a Chamber Champion in the community,” Landram said. “I am grateful to Pat for the support he’s given me personally during my first two years as Chamber President and CEO. Pat has a passion for Fort Wayne and we’ve been fortunate to have him as part of the Chamber family.”

While Christman officially assumed the role of Chamber Board Chairman on October 1, the torch will be ceremoniously passed on Tuesday, November 15, at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will be the Chamber’s keynote speaker for the meeting.

“I’m very pleased to hear the governor will be speaking to the business community,” Christman said. “I’m honored that he will be there as I accept this new role.”

Find the members of the 2011-12 board on The Chamber's Board of Directors web page.

The community holiday party of the year: Taste of The Chamber

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:11:28 Z

Join the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce for the community holiday party of the year!

Taste of The Chamber
Thursday, December 1, from 5-8 p.m.
The Chamber building
826 Ewing St., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Spend the evening networking with hundreds of area business professionals while enjoying complimentary hors d’oeuvres from dozens of local restaurants and caterers and various cash bars. All three floors of The Chamber building will be filled with vendors at the annual event.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Purchase your tickets online at fwchamber.org or at the front desk at The Chamber building.

Local food and beverage specialists participating this year are:

J.K. O’Donnell
Club Soda
Calhoun Street Soups, Salads and Spirits
Fort Wayne Off-Track Betting
Splendid Fare
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery
HoneyBaked Ham
Nutcracker Sweet Shoppe
Five Star Distributing
Fort Wayne Chocolate Fountain
Hyatt Place
Ceruti’s
DeBrand Chocolatier
The Olive Twist
Orchard Ridge Country Club
Pine Valley Country Club
Office Depot (coffee)
Lighted Gardens Catering
IPFW Hospitality
Ivy Tech Catering
Sam’s Club
Aramark Catering

Any restaurant, caterer or food vendor interested in taking part in this year’s Taste of The Chamber should call Liz Struckholz at 424-1435, extension 259, or email her at lstruckholz@fwchamber.org.

Taste of the Chamber is sponsored by Comcast Business Class.

Bill Swelbar's slideshow from the Air Services Luncheon

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:17:19 Z

Here are the slides from Bill Swelbar's presentation to The Chamber at last week's Air Services luncheon. The presentation was titled, "Airline Industry Structural Changes Force Air Service Strategy Changes."

Video from the luncheon will be released soon!

Bill Swelbar's Fort Wayne presentation

Success Leaves Tracks: USF hosting 18th CEO Forum

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:24:17 Z

The University of Saint Francis will showcase the success of a national business owner and the expertise of regional business leaders at its 18th annual CEO Forum at the North Campus on Thursday, Oct. 20.

The forum will take the theme “Success Leaves Tracks: Following the Footprints of Business Growth and Success.” Keynote speaker Craig Culver, co-founder and CEO of Culver’s, a group of over 500 restaurants spanning 20 U.S. states from Arizona to Ohio, will bring his expertise in founding and growing a family business to the subject of business competition in the unpredictable 21st century.

A panel of regional business leaders will contribute their wisdom to listeners interested in the mandate to keep getting better to succeed. Business people will enjoy the opportunity to borrow perceptions from those who have already successfully dealt with the challenges of operating a profitable, sustainable enterprise. Michael O’Neil, retired Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership professor at USF and provider of consulting, seminar and speaking services, will moderate.

Sitting on the panel of experts will be Mike Cahill, President and CEO of Tower Financial Corp.; Joe Dorko, President and CEO for Lutheran Health Network; Luconda Dager, President of Velvet Ice Cream Co.; Pat Miller, co-founder and national spokesperson for Vera Bradley; Shep Moyle, owner, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Stumps/Shindigz; and Chuck Surack, CEO and founder of Sweetwater Sound, President and owner of SweetCars and Chairman of the Board for All Pro Sound.

Around 500 business people annually gather for the USF CEO Forum, considered by many to be a signature event of its type in the northeast Indiana region. Limited reservations can be made at the door on the day of the event from 7-7:55 a.m., as seating space allows. The event will take place from 8 a.m.-noon.

Tower Bank sponsors the CEO Forum. Tickets are $45 each. Email to ppulis@sf.edu for tickets or information and visit sf.edu/sf/business/center/ceo-forum to learn more about the event.

Wednesday: Air service luncheon and behind-the-scenes airport tour

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 10:08:06 Z

Join The Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority and the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, September 28, for lunch and a presentation by MIT Engineer and airline expert Bill Swelbar.

Swelbar’s presentation will focus on issues such as airline labor cost restructuring, regulatory issues governing air transport, communication strategy and support, and air service development. Swelbar also authors the widely read www.swelblog.com tackling many controversial issues in air transport.

The luncheon will be held at The Chamber, 826 Ewing St., from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and will feature a presentation from Bill Swelbar from MIT.

After the luncheon, attendees are invited to the Fort Wayne International Airport at 2 p.m. for a demo of the new Shared-Use Infrastructure Technology System (SUITE) and get a tour of the airport. If you would like to attend this tour, please check the box on the online registration form.

In his consulting roles, Swelbar has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups.

Cost is $5 for Chamber members and $10 for non-members, which includes lunch.

You can register at fwchamber.org/airlunch.

Chamber's Beber in Atlanta for conference

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:26:12 Z

Here's a note from Melissa Beber, our government affairs coordinator:

Hello from Atlanta! I'm here attending the BoardSource Leadership Forum focusing on Governing for the Future. I'm here with 700 amazing nonprofit leaders and board members including 20 other Judith O'Connor Memorial Fund scholars which is a scholarship offered to emerging nonprofit leaders.

I've heard some wonderful speakers and am learning how nonprofit boards can be more effective and efficient. I have attended sessions on topics such as strategic networking, how to generate additional resources, and the importance of developing public policy positions.

I can't wait to share all I learned!

We'll be sure to have Melissa post some thoughts on this blog when she returns!

Landram meets with D.C. delegation

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:37:27 Z

Mike Landram, Chairman and CEO of The Chamber, met with many of our Indiana federal delegation last night — Sen. Dick Lugar was at his dinner table — and briefing with Congressmen Todd Rokita and Marlin Stutzman.

Landram carried the message for Chamber members that over-regulation, the deficit and the threat of tax increases are not ideal conditions for business growth and job creation.

Chairman's Reception this evening

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:59:20 Z

Tonight: The Chairman's Reception at Fort Wayne Newspapers!

Meet Fort Wayne's who's who of leadership at The Chamber's second Chairman's Reception of the year.

The reception is hosted by our Incoming Chamber Chairman Michael Christman at Fort Wayne Newspapers, 600 W. Main St., from 5-7 p.m. Free parking is available in the newspaper's lots behind the building and across Main Street.

Enjoy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Cost for the reception is $10 for Chamber members and $20 for nonmembers.

For more information, check our events page or contact Liz Struckholz at (260) 424-1435, ext. 259 or lstruckholz@fwchamber.org.

Learn about doing business with Taiwan

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:12:15 Z

The IPFW Office of University Engagement, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center are pleased to host the “2011 Indiana-Taiwan Technology Showcase & Entrepreneurship Summit” presented by the technology transfer organizations from Indiana University, Purdue University and leading research institutions in Taiwan.

NSWC Crane will have poster presentations of an additional portfolio of technologies developed for military applications and available for commercialization.

This event, sponsored by Indiana-Michigan Power and NIPSCO, will feature technologies developed through university and federal laboratory research that have high commercialization potential for both new and existing businesses. The enclosed abstracts contain additional information on the technologies being presented.

The event will be Thursday, September 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and lunch is included. The event will be held at the IPFW Walb Student Union Ballroom, 2101 E. Coliseum Blvd. (IPFW Campus Map)

There is no cost to attend this event and is an excellent opportunity to talk with researchers and the technology commercialization organizations within leading research institutions.

RSVP with your name, company/organization affiliation, phone number and e-mail address no later than Sept. 25 to Tina Torres at torresk@ipfw.edu. Seating is limited.

For additional information or questions, contact Sean Ryan at ryans@ipfw.edu.

Chamber 101 is tomorrow!

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:10:14 Z

Are you a new Chamber member, but you're unsure of everything your membership offers to you and your employees?

Or maybe you've been in the Chamber a while, but haven't attended any events recently.

Learn how to take advantage of everything you're entitled to by attending our Chamber 101 on Thursday from 7:30-10 a.m.

This free event features an informative presentation of our services. Plus, you'll be introduced to Chamber staff and some of our partners that offer even more value for your membership.

Even if you're not a Chamber member yet, you're invited!

Learn more and sign up for the Chamber 101 here.

Learn the ins and outs of your membership at Chamber 101

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:34:09 Z

Are you a new Chamber member, but you're unsure of everything your membership offers to you and your employees?

Or maybe you've been in the Chamber a while, but haven't attended any events recently.

Learn how to take advantage of everything you're entitled to by attending our Chamber 101 on Sept. 15 from 7:30-10 a.m.

This free event features an informative presentation of our services. Plus, you'll be introduced to Chamber staff and some of our partners that offer even more value for your membership.

Even if you're not a Chamber member yet, you're invited!

Learn more and sign up for the Chamber 101 here.

Chamber Executive Staff Volunteer for Majic Riley Radiothon

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:00:56 Z

On Friday, September 9, Chamber of Commerce V.P. of Member Relations and Communications Michelle Merritt and Director of Government Affairs Katy Stafford will volunteer their time and assistance with the Majic Riley Radiothon.

Riley Hospital is Indiana’s only comprehensive children’s hospital and cares for the most critically and chronically ill children. In fact, Riley is nationally ranked as the pediatric hospital that cares for the sickest of the sick. Families turn to Riley Hospital for hope and healing more than 358,000 times each year. Donations raised through the Majic Riley Radiothon support clinical programs, research and equipment.

"Riley has benefitted many of our Members personally and we want to take the opportunity to acknowledge their contribution to our community," said Katy Stafford, Director of Government Affairs.

To support Riley Hospital, call 1-866-951-KIDS (5437) or visit WAJI.com.
The Majic Riley Radiothon will take place from September 8-9 from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Logistics Insight Corporation to Occupy Former Kitty Hawk Facility

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:49:57 Z

Officials at the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority are pleased to welcome Logistics Insight Corporation to the Air Trade Center at FWA. The company will occupy 105,000 square feet of the former Kitty Hawk Cargo building beginning this week. This is the first reuse of the cargo sort facility since Kitty Hawk’s departure in 2007 and begins a multi-tenant approach for reuse of the facility.

Logistics Insight Corporation is a subsidiary of LINC Logistics Company, a leading provider of custom-developed third party logistics solutions. Logistics Insight Corporation provides ground transportation services as well as domestic and international air, surface, ocean, air charter and customs clearance.

According to Conexus Indiana, U.S. freight movement is expected to double by 2035 and Indiana is a very important player in this growth. Each year, 724 million tons of freight travel through the Hoosier state, making it the fifth busiest state for commercial freight traffic. Indiana is ranked first in the nation for interstate highway access and fourth in the nation for total freight railroads, making the "Crossroads of America" the perfect place to facilitate the transportation of goods throughout the country.

For the full press release, see the Logistics Insight/Kitty Hawk press release at the Chamber website.

Chamber email back in operation

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:40:03 Z

The email server for The Chamber was down for maintenance earlier this morning. It should be operational again now. Thank you for your patience!

How to use Facebook for business: Learn in our Academy

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:21:14 Z

As Facebook has continued to expand into mainstream America, it has become an important consideration for businesses to be represented well on Facebook.

Attendees will come away with the following:

Understanding of Facebook options for business.
Clarity on strategies, tools, and potential uses.
Vital "Do's" and "Don'ts."
A clear road-map on ways and practices of Optimizing and Socializing your Fan Page.

The seminar will end with a Q&A segment and one lucky attendee will win a Free for LIFE Gold Plan TabSite. TabSite is a fan page customization platform allowing businesses to build and manage custom tabs for their fan page using a powerful and yet easy Drag N Build System.

Troy Rumfelt, President of Digital Hill Multimedia, the developers of TabSite (www.TabSite.com), and a long-time industry developer with over 15 years of web experience. Follow Troy on Twitter at @DigitalHill.

Mike Gingerich, Marketing Director and Community Manager for TabSite where he champions spreading the word about TabSite and Facebook fan page best practices. Follow Mike on Twitter at @Mike_Gingerich and @TabSite.

Cost for this Chamber Academy is $19 for Chamber members and $39 for nonmembers. The Chamber Academy will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Payment for this event is nonrefundable.

For more information contact Liz Struckholz at (260)424-1435, ext. 259 or lstruckholz@fwchamber.org.

Sponsored by Salin Bank.

Signature Mac Inc. Receives Apple Computer's Commitment to Excellence Award

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 20:58:14 Z

Chamber member Signature Mac Inc. has received Apple Computer’s Commitment to Excellence award for 1st and 2nd quarter 2011. This award recognizes outstanding customer service and is one of the highest awards from Apple. We have also been recognized by Apple for premium service and technical excellence and are a Premium Service Provider. Signature Mac has signed new service contracts for 2011 - 2012 with K&K Insurance, Blackhawk Christian, County Line Church, Bryan Times News, KPC Media Group, Career Solutions, Worship For Shut-ins, Plas-Tech Molding, and more.

For more information about Signature Mac or to look into their services, visit signaturemac.com .

Chamber Member Ciocca's, Inc. Honored as "Company to Watch"

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:08:05 Z

Forty-three Indiana companies from 18 counties were honored at the "Companies to Watch" celebration on August 25th in Indianapolis. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation says the fourth annual list includes companies with combined revenues of more than $600 million and are projected to create more than 550 new jobs this year. Among those companies was Chamber member Ciocca Cleaning & Restoration.

Ciocca Cleaning & Restoration is certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). The IICRC is a national training organization for companies performing carpet & upholstery cleaning and fire & water damage restoration. Ciocca Cleaning & Restoration is also a member of the Association of Specialists in Cleaning & Restoration (ASCR). The ASCR is an organization that puts together national symposiums on what is new in cleaning, as it relates to fire and water damage restoration. In addition, Ciocca Cleaning & Restoration is also a member of the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA). Congratulations Ciocca!

For more information about Ciocca Cleaning & Restoration, visit www.cioccas.com.

September events calendar to print and share

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:23:03 Z

Print out this September events calendar and post in at your workplace. Spread the word to your colleagues about The Chamber's networking and educational opportunities.

Remember: If you work for a business that's a Chamber member, you're already a member!

If you're not sure whether or not your company is a Chamber member, look it up in our online business directory.

Chamber begins program to connect Northeast Indiana students with Statehouse legislative internships

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:13:35 Z

A new program begun by The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is built to make legislative internships more accessible to the students of Northeast Indiana. By reaching out to the higher education institutions in the region, The Chamber is hoping to bring more awareness about internship possibilities during the Indiana General Assembly session. These experiences can be beneficial to all students in Northeast Indiana.

The program is a collaborative effort with the Graduate Retention Program and the Government Affairs Department of The Chamber.

“The Chamber has created this program to make students aware of the legislative internship positions available to them,” said Katy Stafford, Director of Government Affairs at the Chamber. “Our students will bring their high level of academics, their sense of community and their unique skill sets to Indianapolis to showcase the talent we have in Northeast Indiana. In addition, we are equipping our future leaders with invaluable experiences that they can carry throughout their careers.”

During the Indiana General Assembly Session, internships are available in all four caucuses as well as with advocacy organizations. Internships are ideal for juniors and seniors in college and are not limited to a single major, but can benefit a multitude of areas of study. These opportunities provide students with hands-on experience, built-in networking, and an unmatched educational experience.

“Internships provide a wonderful opportunity for our young people to gain solid professional skills and see exactly what Indiana has to offer them,” said Jennifer Fisher, Graduate Retention Program Manager at The Chamber.

Upcoming events for the Chamber’s Legislative Intern Program:

September 14: A panel of speakers involved in government will be speaking about why internships are important and how internships can fast-track careers. Get more info and register here.
October 13: Students can pre-register to participate in an interview fair where they will be interviewed for internships that match their internship criteria.

Students may sign up for the events at fwchamber.org.

Small business award now accepting nominees

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 09:39:13 Z

If you know an outstanding business in our community, nominate it for the 2012 Dream Big Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Sam's Club. This is your chance to give well-deserving small businesses the recognition they deserve plus an opportunity to win a $10,000 cash prize, courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce!

The awards program is designed to honor our nation's job creators and recognize their significant contributions as drivers of economic growth.

Members and nonmembers of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are invited to participate in the Dream Big Small Business of the Year Awards program.

Small businesses must meet the following requirements to participate in the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Awards program:

Fewer than 250 employees
Gross revenues of less than $20 million in 2009 and 2010

The winner of the DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Award must also be able to attend America's Small Business Summit 2012, May 21-23, in Washington, D.C.

Submit your nomination on the U.S. Chamber Summit web site today!

Francine's Friends Mobile Mammography Schedule

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:31:03 Z

The best protection is early detection and Francine's Friends Mobile Mammography coach makes getting a mammogram quick, easy and convenient for women throughout northeast Indiana. The coach visits churches, businesses, and other locations to bring this lifesaving service to as many women as possible.

The interior of the 40-foot-long motor coach is designed for complete privacy. Radiologic technologists from the Breast Diagnostic Center (BDC) staff the coach, which is furnished with the same FDA-approved and Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA)-approved equipment as the two stationary sites of the BDC. A mammogram takes only about 15 minutes. Board-certified breast-imaging radiologists from FW Radiology interpret the exams.

Screening mammography through this mobile service is for women who:

Are age 35 and older and have not had a mammogram in the past 12 months
Have no prior or current history of breast cancer or problems with their breasts
Are insured or uninsured

For Francine's Friends most up-to-date schedule of locations and stops, visit francinesfriends.org.

New Brain Balance educational center to open

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:21:33 Z

Brain Balance Achievement Centers will be opening a new facility in the Fort Wayne area — bringing an individualized, comprehensive approach to helping children with neurobehavioral and learning difficulties overcome their unique challenges.

In order to educate parents on the basics of the Brain Balance Program®, a parent lecture will be held at Brain Balance of Fort Wayne, 7517 W. Jefferson Blvd., on August 30 from 6-8 p.m. To register for a parent lecture, please call (260) 918-9689 and ask for Rachel King.

Brain Balance Achievement Centers offer the Brain Balance Program in 50 nationwide locations. This proprietary, non-medical program has been successful in helping hundreds of children reach their physical, social/behavioral health and academic potential. The centers work with children who suffer with ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette’s, Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

“Our mission is to make the Brain Balance Program available to as many children as possible, so that each child may reach their greatest physical, mental, social and academic potential,” said Catherine Sallaz.

The parent lectures will discuss the 12-week afterschool program, which first includes a comprehensive assessment of all areas of a child’s brain and body function. Then, by integrating physical and cognitive exercises with dietary change, Brain Balance Achievement Centers are able to correct the child’s underlying brain imbalance, improve function and reduce/eliminate negative behaviors.

For more information about Brain Balance Achievement Centers and the Brain Balance Program®, please visit www.brainbalancecenters.com.

Artek, Inc. Investing in a Second Location

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 15:51:34 Z

Chamber member Artek, Inc. has announced they have purchased a new facility on 6707 Gabion Way. In the next year, the company plans to invest $400,000 on property improvements and manufacturing, distribution and technology equipment. Artek will be eligible for a ten year abatement of both real and personal property taxes with an estimated savings of $45,567.

Artek is currently located at 3311 Enterprise Road and the company will retain this location and add a new one. The company will also expand its new location by 2,600 square feet to enclose a loading dock and add two new docks. Artek is the leading producer in Duravar-Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene plastics. These plastics accommodate many industries such as agricultural, bottling and canning, food processing, farm implement, transportation, and many others. Artek works closely with each customer/industry to design and produce high
performance solutions that meet or exceed industrial requirements.

For more information on Artek, visit their page at the Chamber website at fwchamber.org.

Trolley Downtown to Summer Events

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:30:29 Z

Next weekend, downtown will seem like a celebration of summer’s end with many fun activities planned. The last Saturday in August is a jam-packed day downtown starting with the Barr Street Market and Taste of the Arts festival followed by two free, family-friendly concerts and a Tin Caps game. To top it off, the Downtown Improvement District is sponsoring an old-fashioned trolley to run a loop around downtown for the evening activities.

The trolley will run from 6:45 to about 11 p.m. and will start and end at “Dessert” at the corner of Lafayette and Main Streets. The trolley will loop all night between Dessert, Rock the Plaza and the Tin Caps game completing the circuit about every 15 or 20 minutes.

Dessert is sponsored by One Lucky Guitar and is billed as a party after the Taste, concluding the festival with four bands between 6 and 10. The bands play diverse styles and include: Dag and the Bulleit Boys, The Elky Summers, Jon Keller Band and Elephants in Mud. Restaurants serving at Dessert include: Mad Anthony, Thirsty Camel, Purple Mountain Cheesecake and Hall’s Takes the Cake. Performers for the final Rock the Plaza at the downtown library include: The Borrowed Time Band, Unlikely Alibi and the Mimi Burns Band. Pint and Slice will be serving that event. Both concerts are free and open to the public. The Tin Caps will play the West Michigan Whitecaps starting at 7:05. Those who want to park and ride around downtown can enjoy the fireworks after the game too. The trolley will run for a short time after the fireworks to take patrons back to their cars by 11.

Downtown fun begins long before the trolley starts touring downtown with the YLNI Barr Street, now in its seventh season Saturday mornings through September 10. Patrons can browse among produce, flowers, coffee, jewelry and other vendors to the rhythm of various local bands. Enjoy the morning and bring the kids down for the activities, sponsored by the Allen County Public Library. The market averages 22 vendors per week.

As the Market winds down, the Taste of the Arts festival begins. From noon until 7 p.m., Main Street by the Arts United Center, will be busy with over 50 performances, arts and culture booths, hands-on activities, an Art Marketplace and 30 local restaurants. Admission is free at the festival, and at the Museum of Art, History Center, and Cinema Center too. Busker Square, sponsored by the Downtown Improvement District will add a constantly running stage to Freimann Square with entertainment for the information booth audiences celebrating the street performer.

For more information, check the Taste of the Arts and Dessert Fort Wayne web sites. Or contact Tena Woenker at the Downtown Improvement District.

Do it Best expands into Indonesia

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:24:28 Z

Do it Best Corp. is continuing to grow internationally with the soft opening of the first four Pongs Do it Best® Home Centers in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 4.

“The opening of these stores, with plans for more ahead, will add significantly to our presence in the region,” said Bob Taylor, president and CEO of Do it Best Corp., who was in Jakarta for the special occasion. “The most important step for Do it Best Corp. is finding the right independent retailers to partner with in our international markets, people with strong leadership skills and a demonstrated track record of success in their marketplace. Our exclusive partner in Indonesia, Paulus Ong, is a great example of exactly that important combination.”

Ong recently signed an exclusive agreement with Do it Best Corp. to develop the Do it Best brand in Indonesia, and the opening of these stores is the first step in a long-term growth plan with Do it Best Corp. in the country. Prior to aligning exclusively with Do it Best Corp., Ong was director of operations for Ace Indonesia for more than a decade.

“Do it Best was simply the best choice for me, thanks to the strength of its reputation and the quality of its programs, service and support,” Ong explained. “This soft opening is a special day, and I’m excited and grateful to have the strength and support of Do it Best Corp.”

The first four Pongs Do it Best Home Centers in Jakarta encompass more than 100,000 square feet of combined retail space. Ong’s five-year plan is to open a total of 40 Do it Best stores consisting of three formats – convenience stores, super stores and hyper stores – covering a total of 500,000 square feet.

“From our initial meetings with Paulus, we recognized that his vision, drive and experience made him a strong partner for our introduction into the growing Indonesian market,” Taylor added.

The opening of the Jakarta stores makes Indonesia the 50th country in which Do it Best Corp. has member retail operations.

The Pongs initiative, coupled with an already strong member presence in the region and the tremendous growth in Southeast Asia, has led Do it Best Corp. to open its first international business development office in Singapore. David McDonald has been named the Sales and Business Territory Manager for Southeast Asia and will be based in Singapore.

Based in Fort Wayne, Do it Best Corp. is the only U.S.-based, member-owned full-service hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry.

Apartment Association Donates Items to "Tools for School"

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 19:09:08 Z

Members of the Chamber member Apartment Association of Fort Wayne-NE Indiana (AAFW-NEI)
recently collected school supplies and monetary donations as part of a community outreach activity in support of The Salvation Army’s “Tools for School” program. A total of $50 and nearly 300 school
supplies – ranging from composition books to highlighters and other items – were collected and
purchased from donations by AAFW-NEI members.

Items for the “Tools for School” program were collected at the Association’s June and July Breakfast Connection membership meetings as well as at the Lake Avenue headquarters of the AAFW-NEI, according to Beth Wyatt, Executive Director.

The Association’s Community Outreach Committee organized the “Tools for School” collection.
This is the third year that the Association has contributed to The Salvation Army’s “Tools for
Schools” drive. The program provides basic school supplies for families who cannot otherwise afford them.

For more information on the Apartment Association, visit their website at www.aafw.org.

Disney Institute to Take Place in Fort Wayne

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:14:16 Z

Ivy Tech-Northeast welcomes second installment of Disney Institute on September 21! This time, Disney Institute is bringing its renowned professional development program, Disney's Approach to People Management. Register today!

This day of Disney training will offer dozens of easy-to-implement, proven ideas that can help transform an organization including:

Applying key elements of the Disney people management strategy to strengthen your organization;
Building organizational-wide processes to reinforce your corporate culture;
Improving your existing selection and hiring process;
Adapting Disney training strategies to promote and emphasize organizational values;
Developing effective communication methods to meet your organization's needs; and
Creating an environment based on services and recognition in order to leverage talent and skill.

To register or for more information, visit the Chamber's website at Disney Institute.

Lunch 'n Learn: Potential Tax Planning Ideas

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:14:00 Z

This Wednesday the Chamber Lunch 'n Learn will give attendees an update on federal and state tax issues along with potential planning ideas involving taxes.

Jeffrey Sanderson, director of taxation for Baden, Gage & Schroeder LLC, has over 25 years of professional tax experience in which he concentrates on developing tax strategies to minimize tax burdens.

Cost for this Lunch 'n Learn is $10 for Chamber members and $15 for nonmembers and includes a boxed lunch. Lunch 'n Learn will begin promptly at noon. Payment for this event is nonrefundable.

For more information contact Liz Struckholz at (260) 424-1435, ext 259, or lstruckholz@fwchamber.org. To register visit Lunch 'n Learn: Potential Tax Planning.

GovConnect Briefing for Aug. 5

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 20:45:02 Z

Local

Council Tables Campaign-Donor Bill

News-Sentinel - Doubts regarding the legality of a proposed ordinance barring the city from doing business with campaign donors led City Council to table the bill Tuesday - with three members crossing party lines in the vote - pending an opinion from the state attorney general. The bill, authored by Councilwoman Liz Brown, R-at large, would forbid the city from entering a contract with a consultant or business that has donated to the campaign of any elected city official or candidate. It would also apply to donations from the owner of a city contractor, the owner's spouse and the company's subcontractors. Click here to read more.

City Clears Trash Cart Debt Early

Journal Gazette - The city's new garbage and recycling contracts have been so successful that Fort Wayne plans to not only reduce rates, but pay off some debt early as well. Mayor Tom Henry on Thursday announced he will use some of the city solid waste department's surplus cash to pay off the remaining debt for residents' garbage carts. The announcement comes about a week after Henry announced he wanted to lower monthly garbage rates by $1.05 for single family homes. "Our solid waste program continues to be an unqualified success," he said. Thanks to cost savings and new revenue, the solid waste fund has grown to $3.6 million. The city typically likes to keep about $2 million in reserve for emergencies or other unforeseen circumstances. The city will use the $1.6 million in extra cash to pay off the debt it incurred in 2005 to purchase the 48-gallon and 96-gallon trash carts for residents. The city spent $3.7 million to buy 80,000 carts at that time. Click here to read more.

Vote-Registration Transfer on Hold

Journal Gazette - The Allen County Election Board could not agree Wednesday to take over the duties and responsibilities of voter registration, so what happens next falls to the Allen County commissioners. While two members of the board - Republican County Clerk Lisbeth Borgmann and Republican representative Zachary Klutz - said yes, Democratic member Andrew Boxberger voted no. Per state statute, the vote must be unanimous to become policy. Already dealing with massive budget cuts and facing a presidential election year in 2012, Boxberger said now is not the time for such a transition. "It would be dangerous to voters and to the integrity of Allen County's election process as a whole," Boxberger said. In July, the commissioners acted on a new law that gives them the authority to abolish the independent voter board and transfer the responsibilities of voter registration to either the election board or the county clerk. Click here to read more.

Manchester College Celebrates New School of Pharmacy in Fort Wayne

WANE - Construction on the new Manchester College School of Pharmacy is already underway in Fort Wayne, but Thursday leaders celebrated the new school with a ceremonial groundbreaking. The school will be near the new Parkview Regional Medical Center off Dupont Road on the north side of Fort Wayne. Manchester College's campus is in North Manchester, but school leaders said they chose to put the new pharmacy program in Fort Wayne because of the city's strong healthcare community. Both Parkview Health and Lutheran Health Network hospitals will work with the pharmacy students. The hope is that when those students graduate, many will stay in northeast Indiana. Click here to read more.

FAA Standoff Affects Fort Wayne

WANE - The partisan standoff continues over a bill that would end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration, and it's affecting at least one person in Fort Wayne. The Obama administration is urging Congress to return briefly from its August vacation to resolve the deadlock, which is now in its twelfth day and has idled more than 70,000 people nationwide. Fort Wayne International Airport has had to furlough one worker because of the unresolved situation. All told, seven across the state have been furloughed. Click here to read more.

State

State Posts Revenue Increase in July

Inside Indiana Business - Indiana's July revenue report shows total collections for the month were $23 million more than the most recent forecast. The State Budget Agency says collections for sales and individual incomes taxes were consistent with trends seen in recent months. Click here to read more.

Push to Make IN Smoke-Free Renewed

WANE - The Indiana Campaign for Smokefree Air has renewed its push for state lawmakers to pass smoke-free legislation in the wake of a new study. The ICSA cited a recent study published in Nicotine and Tobacco Research as evidence that smoke-free laws do not have a negative economic impact on rural or urban communities. The study, titled "Economic Effects of Smoke-free Laws on Rural and Urban Counties in Kentucky and Ohio ", found no evidence that smoke-free legislation negatively influenced local economies in either rural or urban communities regardless of whether the legislation was a local ordinance or statewide law. Click here to read more.

Voucher Bills Flood Statehouses

Associated Press - More states than ever before have considered school vouchers this year, driven by resurgent Republicans who see the lagging economy as an opportunity for a fresh push on one of their most contentious education policies. As of mid-July, at least 30 states had introduced bills that would use taxpayer dollars to send children to private schools, most limited to poor children or those with special needs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. That's compared with nine voucher bills in 2010, just one of which passed - a special- needs voucher program in Oklahoma. And 28 states this year have eyed giving tax breaks to those paying private school tuition bills, which some consider a back-door voucher program. At least six states have passed voucher or tax credit legislation this year. Click here to read more.

Indiana Faces $14 Billion in Unfunded Liabilities

News and Tribune - The state is facing $14 billion in unfunded liabilities and rising obligations to the nearly half-million Hoosiers - including teachers, firefighters and police officers - counting on taxpayers to keep those pension funds solvent. State officials say they're on track to keep those retirement dollars flowing, but they also want legislators to know there's a cost to any change to the system. That's why the head of the state's public pension funds found himself Wednesday delivering a nearly two-hour tutorial on the subject to a legislative study committee before telling them: "Cost of living adjustments aren't free." Steve Russo, the executive director of the Indiana Public Retirement System, delivered a detailed accounting of the state's public pension funds to the legislature's Pension Management Oversight Commission. Legislative leaders had given the commission one task to complete this summer: Studying whether there should be a cost of living adjustment or other increase in survivor benefits for the widows of Indiana judges. Click here to read more.

Nation

How Indiana Lawmakers Voted on the Debt Ceiling Plan

On Monday, the House voted 269-161 to approve the debit ceiling bill and on Tuesday the Senate approved the legislation, 74-26. Obama signed it into law an hour after the Senate voted. The debt ceiling legislation cuts federal spending by $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years and would not require any tax increases. It also raises the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion until 2012. A deal had to be reached before August 3 to avoid the federal government from defaulting. To find out more, check out the debt deal fact sheet. Here is a break down of how Indiana's federal delegation voted:

Senator who voted for the debt deal:

Senator Richard Lugar (R)

Senator who voted against the debt deal:

Senator Dan Coats (R)

House Representatives who voted for the debt deal:

Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-2nd District)

Rep. Mike Pence (R-6th District)

Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-8th District)

Rep. Todd Young (R-9th District)

House Representatives who voted against the debt deal:

Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-1st District)

Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-3rd District)

Rep. Todd Rokita (R-4th District)

Rep. Dan Burton (R-5th District)

Rep. André Carson (D-7th District)

DOJ Sues Alabama over Immigration Law

Politico - Arguing that the federal government sets immigration policy, the Justice Department has filed a lawsuit to stop Alabama's toughest-in-the-nation law before it takes effect on Sept. 1. The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Birmingham, is the third major legal challenge to the Alabama law, which would, among other things, make it illegal for undocumented immigrants to apply for work, require law enforcement to determine the legal status of people they arrest, transport or "conceal" undocumented people in the state, and force public schools to determine the citizenship status of their students. Click here to read more.

Reid: Patent Reform Bill on Agenda after Recess

The Hill - The Senate will take up the House's version of a bipartisan patent reform bill immediately after its summer recess in hopes of putting a bill on the president's desk before the fall. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said the patent-reform bill will be the first to move after the recess, as part of a package of legislation designed to boost job creation. Reid and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said the bill, which attempts to speed patent applications, is expected to create 200,000 jobs. Click here to read more.

FAA Shutdown to End with Deal, Harry Reid Says

Politico - House and Senate leaders on Thursday brokered a "bipartisan compromise" over Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, ending - if only temporarily - a two-week standoff that had sidelined 4,000 FAA employees as well as 70,000 construction workers involved in airport improvement projects and cost the government tens of millions of dollars in uncollected revenue from the airline industry. "This agreement does not resolve the important differences that still remain," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said in a statement announcing the deal. "But I believe we should keep Americans working while Congress settles its differences, and this agreement will do exactly that." President Barack Obama, who earlier this week had called on Congress to resolve the stalemate, praised the development. Click here to read more.

Fewer IPOs will Stall Tech Jobs

Politico - America's main engine for high-tech jobs could soon be running on fumes. Venture capital firms - those gurus who fronted the cash for Apple, Google and a host of other household names - committed $7.5 billion to 966 deals last financial quarter, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. But that level of investment is not sustainable without changes to how publicly traded companies are regulated, according to association President Mark Heesen. The problem is that venture capital firms have to replenish their coffers by having companies issue stock in initial public offerings. Without new public offerings, it's harder for venture capital firms to exit their investments, pay back their own investors and buy stakes in new companies. Not enough IPOs means not enough investment in the kinds of start-ups the Obama administration says will reinvigorate the nation's sluggish economy. Click here to read more.

Chamber's Melissa Beber receives scholarship

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:32:29 Z

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) board member Melissa Beber is one of 20 emerging leaders in the United States to earn a Judith O’Connor Memorial Fund Scholarship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders.

BoardSource, an organization dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring service, selected Beber, who will participate in the 2011 BoardSource Leadership Forum, the nation’s premier nonprofit governance conference, Sept. 22-23 in Atlanta.

The BoardSource Leadership Forum is the only national conference focused on the impact of nonprofit boards and the unique role they play in advancing the public good. Every year, about 800 nonprofit board members, chief executives, and senior staff from around the world gather with an impressive array of experts to discuss the newest thinking and practices in nonprofit governance.

Beber is the Government Affairs Coordinator for the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and serves as Vice President of Community Impact for YLNI. In her role with the Chamber, Beber helps educate the membership regarding some of the most important public policy decisions facing Northeast Indiana. As VP of Community Impact for YLNI, Beber is responsible for overseeing programs such as YLNI the Vote, 2020 Vision, YLNI Barr Street Market and other programs aimed at engaging emerging leaders with the community.

The forum will be an opportunity for Beber to develop her skills as a nonprofit leader.

“Every nonprofit organization needs a strong governing board, and BoardSource training is excellent, “ said David Bennett, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. “We are pleased to be able to help Melissa attend this training, and wish to thank the Foellinger Foundation for creating the Barbara Burt Leadership Development Fund.”

Beber’s participation in the forum is also made possible through generous support from the Barbara Burt Leadership Development Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne to help support the development of nonprofit leadership towards the ultimate goal of organizational effectiveness. The fund was established by a gift from the Foellinger Foundation in honor of its former President and Chairman of the Board, and Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne.

How to host a company health fair

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:16:29 Z

From Chamber partner PHP
Originally published in Emphasis Monthly

An employer-sponsored health fair is a convenient way to provide one-stop shopping for your employees’ health and well-being. By hosting a health fair on-site, you can help your employees save time while providing important health screenings such as cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density and mammograms.

Here are critical components to a successful health fair:

Leadership Support: Garner support from company leadership. This is critical to implementing a successful health fair.
Event Chair and Committee: Identify a group of volunteers with a good representation of the entire company.
Planning: Develop a project plan with assigned deadlines. Planning should begin at least 6-12 months before the selected date.
Exhibitors: Brainstorm a list of services and exhibitors you would like to invite to your event. Make sure that your list is extensive and includes exhibitors that will provide a service, not just education and information.
Logistics: Work through any day-of-event logistical needs. Identify the number of tables and chairs needed, location of electrical outlets and most importantly design a floor plan to help visualize the layout of the health fair.
Revisit the Plan: Revisit the plan throughout the planning to check off your to-do list and ensure that everything is completed.
Set-up: Prepare for the health fair vendors and set-up tables and chairs at least one day prior to the event.
Delegate: The chair should assign committee members to specific tasks for the day (greeters, logistics, clean-up, etc.).
Participate: The chair and committee should participate in the health fair. Take time to visit the exhibitors and take advantage of the screenings.
Evaluate: Provide an evaluation to the attendees and exhibitors for feedback and suggestions to improve future health fairs.

Use these tips as a guide in planning and your health fair will be a success, providing your employees with time-saving results they can use to achieve a healthier lifestyle, and improved overall health for your company.

If your business has 2 to 50 employees, you qualify for a discount of up to five percent on your small business insurance premiums from PHP. Average annual savings is $3,500.
To receive a free quote, call PHP at (800) 982-6257 or visit PHP's Chamber Discount Program web page.

Chamber Chat with our new controller, Deb Boyd

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:59:17 Z

In our recent issue of Emphasis Monthly, we interviewed Deb Boyd, the new controller for The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. Here's the Q&A.

If you had to describe your experience with the Chamber thus far using one word, what would it be?

Serendipitous. Initially, I came to the Chamber on a project basis to document procedures in the finance department. In the process, I discovered that the Chamber was involved in the community with unique programs and activities in ways that I was not aware of.

What does your job entail as the controller and how has your past employment prepared you for the work you will be doing with the Chamber?

The job description includes oversight of the financial activities which includes financial reporting, budgeting, forecasts, HR and benefits oversight and all of the related filings and audits for the Chamber and Foundation. I started my accounting career as an auditor for Ernst and Young and have since worked in a variety of industries including manufacturing, healthcare and publishing/fulfillment services. My past employment has given me a broad range of experience and resources that will certainly be useful in this position.

In your free time, what are you most likely to be found doing?

I have a diverse mix of interests and enjoy the opportunity to learn something new. So, in my free time I could be found traveling, cooking, reading, attending an art show or riding one of the area’s bike trails.

When you were a young girl, what did you want to be when you grew up (and why)?

Growing up, I was involved in 4-H and discovered a passion for cooking. I had aspirations for owning a restaurant. After working many nights and weekends as a restaurant manager, I determined cooking at home for family and friends periodically could be an equally good option.

What are some of the challenges as the Controller?

Like many of our members, one of the big challenges is trying to find ways to get the most from our resources. So, I will be looking at ways that we can be more efficient and timely in accomplishing our finance goals.

Is there anything you think more members should know about the Chamber that they may not realize?

I was surprised to discover the variety of ways the Chamber provides for the community. In looking at some of the activities over the past couple of months, the mix has included Tech Fest, a legislative wrap up breakfast, a number of seminars on topics from social media to elder law and travel is on the horizon with a trip to China coming up later this fall.

How do you maintain balance in your work?

Maintaining balance hasn’t always been one of my strengths but I have learned to be intentional about how I use my time. Whether there’s snow or sun, good balance for me starts with taking time every day for exercise and the outdoors.

Favorite place to visit outside Fort Wayne?

I love to travel and am fortunate to have many favorite places. On my visits, I look for places that have a vibrant mix of nature and art such as Santa Fe, Napa Valley and Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies.

What advice would you give to new members to help them get the most out of the Chamber?

I would suggest they have an expectation for what membership can mean for them and they get involved. There are many benefits available to our members. If they aren’t sure what their membership provides, they need to make it a priority to find out. We have a professional staff that would be able to help them and the new website is a great resource that can be used at their convenience.

Contact Deb Boyd at dboyd@fwchamber.org or by calling (260) 424-1435.

Need a legislative advocate? Call us

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:08:07 Z

By Katy Stafford, Director of Government Affairs

First published in August issue of Emphasis Monthly

As a Chamber member, you have direct access to the Government Affairs Department and can contact us anytime, day or night, to request assistance with a legislative issue that is impacting your business. The Chamber provides these services as part of your membership dues.

If you are looking for ways to trim your budget, but know you need representation at the state and local government levels, joining The Chamber provides you with experienced advocates who will carry your message to your elected officials.

The cost of lobbying

$1,000-$3,000: The average price, per month, for a lobbyist to monitor a non-controversial issue before the Indiana General Assembly

$3,000-$5,000: The average price, per month, for a lobbyist to monitor a controversial issue before the Indiana General Assembly

$5,000 and up: The average price, per month, for a lobbyist to engage on an issue before the Indiana General Assembly

What The Chamber does for you

Monitoring a non-controversial issue: Lobbyist tracks the progress of a bill, or bills, that contain the issue of interest. We regularly update the client on the progress of that bill. We do not have meetings or engage legislators on the issue. Examples of these issues may include, but are not limited to:

Bills that outline the process for making appointments of General Assembly members following an election.
Bills that specify who can be appointed to a study committee and change the name of an existing study committee.

Monitoring a controversial issue: Lobbyist tracks the progress of a bill, or bills, that contain the issue of interest. We regularly update the client on the progress of that bill. We do not have meetings or engage legislators on the issue. Examples of these issues may include, but are not limited to:

Smoking ban in public places
Elimination of property taxes
Handgun laws

Engaging on an issue: Lobbyist tracks the progress of a bill, or bills, that contain the issue of interest. We regularly update the client on the progress of that bill. We speak to legislators and interested parties on your behalf to influence the passage or defeat of the bill. We coordinate testimony and can assist with talking points on any issues. Lobbyists can engage on both controversial and non-controversial issues.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” William James

Contact Katy Stafford at kstafford@fwchamber.org or (260) 424-1435 for more information. Or follow the Fort Wayne Chamber's Government Affairs team on Twitter.

Photo slideshow from The Day of Caring

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:59:27 Z

Staff from The Chamber teamed up with the YWCA to help paint and landscape Portage Middle School on The United Way of Allen County's Day of Caring on Aug. 4.

Greater Fort Wayne Chamber is not affiliated with "Your Online Chamber of Commerce"

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 18:19:27 Z

Business owners may be receiving an email from "Your Online Chamber of Commerce" or from chamberofcommerce.com asking you to "claim your information". This organization is in no way affiliated with the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce will never ask you to claim or verify your information by email nor will you be asked for additional fees to publish your company information.

If you have additional questions please contact Michelle Merritt, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce VP Membership & Communications

Three important principles for getting the most out of LinkedIn

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:48:09 Z

Guest column by Anthony Juliano, Asher Agency

First published in August issue of Emphasis Monthly

This has been a huge year for LinkedIn. In March, the site reached 100 million members, and in May, LinkedIn became the first major social media site to go public.

Even as LinkedIn makes headlines, however, many users aren’t sure what all the fuss is about. They sign up, create a profile, add a few connections and then…well, for many, that’s the end of the story. They simply can’t see why LinkedIn deserves their attention.

The truth is, LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful tool for anyone whose success depends upon their professional relationships.

Whether you’re looking to grow in your career, grow your business, or make a name for yourself in an industry or a niche, LinkedIn can help you reach your goals.

To make the most of your time, there are a few important principles to remember:

Connect only with those you know

Many people measure their social media success based on the number of connections, friends or followers they have. Quality, however, is much more important than quantity — and this is especially true on LinkedIn.

Connect only with those you have already done business with, or with whom you have mutual trust. In doing so, you’ll spend more time enhancing the relationships that matter most instead of spreading yourself too thin.

Think of it as truly connecting with people, instead of simply adding up the numbers as a means of simply collecting people.

Update your status at least once a week

Many LinkedIn users believe their profile is the key to their success on LinkedIn, but it’s not as valuable as one of the simplest features on LinkedIn: the status update.

When you update your status on LinkedIn, it automatically appears in your contacts’ news feed — the first thing they see when they log on. That’s another chance for your contacts to think of you and better understand what you do.

The key is to keep the conversation focused on your professional life and to use the status update judiciously. Update it no more than once a day, but no less than once a week.

Be a resource to your connections

As it is with real-world networking, LinkedIn is most effective when you use it to help others. Don’t overtly sell your product or service; instead, understand what your audience needs and what you can do for them.

LinkedIn provides ample opportunities to do so: responding to questions using features such as LinkedIn Answers, participating in Groups or simply sharing insight and advice from your area of expertise.

Once you establish yourself as a trusted resource, your audience will be eager to connect with you.

As LinkedIn continues to grow, it will only become more powerful.

If you’re not already a LinkedIn member, now is a great time to join. And if you’re already a member, consider investing more time on LinkedIn. Your profile is just the beginning, and the opportunities are almost endless.

Slides from today's Chamber Academy: "SEO: Let's Get Visible"

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:58:13 Z

Presenter Kevin Mullett of Cirrus ABS was the featured speaker at Wednesday's Chamber Academy and brought a jam-packed two hours to the dozen or so attendees. Among the tips he gave during his presentation:

Remember that when people type a term or phrase into a search engine, they have a high degree of intent to buy a product or service.
When you answer a question to a client via email, consider rewriting it and posting it to your blog. Instant content!
Begin a search on Google for your product and use Google Instant -- the pop-up recommendations -- as ideas for your next blog post.

Below are the slides presented during the Academy. Seminar attendees received 14 free SEO action steps they could implement immediately to improve their business websites' online visibility. Mullett also added three extra slides and a bonus action on top of the 14 SEO action steps from this morning's presentation.

Search Engine Optimization, Let’s Get Visible - Fort Wayne Chamber

View more presentations from Cirrus ABS

For more Chamber events, check out our events calendar.

Campaign finance reform ordinance tabled

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:44:56 Z

By Katy Stafford, Director of Government Affairs

Tuesday night, the Fort Wayne City Council voted 5-4 to table the discussion on Councilwoman Liz Brown's ordinance regarding campaign finance. The discussion centered around waiting until the Attorney General rendered an opinion on the legality of the bill, which Councilman Didier said will be by this Friday.

Councilwoman Brown has said she will reintroduce the bill with amendments including caps on contributions, though none were specified at the meeting. Councilman Shoaff also stated he had an amendment which would move the effective date to January 1, 2012.

We will continue to monitor this issue on behalf of our members.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please share those with Katy Stafford at kstafford@fwchamber.org.

Airport hosts Scholarship Golf Outing

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:11:01 Z

Registration closes noon on Friday!

The Fort Wayne International Airport will be hosting its Annual Scholarship Golf Outing benefitting aviation scholarships granted by the Greater Fort Wayne Aviation Museum.

The event is Friday, August 19, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start at Brookwood Golf Club, 10304 Bluffton Road. The cost is $45 per person or $180 per team, which includes green fees, golf carts, lunch, and drinks.

Also, the airport still has sponsorship opportunities left for businesses, as well as team spots for those interested in playing:

Skill Hole Sponsor: $400

Sign and recognition at the tee and green of sponsored hole
Mention of hole sponsorship when Skill Hole results announced at golf outing luncheon
Business logo on gift bag insert

Hole Sponsor: $250

Sign and recognition at the tee and green of sponsored hole
Business logo on gift bag insert

You can find more information by visiting the event home page. All teams and sponsors must register by noon on Friday, August 5. Please consider supporting this great event.

For more information, please contact Michele Platte at mplatte@fwairport.com or (260) 446-3422 to register to play or to sponsor a hole.

Chamber, members help schools during United Way Day of Caring

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:42:13 Z

Hundreds of volunteers will clean, paint and spruce up the landscaping at eight Fort Wayne Community Schools buildings Thursday as part of United Way of Allen County's annual Day of Caring.

Nine Chamber businesses and community groups plus The Chamber staff signed up to work at schools throughout the city. Hundreds of community volunteers plus staff, students and parents at each of the buildings will work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to get the schools in shape for opening day.

The friendships formed on Day of Caring often turn into long-term partnerships between the businesses and the schools with employees returning to volunteer or help the schools in other ways throughout the school year.

Below are the Day of Caring sites and the teams working at the sites on Thursday:

Croninger Elementary, 6700 Trier Road – Old National Insurance/Old National Bank
Franke Park Elementary, 828 Mildred Ave. – Wells Fargo Bank
Harrison Hill Elementary, 355 Cornell Circle – Fort Wayne Metals
Holland Elementary, 7000 Red Haw Drive – Vera Bradley
Portage Middle School, 3521 Taylor St. – Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and YWCA
St. Joseph Central Elementary, 6341 St. Joe Center Road – SwissRe
Study Elementary, 2414 Brooklyn Ave. – NIPSCO
Towles Intermediate School, 420 E. Paulding Road – Fort Wayne Community Schools

Also this year, Summit Brands is hosting a school supply collection that will benefit students throughout the district.

Search Engine Optimization: Let's Get Visible

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:43:06 Z

How can your potential audience find your web site if the search engines don't see it?

Find out the best ways to get your website seen by search engines in Wednesday's Chamber Academy, "Search Engine Optimization: Let's Get Visible."

The instructor, Kevin Mullett of Cirrus ABS, is a well-known presenter and social media personality in Fort Wayne. Follow him on Twitter and even ask follow-up questions of him there.

Topics discussed at this month's Chamber Academy:

What you should know about SEO?
The standard business essentials: search visibility and how SEO plays into it.
Intent qualification for SEO plan including mobile traffic.
Localization of your SEO plan including mobile traffic.
Search engine algorithm changes you should know about.
What is ethical search engine optimization?
Finding SEO worthy content subjects, based on keyword selection concepts.
SEO and Social Media: Why you can't ignore the connection anymore.
The growing importance of SEO in online reputation management and brand management.

Mullett, director of product development for Cirrus ABS, is a web developer, Internet marketer, speaker and guest blogger with more than 12 years experience.

Cost of this super-informative Chamber Academy is only $19 for Chamber members and $39 for nonmembers. Chamber Academy will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Payment for this event is nonrefundable.

New Emphasis Monthly available

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:04:16 Z

The August issue of Emphasis Monthly is available in the current issue of Fort Wayne Business Weekly. You can also flip through its pages online:

fwchamber.org/emphasis

Among the great articles in the current issue are:

Need a legislative advocate? Call us
Cirrus ABS offers affordable web solution to Chamber members
Three important principles for getting the most out of LinkedIn
New Chamber web site promises ease of use

Pick up your copy today!

Cirrus ABS offers affordable web site solution to members

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:33:41 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a partnership with Cirrus ABS that will deliver affordable, high-quality web site solutions to Chamber members.

Cirrus has developed a program for members that provide significant discounts on their standard web site and search engine optimization programs. This program, named the Cirrus ABS eBusiness Suite, provides website services for members seeking more affordable alternatives to traditional web site designs and set up.

The Chamber and Cirrus ABS recognize the challenges local businesses face when trying to get a web site off the ground. Members can save up to $1,000 or more annually off standard rates for these programs.

The eBusiness Suite is flexible enough to grow with your business because there’s no limit to the number of pages you have on your web site. With their widget technology, any new developments can be quickly and easily incorporated into your web site. The eBusiness Suite is also easy to use.

If you can send an email, you can create and edit pages on your web site. Should you run into a roadblock or decide you want to figure out things on your own, tutorial videos are available at the click of a button. If you need assistance in figuring out your challenges, Cirrus ABS’ Fort Wayne-based support staff is just a quick phone call away!

Whether you’re still thinking of launching a web site or the web site you’ve got needs changes, consider The Chamber program through Cirrus ABS.

You can reach one of their Solutions Consultants at (260) 442-3942. Be sure to mention you’re calling about the Chamber program to lock in your discount!

For more information, visit Cirrus ABS online at cirrusabs.com.

Brickyard 400 ticket giveaway

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 19:55:01 Z

Little Turtle Go Karts has two tickets to give away for this Sunday's Brickyard 400!

To enter the drawing, go to its Facebook page and tell them why you like Little Turtle Go Karts, and why YOU want to win! The winner will be contacted around noon on Saturday.

Study committee to look at Right to Work

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 15:15:57 Z

The first meeting of the Interim Study Committee on Employment Issues will be held on Tuesday, July 26.

As you may recall, there was significant controversy this session about how Indiana may be losing jobs and potential economic growth compared to states with more flexible labor markets. This flexibility derives mostly from right-to-work (RTW) laws, which site selectors often find more favorable.

The meeting will be in Room 233 of the Statehouse at 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, starting at 9 a.m.

To watch it live online, click here.

Beber named to YLNI board

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:44:08 Z

Melissa Beber, government affairs coordinator at the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, has been named vice president of community impact for Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana.

Congratulations, Melissa!

The 2011 Health Care Heroes awards

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:30:44 Z

The Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Health Care Heroes awards. Now is your chance to recognize an individual, company, or organization for their contributions to improving health care in Northeast Indiana and Northwestern Ohio.

The year’s categories are:

Community Achievement in Health Care
Physician
Advancements in Health Care
Medical Professional
Volunteer

Nomination forms can be found at www.fwbusiness.com/special/healthcareheroes. Or call Lynn Sroufe at (260) 426-2640 x304 for more information.

Nominations must be received by July 29.

Ivy Tech Welcomes Second Installment of Disney Institute

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:20:17 Z

Disney Institute is bringing its renowned Disney’s Approach to People Management program to the Holiday Inn Fort Wayne on September 21. Hosted by Ivy Tech Community College–Northeast, the full-day event will teach area professionals how to train, develop and retain skilled employees who understand and convey the values of their business to achieve positive economic results.

“This is a rare opportunity for northeast Indiana business professionals to participate in a Disney Institute experience in Fort Wayne,” said Jeff James, vice president for Disney Institute. “It’s a day of Disney training that will offer dozens of easy-to-implement, proven ideas that can help businesses large and small thrive.”

“Disney’s Approach to People Management“ will give participants an “insider’s look” at the Disney approach to selection, training, retention and communication, all of which build a strong, positive corporate culture. Participants will learn how Disney instills pride and ownership in employees and how any organization can inspire and motivate its own employees.

“Following the huge success of this spring’s Leadership Excellence program, Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast is pleased to bring Disney Institute’s world-class facilitators back with a focus on People Management,” said Chancellor Jerrilee K. Mosier, Ed.D. “We hope the leaders of northeast Indiana’s workforce will again embrace Disney’s management concepts with the same fervor as its leadership tools.”

Ivy Tech–Northeast is also partnering with Indiana’s NewsCenter, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and Gordon Food Service to provide this professional development opportunity to the northeast Indiana community.

Program registration is $359 if registered by August 19 (early bird registration) or $399 after August 19. This price includes all course materials, a continental breakfast and lunch. Employers sending five or more participants receive $20 off each registration. Ivy Tech alumni, students and employees will receive a $20 discount, as well.

For more information or to register, go to www.ivytech.edu/management or call Ivy Tech–Northeast’s Workforce and Economic Development office at (260) 480-4118.

All Rite Distributing Awarded U.S. Navy Contract Worth $11.3 Million

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:00:08 Z

Congratulations are in order for Chamber Member and Fort Wayne-based All Rite Distributing Co., Inc. The company has been awarded a five-year contract worth more than $11 million to supply the U.S. Navy with machine gun mounts. The contract is from the Crane Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Ind., and is being administered by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Combat Vehicles division located in the Emmett J. Bean Center in Indianapolis. It is one of many contracts being awarded to Hoosier businesses as part of the “Buy Indiana” initiative that keeps business in Indiana and helps to grow the state economy.

All Rite Distributing Co., which has nine employees locally, was founded in Fort Wayne in 1972 as a wholesale distributor warehouse in the automotive aftermarket. Although All Rite still works on automotive-related projects, those contracts account for only 20 percent of the firm’s annual sales, with the remaining work related to government contracts.

All Rite registered to become a defense contractor more than 10 years ago and its staff began attending procurement conferences and working with Partners in Contracting Corporation (PICC), a Hammond-based organization that helps Indiana companies secure government contracts. Since PICC opened a Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) in Fort Wayne in 2009, All Rite has been working with Gil Perry, counselor/trainer for the local PTAC, who is based at the Northeast Indiana Small Business Development Center.

All Rite qualifies as a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), which gives the firm an advantage in the contract bidding process by allowing it to explore various set-aside opportunities available only to such companies. The firm currently receives 50 to 100 government contracts a month ranging in value from $50 to $100,000. In 2010, the company completed a total of approximately $6 million in defense contracts.

For more information on All Rite Distributing Co. Inc., visit their website at www.allritedistributing.com

Lunch 'n Learn: How to Measure Your Online Marketing

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:52:14 Z

This great Lunch 'n Learn is just around the corner! Attendees will come away with an understanding of how to create strategies for measuring their online marketing success, from a prospect's first contact to customer acquisition, in these four areas:

How customers are finding your company online, using everything from search keywords to offline sources.
Understand what visitors do while on your web site - and why they leave.
Measure ROI from online and offline advertising campaigns.
Adapt the pages of your web site and social profiles to better serve visitors - and convert them into customers.

Kevin Mullett, director of product development for Cirrus ABS, is a web developer, Internet marketer, speaker and guest blogger with more than 12 years of experience. Cost for this Lunch 'n Learn is $10 for Chamber members and $15 for nonmembers and includes a boxed lunch. Lunch 'n Learn will begin promptly at noon. Payment for this event is nonrefundable.

For more information contact Liz Struckholz at (260) 424-1435, ext 259, or lstruckholz@fwchamber.org.

To register, visit the event page and click the Register Online button.

India presentation postponed

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:11:24 Z

The presentation on India originally scheduled for Thursday evening has been postponed.

Everything You Ought To know About Doing Business in India is now set for Thursday, September 8, from 5-7 p.m. Read more and register by clicking here.

Today: President's Lunch, Meet Me @ 5, India presentation

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:28:44 Z

Today is filled with great Chamber events! Here's a roundup of everything we're offering today:

President's Lunch With Nelson Peters

There's still room for you to join Chamber President Mike Landram at Chops Wine Bar today for lunch with Allen County Commissioner Nelson Peters. This is an opportunity to meet and have a conversation with Commissioner Peters on a variety of topics.

This event is limited to the first 10 Chamber members who register, so if you're interested, register right away.

Meet Me @ 5

Don't miss this Meet Me @ 5! It's today from 5-7 p.m. at the Entertainment Plaza — Headwaters Park East — at Three Rivers Festival.

Enjoy an evening of networking with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

Everything You Ought To Know About Doing Business in India

Postponed until Sept. 8. More details here.

Joint Oversight Permitting Board Moves Ahead

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 01:18:35 Z

The Fort Wayne City Council has passed the resolution approving the Interlocal Cooperation Agreement for the operation of the Joint Oversight Permitting Board. This is the final phase of passage for this bill and for the Board.

The Board now has funds appropriated by the City and the County to move forward with their proposed plan to streamline the permitting process in order that Allen County and Fort Wayne will be more efficient, business-friendly places to live, work, and invest.

The Chamber will keep you updated on the Board's actions and progress. Feel free to contact Katy Stafford with questions.

Temple Brings Digital Expertise to Catalyst Team

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:51:30 Z

Chamber member Catalyst Marketing Design, a full-service, integrated marketing and communications firm, has officially announced the addition of David Temple to their firm. Temple joins Catalyst as the Director of Digital Services and will oversee all digital and new media efforts. With 15 years of e-marketing and digital experience, he brings a high level of expertise that will have an immediate impact on the firm and their diverse client base. Dave also has great client insight from a previous position as e-Marketing & Brand Manager at DePuy Orthopaedics.

About Catalyst
Founded in 1997 by Richard Gripp and Ted Kucinsky, Catalyst Marketing Design is a
full-service, integrated communications firm. Only Catalyst has the creative thinking,
knowledge, and drive to help brands succeed – and the certification to back it up.
More information available at www.catalystsite.com.

New blog starting here now!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:13:43 Z

The Chamber will stop updating its old blog, The Daily Dose, on Wednesday, July 6. Instead, come to this new blog that's now a part of our regular web site:

fwchamber.org/blog

If you already follow The Daily Dose via email subscription, you should still receive emails from the new blog instead.

Ivy Tech Community College–Northeast Welcomes Second Installment of Disney Institute to Fort Wayne

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:49:49 Z

Disney Institute is bringing its renowned Disney’s Approach to People Management program to the Holiday Inn Fort Wayne on September 21, 2011. Hosted by Ivy Tech Community College–Northeast, the full-day event will teach area professionals how to train, develop and retain skilled employees who understand and convey the values of their business to achieve positive economic results.

The Disney Institute learning experience is unique in the world of training. More than business theory, the program highlights proven Disney business practices that are easily adaptable to organizations in any industry. Engaging content is presented in an entertaining fashion, providing participants with tools that can literally transform their organizations.

Ivy Tech–Northeast is also partnering with Indiana’s NewsCenter, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and Gordon Food Service to provide this professional development opportunity to the northeast Indiana community.

Program registration is $359 if registered by August 19 (early bird registration) or $399 after August 19. This price includes all course materials, a continental breakfast and lunch. Employers sending five or more participants receive $20 off each registration. Ivy Tech alumni, students and employees will receive a $20 discount, as well.

For more information or to register, go to www.ivytech.edu/management or call Ivy Tech–Northeast’s Workforce and Economic Development office at 260-480-4118 .

Ivy Tech Community College–Northeast
3800 N. Anthony Blvd. · Fort Wayne, IN 46805 · 260-482-9171 · www.ivytech.edu

Temple Brings Digital Expertise to Catalyst Team

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:00:44 Z

Catalyst Marketing Design, a full-service, integrated marketing and communications firm, announces the addition of David Temple to their firm. Temple joins Catalyst as the Director of Digital Services and will oversee all digital and new media efforts. With 15 years of e-marketing and digital experience, he brings a high level of expertise that will have an immediate impact on
the firm and their diverse client base.

“We are thrilled to have someone of Dave’s caliber join our team,” said Shannon McNett-Silcox, Principal at Catalyst. "We have been working hard to evolve our digital and social media capabilities and Dave brings a wealth of expertise to the table.” Dave also has great client insight from a previous position as e-Marketing & Brand Manager at DePuy Orthopaedics.

According to Temple, “I am so glad to be a part of the Catalyst family, and even more excited to start making an impact with clients.”

Founded in 1997 by Richard Gripp and Ted Kucinsky, Catalyst Marketing Design is a full-service, integrated communications firm. More information available at www.catalystsite.com.

Congratulations to our connectors!

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:35:54 Z

Congratulations to The Chamber's Vice President of Member Relations and Communications Michelle Merritt for being one of the area's 101 Connectors, named by The Journal Gazette and Leadership Fort Wayne.

Many others with close ties to The Chamber, such as Mac Parker of The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and Matt Bell of the Regional Chamber, were named to the list.

Chamber board members who are on the Connectors list include:

Michael Barranda
Joel Sauer
Don Schenkel

See the complete list here. Read the methodology for the selection process here.

Brain Balance Achievement Center coming to town

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:34:30 Z

The newest Brain Balance Achievement Center will open later this year in Fort Wayne, offering assistance to families throughout Northeast Indiana, Northwest Ohio, and beyond. The Brain Balance Program® is a proprietary, non-medical program that has been successful in helping hundreds of children reach their physical, social/behavioral, and academic potential. Brain Balance Achievement Centers work with children who suffer with ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger syndrome, Tourette syndrome, PDD-NOS, and learning disorders such as dyslexia.

The new Brain Balance Achievement Center of Fort Wayne will become the forty-eighth center in the nation. It will be located at 7517 West Jefferson Boulevard, in the Engle Pointe complex near the intersection of I-69 and US-24. Professional design-builder and general contractor CME Corporation has been selected to construct the local center, which encompasses approximately 2,500 square feet of space. Construction should be completed by September 1. James Lohman and Fletcher Moppert of the Shepherd Group are handling the real estate transaction for Engle Pointe.

For more information about Brain Balance Achievement Centers, visit www.brainbalancecenters.com

For more information about CME Corporation, visit www.cmebuilditright.com

Ivy Tech bids farewell to French students

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:28:43 Z

Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast will host a farewell completion ceremony for the 15 visiting French students from the University of Lille’s SKEMA Business School (Lille, France). The students participated in a cultural immersion partnership which was funded by the French Government and administered through Ivy Tech.

Students will receive certificates and a farewell reception in honor of their accomplishment June 29, 2011, 4:30-5:30 p.m. The farewell completion ceremony will be in Ivy Tech-Northeast’s Hospitality Room located on the Coliseum Campus (3800 N. Anthony Blvd).

Local companies who participated included 80/20, Asher Agency, Bad Dad Custom Motorcycle Finishes, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, Holiday Inn, Indiana Benefits Recovery, Lincoln Financial Group, Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Parkview Health, Quadrant, and Sweetwater Sound. Justine Michiels interned with the membership department of the Chamber and assisted with day to day tasks and activities. Congratulations on all you've accomplished Justine!

Social Media: Protecting Your Brand, Managing Risk

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:40:52 Z

Using social media to connect with your audience provides tremendous opportunities — and comes with significant challenges. In this Chamber Academy session scheduled for July 6, you'll hear two valuable perspectives:

Kevin Erb and Anthony Juliano of Asher Agency will discuss how to protect your brand while connecting with your customers.
Adam Bartrom and Jason Clagg of Barnes & Thornburg will provide insight on managing risk.

You'll learn how to avoid pitfalls and what the law says about social media. It's a two-hour investment that will pay dividends long into the future. Cost of this Chamber Academy is $19 for Chamber members and $39 for nonmembers. Chamber Academy will begin promptly at 8 a.m. Register on our web site by clicking here.

For more information, contact Liz Struckholz at (260) 424-1435, ext 259, or lstruckholz@fwchamber.org.

Presented by Salin Bank