Chamber calendar

Wednesday, August 15: Business After Business, Majestic Courtyard, East Second Street, sponsored by Security Engineering and the Chillicothe Social Society, BAB registration

Thursday, August 16: Executive Committee, chamber, 8:30 a.m.

Monday, August 20: Chillicothe Chiropractic & Wellness Center ribbon cutting, 190 N. Bridge St., 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, August 23: Board of Directors, Traditions of Chillicothe, noon.

Saturday, Sept. 1: Chillicothe Day at the Ohio University opening football game in Athens versus Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m.; free and half-price tickets available; Ticket order form.

Wednesday, Sept 12: Advantage Data Systems, 33 North Plaza Boulevard, 10:00 a.m.

Wednesday, November 21: Annual combined Business Expo and Business After Business, Shoemaker Convocation Center, Ohio University-Chillicothe, 5-8 p.m., registrations to be taken shortly.

What's happening this weekend? Check out the community events calendar.

Click above to go to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce site for small business

Check out photos from chamber events at any time by going to www.chillicothe-chamber.smugmug.com.

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Copyright 2007

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E. Main St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-702-2722

Fresh from Sacramento:

Members push for chamber excellence

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

Help members even more to survive and thrive. And continue to make your communities stronger. In a nutshell, that was the message delivered to about 1,000 chamber executives last week at the annual gathering of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) in California’s capital.

From the keynote speakers to the breakout sessions, chamber execs heard from their colleagues and business people with ways to make chambers stronger partners in community development. A full-day workshop on the chamber’s role in economic development drove home the importance of collaboration on a regional scale, such as our own Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio.

A national study released at the conference confirmed one strong, but intangible benefit of your membership – credibility. The scientific survey of 2,000 adults in the U.S. revealed that 63 percent were more likely to want to purchase goods or services from a small business that is a chamber member. Another finding showed that 44 percent were more likely to rate the business favorably if they knew it was the member of their local chamber.

“We discovered that informing someone about a company’s chamber membership opens the door to substantial increases in positive perceptions of that business,” said the surveying group. “There clearly is a feeling by our respondents that chamber membership is synonymous with quality and desirability.”

Information from the conference, an upcoming survey of our members and a two-day retreat later this year by our Board of Directors will help shape future programs by this chamber to better serve you, our members.

Here are a few quips and quickies from the conference that struck my fancy:

• Steve Forbes, former presidential candidate and publisher of Forbes magazine: All signs point to a continuing good economy, but there is turbulence ahead.
• Forbes on taxes: When you make it easier for people to do good things, more good things will happen.
• Forbes on Congress: When you say Congress is spending money like a drunken sailor, you’re doing a disservice to the sailor since he’s spending his own money.
• Forbes on the health-care crisis: Since third-party providers control costs, consumers can’t effect prices.
• Knight Kiplinger of The Kiplinger Letter: Chambers can provide more benefits to their members by helping them identify export opportunities, by helping them find and keep skilled workers, by helping them deal with health-care costs, helping some deal with potential new taxes and by improving the quality of life in their communities.
• Matthew Dowd, strategist to President Bush in his 2004 campaign: We are living in one of the most profound periods of change in history, likening it to the Great Depression, Civil War and Revolutionary War.
• Robert Bauer, economist with the Principal Group: All of the traditional indicators point to the U.S. either being in a recession or there’s one on the horizon, but the globalization factor might keep it from happening. An example: Apple’s iPod is conceived in the U.S., parts and assembly come from several different countries that export it to be sold in the U.S. where most of the money stays.
• From various economic development workshop speakers: The federal government is becoming less of a partner as it scales backs programs and incentives; more jurisdictions (cities, counties, townships) are cooperating in new ways, such as sharing taxes; and more incentives need to go to existing businesses since they will create at least 80 percent of all new jobs in a community.

DOWNTOWN INITIATIVE PROGRESSING: At least 10 organizations and businesses have approved a resolution recognizing the HyettPalma study as the master plan for downtown revitalization and members of the Downtown Chillicothe Partnership are moving forward on several fronts. Late last month, the members reported that work continues on approving the library levy, that new parking legislation is close to being introduced, that advice is being sought from the state for new guidelines for the Design Review Board and that discussions have been held on updating streetscape features, among other updates. The city administration began its part of revitalization by removing a well-worn awning and taking care of some trim. The garden clubs of Ross County consolidated the flower plants to the center of downtown and are maintaining them throughout the summer. Approving the resolution of support:

CHILI PREVIEW SET FOR BAB: The Chillicothe Social Society will provide a preview of its annual ChiliFest at the Business After Business Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. in the Majestic Theatre courtyard. Security Engineering is co-sponsoring the event that also will feature tunes played by chamber member Hazel’s Roadshow. Make sure to let us know you’ll be there: BAB registration.

SPECIAL QUAD-COUNTY BAB SET: Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center is teaming with our chamber and the ones in Madison, Fayette and Pickaway counties for another combined Business After Business on Thursday, Nov. 1. It will run 5-7 p.m. This year’s earlier event in February saw limited attendance, thanks to the largest snowstorm of the season. Little chance that will keep people away this next time.

OU FOOTBALL OPENER A SPECIAL TIME FOR AREA: Don’t forget that you can get one free ticket and others for less than $7 each for Chillicothe Day at the home opener of the Ohio University football season Saturday, Sept. 1. People will have plenty of time to catch Ohio State’s home opener that starts at noon, then head to Athens for the Bobcats’ game against Gardner-Webb that begins at 7. All of us taking advantage of the opportunity will sit together in Peden Stadium. Sign up here: OU football special.

ADENA HOTSPOT ADDED BENEFIT: The ability of patients and visitors to log onto the Internet while at the Adena Health Systems facilities in Chillicothe and Greenfield is much appreciated. Recuperating patients and those visiting them can stay in touch with friends, relatives and co-workers via email or just do some recreational surfing.

GLATFELTER’S LOCAL PLANS PROGRESS: In announcing its second quarter financial results Glatfelter noted, “In Specialty Papers, the Chillicothe optimization plans continue to progress and we expect the benefit of these actions to be seen beginning in the second half of the year.”  The company reported net income for the quarter at $2 million against a loss of $20.7 million a year ago.

VALLEY VIEW HAS NEW ADMINISTRATOR: Jo Morris brings her extensive experience in the healthcare field to her new position as administrator of Valley View Care Center in Frankfort. She previously worked at the Highland County hospital and HCR Manor Care. She has a doctorate in business management from Kennedy-Western and an MBA from Franklin University. One of her new programs is an adult day care from 7-7 at $8-10 an hour, depending on the level of care needed. Check it out at 998-2948.

GALLERY STROLL RETURNS: Six chamber businesses will be open for the second Downtown Chillicothe Gallery Stroll this Saturday from 6-10 p.m. The Pump House Center for the Arts, Dard Hunter Studios, Ivy’s Home and Garden-the History Store, Something Unique Glass Art and Schlegel’s Coffee House are participating.

OFFER YOUR WORKERS A CIVIC OPPORTUNITY: The Ross County Board of Elections is asking local business to “loan” employees to serve as poll workers in the Nov. 6 election. The workers need to attend a pre-election three-hour training session and man the polls from 5:30 a.m. to around 8:15 p.m. The pay is $100. Workers will need to give the board their party affiliation as polls are manned equally by both parties. If interested, call the board at 775-2350.

STATE OFFERING LOWER-INTEREST LOANS: Treasurer Richard Cordray was in town last week promoting the Small Business Linked Deposit loan program. The Treasury purchases a reduced rate certificate of deposit from the lending institution in exchange for the bank making a reduced rate loan to the business. The state still earns interest on the money, the business gets a lower percentage loan and the bank gets an increase in deposits. To learn more, go to www.ohiotreasurer.gov or contact Amanda Hoyt at 614-466-6546 or Amanda.hoyt@tos.ohio.gov.

NEWEST MEMBER: Here’s who joined the chamber recently:

• CiCi’s Pizza, 1080 N. Bridge St., by Jim Kattell, 775-8000.

BUILDING PERMITS: Here’s who’s received commercial building permits recently from the Ross County Building Department:

• Overbrook Apartments, 2179 Anderson Station Road, repair fire damage, value $30,100.
• Brookside Church, 2215 Egypt Pike, new community building, $10,000.

VENDORS LICENSES: Here’s who’s received licenses recently from the Ross County Auditor:

• Curves of Chillicothe, for 20 Executive Center Drive and 100 Pawnee Road, by Karen Patterson.
• .New Leaf, 4600 Dry Run Road, by Corrie Johnson.
• Good Health Chiropractic, 80 E. Second St.
• 4-H Sensations, 393 Schrader Road, by Sandra DePugh.