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Copyright 2008

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

Million dollar projects help

local region weather the storm

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

As one of the unofficial chief cheerleaders for Chillicothe and Ross County, I naturally have to pronounce the glass is half full during times like these. In our particular case, though, I believe the glass is three-quarters full and another bottle is on order.

I had the privilege of speaking this week to the Building Industry Association of South Central Ohio, better known as the homebuilders group. This is a group where you can’t sugarcoat things. But it was an opportunity to try and put the local economy in perspective and talk about those things on the chamber’s priority list.

I was able to remind the group of contractors, bankers and retailers of the many huge projects under way that are employing hundreds of construction workers and preparing the way for permanent workers in the years ahead. I was able to talk about:

• The $45 million expansion of the hospital at Adena Health System as well as some smaller projects that will mean more doctors, nurses, technicians and aides for what is now the largest employer in Ross County.
• The multi-billion dollar American Centrifuge Plant in Pike County that grows closer every day to turning out enriched uranium to be used in nuclear power plants all across the country and the world. About 700 workers are expected to be on the job by this summer building the plant and the permanent workforce is expected to go to 500 from about 300 now in a short time.
• Millions are being spent on the renovation of buildings at the VA Medical Center on Ohio 104 north of the city. Again, construction jobs will be plenty and permanent jobs will be created once the work is finished.
• Menards is days away from opening its home improvement store on North Bridge Street, meaning 100-150, including some of those shown standing in line to apply a few weeks back, will be getting steady paychecks.

These projects and the Walgreens on Western Avenue that will open in the summer help offset the pain that is being felt at many of our other larger employers, such as the Kenworth Truck Company, YSK and Glatfelter which depend heavily upon economic conditions in other parts of the country and world.

The economic stimulus plan unveiled by the incoming Obama administration appears to have something for everyone (tax cuts) and for specific areas which very well could give individuals, families and companies more confidence to believe that the economy will get better and fewer and fewer people will be suffering.

Here’s hoping it is sooner rather than later. But in any event, the local economy is ready to take advantage of the turnaround.

If you have 3 or more employees, listen up

If you think your small company with your five employees can’t be affected by the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as card check, you might want to do some more research or, at the very least, spend $25 and get to the chamber’s seminar next Friday. Companies with as few as three employees, or companies that have departments with as few as three employees, will be targets for unionizing attempts if the legislation becomes law.

The SHRM Human Resources Council of South Central Ohio is co-sponsoring the seminar with the chamber. You’ll learn the details of the act, how it could affect your business and give you tips on what you might be able to do if a union comes calling. Healthcare facilities, retailers and banks are said to be the early targets for organizers.

As a refresher: The legislation allows unions to form without a secret ballot election if 50 percent plus one of your employees signs an authorization card. (That would be two of your three employees.) If you can’t reach an agreement on that first contract within 120 days, an arbiter can be called in, determine all terms of the contract and force you to live with it for two years. If you violate provisions of the law, you would be subjected to much stiffer penalties.

The seminar, featuring two attorneys who specialize in labor law, runs 9-noon Friday, Jan. 23. Call 702-2722 to register or click here: Card check registration

Annual Dinner will be a multimedia extravaganza

Music, slideshows and big-screen presentations promise to make this year’s Annual Dinner of the chamber unlike any other. Sure, there will be the speeches, hand shakes and pats on the back, but there also will be photos of you, our members, having fun at a Business After Business, giving CPR to the mannequin at the safety meeting or getting tied up in ropes at a leadership session.

Hearing directly from George Glatfelter II, chairman and CEO of the paper-producing company, is another first for a chamber dinner, since it’s been years a business person at this level has addressed the community.

Before hearing from Glatfelter and learning about the chamber’s newest Entrepreneur of the Year, though, the Old Canal Smoke House will serve a meal featuring a salad, rolls, both prime rib and chicken, two side dishes and a dessert table filled with fresh-baked pies.

More than 150 have signed up to celebrate already. Click here to join the crowd: Annual Dinner reservations or call us at 702-2722.

Petland ready to host Wednesday’s BAB

The Old Canal Smoke House also is handling the appetizers for Wednesday’s Business After Business at Petland’s headquarters. Door prizes will be handed out and beverages available as you get a chance to look over the rooms used to help train the franchisees and others. Please enter the door that faces Hickory Street. And let us know if you’re planning to attend: BAB registration. For those of you who’ve contemplated hosting a BAB, opportunities are available in December this year and several months in 2010. It’s never too early to plan to have 100-150 guests over to showcase your business.

Business tax bills a bit higher than others

If your firm operates within the Chillicothe city limits, you might have noticed when you received your bill for your company’s property taxes this week it was a little higher than you might have expected. Ross County Treasurer Jerry Byers noted bills for commercial and industrial property were about 5 percent higher for city firms due to an adjustment in the tax rate that was the result of a “significant loss of value from a tax appeal.” You have until Feb. 13 to make your payment.

Short takes from our members:

• The $277,695 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Department helps the Adena Health System improve its telemedicine videoconferencing capabilities and purchase diagnostic equipment. It’ll help connect Adena’s sites in Greenfield, Waverly and Jackson and possibly other hospitals in the region to allow consultations by using high definition equipment.
• Leading Edge Integration is using available local technology to create a virtual office, eliminating the need for a physical office. President Dustian Countryman said his firm uses the high-speed telecommunications services of Horizon Chillicothe Telephone, the voice over internet (VOIP) and VPN technologies to continue to serve customers who won’t notice a change. Costs savings: $20,000 a year.
• Gary Hairston is the new human resources director for Theta Pro2Serve Management in Piketon. He has 35 years of experience to serve Theta’s more than 90 employees.
• The Central Ohio Alzheimer’s Association is looking for volunteers for its Ross County Memory Walk on May 2 to help raise funds for the organization. Call 614-457-6003 or log on to http://memorywalk09.kintera.org/chillicothe

Commercial building permits issued recently by the Ross County Building Department:

Chuck Brown, 5301 Ohio 207, new daycare facility, value $200,000.

Creative Kids, 9033 Egypt Pike, alterations for change of use, no value given.

T Mobile, 1545 Musgrove Road, install tower and equipment, $90,000.

Vendors licenses issued recently by the Ross County Auditor’s Office:

• JMH Auto Service, 18820 U.S. 50, by Jon Mark Hall.
• Mel’s Embroidery & More, 2115 Rozelle Creek Road, by Melissa Carsey.
• Chillicothe Signs and Screenprinting, 2217 Sullivan Road, by Cheryl Shreck.
• Buy Sale & Trade, 933 E. Main St., by Donald Davis.
• New Creation Designs, 61 W. Patrician Court, by Jennifer Garabedian.