Hollidaysburg Students to Assist in Promoting Buy Here. Live Here.
Next Chamber Television Programs to Focus on Retail, Restaurants
Manufacturing, Insurance Programs Will Air Two More Weeks
GRYP Blood Drive Set For Wednesday at the Devorris Center
Chamber Board to Assist in Membership Recruitment Effort
Leadership Adult Session to Target Economic Development
GRYP to Hold Networking (and Snow Tubing) at Blue Knob
Non-Profit Organizations to Meet With State Legislators This Friday
Reservations Being Accepted for Chamber Annual Meeting
Chamber, Dale Carnegie Partnering on “Skills For Success”
Natural Gas Workshop Limited to First 125 Registrations
Sustainability Coalition to Feature Tour of “Shwellness Center”
Shwellness Center to Host “Business After Hours” Too
Blue Card Offers: Absolutely No Cost to Gain New Customers
L.R. Webber Offering Health Care Reform Seminar Free to Chamber Members
Blue Card Discounts
Hollidaysburg Students to Assist in Promoting Buy Here. Live Here.
The Chamber’s Buy Here. Live Here. program is predicated on its ability to engage consumers of all ages. On Tuesday, one key constituency will provide insight into what the initiative means to them and how they can sell their peers on the importance of local buying. Students from Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School will accompany their Marketing teacher, Jude Decourt, to the Devorris Center to meet with the Buy Here. Live Here. Committee. The students will do a series of power point presentations that they put together following a presentation on Buy Here. Live Here. from Blair County Chamber President Joe Hurd in late November. “Our committee is anxious to listen to what the students recommend,” admitted Steering Committee Chair Randy Green of McCartney’s. “Their age group spends a considerable amount of money and we’d like to have most of that money spent here.” Approximately fifteen students are expected to attend the meeting.
Next Chamber Television Programs to Focus on Retail, Restaurants
The first installment of The Chamber’s “Blair County: It’s Our Business” television programs for 2013 will be taped on Tuesday at the Altoona Public Access Studio. The half-hour programs are moderated by Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ-TV. The first program is entitled: “Blair County Retail: Driving Our Local Economy.” Panelists will be Jack Eberhardt of the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center; Lou Kanzleiter of Preit (Logan Valley Mall); Todd Lewis of Shoe Fly Stores; and Travis Muccitelli of Park Audio Plus. The second program is: “Our Dining Destinations: Blair County Restaurants.” Panelists are George Batrus of Tom & Joe’s; Husam Obeid of Phoenicia Mediterranean Restaurant; Teresa Patterson of LaScalia’s Restaurant; and Karen Wyland of Mamie’s Café and Bakery. Corporate sponsors for both shows are: Altoona Mirror, Blair Companies, Shirley’s Cookie Company and WPS.
Manufacturing, Insurance Programs Will Air Two More Weeks
The Chamber’s “Blair County: It’s Our Business” programs dealing with manufacturing and insurance will continue to air on the Altoona Public Access Channel (14) for the remainder of January. The manufacturing panel consisted of Harry Benjamin of Edgemate in Roaring Spring, Dave Grazier of Kunzler & Company in Tyrone, Doug Irvin of Fine Line Cabinets in Hollidaysburg and Mike Sweitzer of Chicago Rivet in Tyrone. Comprising the insurance panel were Barry D’Andrea of Saleme Insurance Services of Altoona, Mark Gingrich of Warren A. Gingrich Agency in Altoona, Heidi Kennedy of The Baltimore Life Companies in Duncansville and Gary Shetter of Shetter Insurance Agency in Altoona. Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader moderated both programs. The manufacturing program will be aired each Monday at 6:00 p.m. and each Tuesday at 10:00 a.m., concluding January 29th. The insurance program will run on those same dates only thirty minutes later. Sponsors for the two “Blair County: It’s Our Business” programs are: Altoona Mirror, Blair Companies, Shirley’s Cookie Company and WPS. Complete Insurance Services sponsored only the insurance program.
GRYP Blood Drive Set For Wednesday at the Devorris Center
The Chamber’s GRYP (Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals) program has partnered with the American Red Cross to hold a Blood Drive this Wednesday, January 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the ABCD Board Room, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development. To register, visit redcrossblood.org and enter: Blair Chamber.
Chamber Board to Assist in Membership Recruitment Effort
As the 2013 Chamber Board of Directors convenes for the first time on Thursday, membership recruitment will be high on the priorities list. “We understand that the real strength of the organization is its ability to rally support from a large number of businesses,” acknowledged Board Chair Doug Mingle of Roaring Spring Department Store. “As a board, we want to assist in identifying and recruiting those businesses that haven’t yet recognized the value of being part of The Chamber.” Anyone wishing to bring an issue before the Board at Thursday’s meeting should contact Joe Hurd by noon on Tuesday at 943-8151 or email him.
Leadership Adult Session to Target Economic Development
Economic development and its impact on the Blair County economy will be the topic of Friday’s Leadership Blair County Adult session to be held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. Among the speakers at the session will be Patrick Miller, Executive Vice-President of Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation and Lee Slusser, Planning and Community Development Director for the City of Altoona. The session will also feature a panel discussion. Panelists will be Marty Marasco, President of ABCD Corporation; Susan Whisler, Director of the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Investment Board; Mark Ickes, Executive Director of EXPLORE Altoona; Phil Kulp, owner of Kulp Family Dairy; and Lee Slusser, City of Altoona.
GRYP to Hold Networking (and Snow Tubing) at Blue Knob
Join GRYP (Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals) for an evening of networking fun this Thursday, January 17th from 6-9 p.m. at Blue Knob All Seasons Resort. This will be like a normal networking event, but we will also offer members the opportunity to go snow tubing at a discounted rate. We will also have a carpool available for those who would like to take advantage of 4-wheel drive vehicles. There will be free appetizers and a cash bar. There is no cost to attend this event (other than those snow tubing) so invite your friends and co-workers to come and check out GRYP!
Register by calling The Chamber or by register online.
Non-Profit Organizations to Meet With State Legislators This Friday
The Chamber’s Community Benefit Coalition of Non-Profits has scheduled a breakfast meeting this Friday, January 18th to dialogue with state elected officials on proposed legislation that could threaten the tax status of Pennsylvania’s non-profit businesses and organizations. The meeting will begin at 8:00 a.m. at The Arc of Blair County. State Senator John Eichelberger and State Representatives Jerry Stern, John McGinnis and Mike Fleck have all indicated that they plan to attend the event which is expected to last approximately ninety minutes. Any non-profit business or organization is invited to attend as well. The cost is $13.00 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members. A full buffet breakfast is included. Pre-registration is required and non-members must pay in advance. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Reservations Being Accepted for Chamber Annual Meeting
The Chamber will hold its 2013 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation on Friday, February 1st at The Casino at Lakemont Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. and concluding by 9:30. One of the highlights of the event is the presentation of a number of awards to people who accomplished significant things during 2012. Awards to be presented are the Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award, the George Award, the GRYP Impact Award, the Joseph P. Rosenhamer Chamber Spirit Award, the Donna D. Gority Servant Leadership Award, the Chamber Loyalty Award and the Small Business Person of the Year. To register for the Annual Meeting – at $20-per-person – call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Chamber, Dale Carnegie Partnering on “Skills For Success”
The Blair County Chamber is once again partnering with Dale Carnegie Training on its highly-popular “Skills For Success” program. The eight-week course will begin on January 31st from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the Comfort Inn in Duncansville. The course is designed to help attendees build greater self-confidence, strengthen people skills, communicate more effectively, develop leadership skills, reduce stress and improve attitude. For more information contact The Chamber at (814) 943-8151.
Natural Gas Workshop Limited to First 125 Registrations
The Blair County Chamber and the Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation are partnering on an event that is designed to assist companies in our region to benefit from the opportunities available through the Marcellus and Utica Shale Plays. The event is scheduled for January 22nd from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center and features an impressive array of speakers from the oil and gas industry. The cost to attend is $85 for Chamber Members and non-members. Attendance is limited to the first 125 people who register. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Non-members must pay in advance; Chamber Members can be billed.
Sustainability Coalition to Feature Tour of “Shwellness Center”
One of the region’s most environmentally impressive structures will host Chamber Members on Jan. 23rd at 4:00 p.m. The “Shwellness Center,” built by Sheetz in Claysburg to offer wellness services to Sheetz employees and dependents, will feature tours of that facility that focus on the many environmental nuances required for LEED certification. The Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability will coordinate the tour which will have a maximum registration of forty persons. There is no cost to be part of the tour. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Shwellness Center to Host “Business After Hours” Too
Not only will Sheetz, Inc. host The Chamber’s Sustainability tour at the company’s new Shwellness Center in Claysburg on January 23rd, the company will also host The Chamber’s monthly Business After Hours on January 31st from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The cost to attend the Business After Hours is $6.00 for Chamber Members in advance and $7.00 at the door. Non-members can attend for $12.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Blue Card Offers: Absolutely No Cost to Gain New Customers
Do you realize that the Blair County Chamber currently has 42,000 membership cards in local circulation? These “Blue Cards” not only validate someone’s membership in The Chamber but also provide them access to the many offers on discounted products and services posted by other Chamber Members. If you are not one of those members, you are undoubtedly missing-out on a customer base that could be yours. There is no charge to place an offer – it just needs to be an offer that customers are not eligible for anywhere else. To place an offer, contact Jessica Meck at 943-8151.
L.R. Webber Offering Health Care Reform Seminar Free to Chamber Members
L.R. Webber Associates of Duncansville is conducting a seminar on February 6th from 11:30 to 2:00 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center and Chamber Members are invited to attend free-of-charge. The seminar is entitled, “Health Care Reform: What Does It Mean for Your Business?” Topics will include: Pay or play mandate; Health Insurance Exchanges; the impact of the rules on HR functions and the impact on your business; building a total compensation strategy to avoid the excise tax on health plans; effective dates for specific provisions of the new law and much more. Lunch is included. Register here or email Brad Webber.
Blue Card Discounts
Here are a few of the discounts you can receive with your Chamber Blue Card. Click here to see the full list of Blue Card Discounts. To have an offer listed contact Jessica Meck at The Chamber at 943-8151.
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Damin Printing Company, LLC
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive a 15% discount on wedding invitations.
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Dennis P. McGeehan - Workplace Training Solutions
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10% Discount for First Aid & C.P.R. Training for companies training 4 or more of their staff. Training is American Heart Association certified and good for 2 years.
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Dongell Chiropractic
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive 15% off first time examinations.
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Edward Jones Investments
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Present your Blue Card to receive a FREE Business Retirement Plan Assessment from Edward Jones Investments, J.T. Tidd, Hollidaysburg.
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Firestone Complete Auto Care
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Present your Blue Card to receive $10 off a standard lube, oil & filter change OR receive a PA state inspection and emissions test for $39.99 + tax.
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For more information, visit the website
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January 14, 2013
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Upcoming Events
Register online
GRYP Blood Drive
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Devorris Center for Business Development
Non-Profit Breakfast
Friday, January 18, 2013
8:00 a.m.
The ARC of Blair County
Register Here
Natural Gas Business Development Seminar
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Blair County Convention Center
Register Here
Sustainability Coalition Tour
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
4:00 p.m.
Sheetz Shwellness Center
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, January 31, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Sheetz Center for SHWELLNESS
Claysburg
Register Here
Annual Meeting
Friday, February 1, 2013
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 1/14/2013
BASICS Steering Committee
Monday, January 14, 8:00 a.m.
Greater Altoona Career & Tech Center
Golf Committee
Monday, January 14, 9:00 a.m.
The Chamber
Presidents' Forum Steering Committee
Monday, January 14, 1:30 p.m.
The Chamber
Buy Here. Live Here. Committee
Tuesday, January 15, 8:30 a.m.
Devorris Center
Chamber Finance Committee
Tuesday, January 15, 3:00 p.m.
The Chamber
Business Hall of Fame Committee
Wednesday, January 16, 8:00 a.m.
The Chamber
LBC Youth Committee
Wednesday, January 16, 3:30 p.m.
Devorris Center
Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
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