Altoona Beauty School to Host Tomorrow’s “Business Before Hours”
“Green Drinks” to Be Held at Green Home Goods
Experiential Learning is Focus of Wednesday’s LBC Workshop
Chamber Board Approves Ten New Members
Millward Selected to Serve Term on Board of Directors
Informational Meeting Set for Chamber’s London Trip
“Hiring Our Heroes” Registration Entering Final Phase
Job Fair Applicants for “Hiring Our Heroes” to Get Assist from Enactus
Chamber Members Invited to Consider Commercial Electric Program
WE-LEaD Spring Workshop to Feature Noted Speaker
Chamber Golf Classic to Include Ball-Drop
Griffith Foundation, Penn State Altoona Helping to Fight Pancreatic Cancer
Applications Available for 2014 LBC Youth Class
It’s Important to Update Your Business Information
Promote “Buy Here. Live Here.” With Door Prize Donation
Congratulations . . .
Blue Card Discounts
Altoona Beauty School to Host Tomorrow’s “Business Before Hours”
Altoona Beauty School, located at 1554 Valley View Blvd. in Altoona will host the next “Business Before Hours” this Tuesday from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the school. The event will feature breakfast and tours of the school. There is no cost for Chamber Members to attend. Non-members may attend for $10.00 each. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
“Green Drinks” to Be Held at Green Home Goods
Green Home Goods, located at 5901 Sixth Avenue in Altoona, will be the site of the next “Green Drinks” networking program to be held tomorrow evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. John Frederick, Director of the Inter-Municipal Relations Committee will be the guest speaker. Frederick will provide an update of the recycling efforts in Blair County. The cost to attend this “Green Drinks” is $5.00/person and will be collected at the event. To register, contact Katrina Pope at 942-7472. “Green Drinks” is part of The Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability.
Experiential Learning is Focus of Wednesday’s LBC Workshop
The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Alumni Association will hold a special workshop this Wednesday, March 27th, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. “Experiential Learning With a Purpose” will feature team building exercises that foster a sense of leadership with a team focus. The guest speaker will be Dr. Robert Ricketts, a senior lecturer for Kinesiology at Penn State University. The cost to attend is $15.00 for Paid Dues Alumni, $20 for Non-Paid Dues Alumni and $20 for interested Chamber Members. The event includes a full buffet breakfast. To make reservations, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Chamber Board Approves Ten New Members
At its meeting last Thursday, the Chamber Board of Directors approved the following new members: A-1 Paving of Altoona; Aldo’s Lounge of Altoona; Central PA Asthma & Allergy Care of Altoona; Carol Lee Dively d/b/a H&R Block of Roaring Spring; Empower3 Center for Health of Duncansville; Front Street Deli @ Mansion Park of Altoona; Furniture Unfinished of Altoona; Fusco, Riley, Reismeier Financial Group of Altoona; Prough’s Masonry of Williamsburg; and Shoe Carnival of Altoona.
Millward Selected to Serve Term on Board of Directors
Katie Millward, General Manager of the Altoona Courtyard by Marriott, has been named to the Chamber Board of Directors. Millward fills the unexpired term of former board member Phil Sipes who resigned from the Board in February.
Informational Meeting Set for Chamber’s London Trip
The Blair County Chamber is headed to London! The Chamber, in cooperation with Heritage Travel of Altoona and Chamber Discoveries, will feature an eight-day trip from October 26th to November 2nd. The cost, including airfare, is just $2,299/person. Trip brochures are available at the Chamber Office and Heritage Travel and an informational meeting will be held on April 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. To register for that meeting, call The Chamber at 943-8151.
“Hiring Our Heroes” Registration Entering Final Phase
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the U.S. Chamber on a major event that is expected to have considerable impact on local employers and military job seekers. “Hiring Our Heroes” is a nationwide effort initiated by the U.S. Chamber in March of 2011 to help veterans and military spouses to find meaningful employment. On April 10th, a Hiring Our Heroes fair will be held from 9:00 a.m. until noon at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona. The event is free for both employers and job seekers. Job seekers are limited to military veterans, active duty military, members of the National Guard and reserve components and military spouses. Employers will not be required to pay for exhibitor space; they must at least verify that they have legitimate jobs to offer. Any employers interested in reserving exhibitor space should go to HOH.greatjob.net. Job seekers can register on that same site. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Job Fair Applicants for “Hiring Our Heroes” to Get Assist from Enactus
The Enactus team at Penn State Altoona, through its “New Beginnings Project,” will have students, faculty and community leaders on hand at a workshop this Saturday, March 30th from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, located at 1309 Eleventh Avenue in Altoona. Invited to the workshop are any of the job seekers registered to attend Hiring Our Heroes who would like to brush-up on a variety of skills that should prove helpful when interviewee meets interviewer. Each of the workshops will be about twenty minutes each. Participants will then repair to a computer lab where they’ll receive assistance in putting together a polished resume. To register for the workshop, call (814) 940-3400. There is no cost to employers or job seekers to participate in Hiring Our Heroes or in Penn State Altoona’s workshop.
Chamber Members Invited to Consider Commercial Electric Program
In the three years since the rate caps on electricity were removed in Pennsylvania, more than 300 businesses have signed-on to the Blair County Chamber’s Commercial Electric Program. Practically all of those businesses have gone through at least one renewal of that program and have stayed onboard. “They’ve looked around and determined that what they’ve got is better than what they can get elsewhere,” acknowledged Chamber President Joe Hurd. “It’s a great program because of the rates and the credibility. Those factors alone have made it desirable.” OnDemand Energy, which oversees the program, will continue to work with The Chamber and an informational meeting will be held on April 30th at 9:00 a.m. at the Devorris Center for any business that would have an interest in learning more about the program. “The actual informational session will last about thirty minutes and there will be ample time for questions,” Hurd pointed out. “The only criteria for participation is that the business has Penelec as its supplier and that it be a member of our Chamber.” To register to attend, call The Chamber at 943-8151.
WE-LEaD Spring Workshop to Feature Noted Speaker
The Chamber’s WE-LEaD – Women Encouraging: Leadership, Education and Development – will hold its annual Spring Workshop on Thursday, April 25th from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Penn State Altoona Devorris Downtown Center. Nationally-recognized speaker Marsha Petrie Sue will present “Decontaminate Toxic People Without Sharp Objects or Duct Tape.” The cost to attend is $65 for Chamber Members, $70 for non-members and $60-per-person in groups of five or more from the same company. Continental breakfast and full buffet lunch are included. Corporate sponsor for the event is Blair Medical Associates. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Chamber Golf Classic to Include Ball-Drop
Registration is underway for the 2013 Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield / Chamber Golf Classic. The popular event is set for Monday, May 13th at Iron Masters Country Club in Ore Hill. The price of participating remains the same -- $150-per-golfer and $600 for a foursome – and that includes golf, a delicious luncheon, a special gift for each golfer, a post-Classic reception and Comfort Carts that keep the golfers hydrated. For the second consecutive year, the event will feature a ball drop, coordinated through Pine Bottom Aviation Services of Martinsburg. To reserve a team or an individual spot in this year’s event, contact The Chamber at 943-8151.
Griffith Foundation, Penn State Altoona Helping to Fight Pancreatic Cancer
Two members of the Blair County Chamber have joined forces to co-host an event to raise awareness of the devastation caused by Pancreatic Cancer. The Greg and Cathy Griffith Family Foundation, in cooperation with Penn State Altoona will feature three noted speakers on April 5th beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Devorris Downtown Center. The three are: Dr. A. James Moser of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Amer Zureikat of UPMC and Jack Andraka, considered by many as the “Thomas Edison of the 21st Century.” The cost to attend this event is $30/person. Purchase tickets online at griffithfamilyfoundation.org.
Applications Available for 2014 LBC Youth Class
The application process continues for the 2014 Class of Leadership Blair County Youth. Current high school freshmen at Blair County schools are eligible to apply for the program. Applications must be accompanied by two referrals from non-family members (teachers, guidance counselors, employers, etc.). Students can obtain an application from the guidance office at their schools, by clicking here or by stopping at The Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development. Deadline to apply is April 22nd.
It’s Important to Update Your Business Information
The Blair County Chamber’s database contains information about our members that we use to promote their efforts or which makes them eligible to gain certain business advantages. It’s important that all information regarding our members is updated when changes occur. If you have any changes regarding items such as business address, employee count or significant contact information, contact Cindy Cessna at 943-8151 or email her.
Promote “Buy Here. Live Here.” With Door Prize Donation
As The Chamber continues to solicit support to sustain the Buy Here. Live Here. initiative, it has identified ways that local businesses can make a positive difference at a reasonable cost. “We need door prizes that we can award to people who sign pledge cards,” explained Linda Stotler, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Communication & Marketing. “By signing the cards, they indicate a willingness to support local businesses and also put themselves in position for personal gain when we draw winning door prize tickets.” There’s an upside for the businesses that provide the prizes as well, according to Stotler. “We publicize the prizes and their sponsors in the Buy Here. Live Here. newsletter so that people are aware of who’s stepping up to assist in the effort of building a better community.” To donate a door prize, contact Stotler at 943-8151 or email her.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to Jim Kilmartin of Tyrone, who has been promoted to Vice-President of Business Development at Keystone Business Support & Property Care. Kilmartin is a graduate of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County program and is a current board member of the Blair County Chamber Foundation.
. . . to John Madey and the staff at Blair County Golf & Driving Range, who were awarded the PING Regional Golf Clubfitter of the Year Award for 2012.
. . . to Carol Frederick, President of Tel-Power Tool & Equipment Rental, who has been elected to serve as President of the Board of Directors of the American Rental Association of Pennsylvania.
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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Bell Mansion Tea House
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive one FREE jar of high quality loose leaf tea when you purchase a jar of loose leaf tea at the regular price of $9.99+tax. One jar makes up to 10 cups of tea! Over 40 varieties from which to choose.
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Blair County Chamber of Commerce
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Insert your company or organization's flyer into the mailing of the Blair Business Mirror for only $125. Simply drop off 1,100 copies of your flyer to the Chamber office and the Chamber staff will take care of the rest. Call today to take advantage of this offer.
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Blair Mill Outlet
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Receive a 10% Discount on In Stock Merchandise only. Cash and Checks Only for discount. Blue Card must be present at time of Purchase no exceptions!
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Corl-Grove Services, Inc.
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Blue Card holders and their businesses qualify for 10% off standard fees when certifying 5 or more employees per session. CPR and First Aid Certifications are issued through the American Heart Association and are valid for 2 years.
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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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For more information, visit the website
To subscribe or unsubscribe please email us.
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March 25, 2013
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Upcoming Events
Register online
Business BEFORE Hours
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Altoona Beauty School
Register Here
LBC ALumni Workshop
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
GRYP Indoor Golf
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Golf-A-Round America
Register Here
Hiring Our Heroes
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
9:00a.m. - Noon
Jaffa Shrine
For More Information Click Here
Breakfast Club
Thursday, April 11, 2013
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
GRYP Networking
Thursday, April 18, 2013
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Blairmont Club
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, April 25, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Razor's Edge, Hollidaysburg
Register Here
GRYP Adopt-A-Highway Clean-Up
Saturday, April 27, 2013
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Meet at Home Depot Parking Lot
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 3/25/2013
Hotel Roundtable
Wednesday, March 27th, 8:15 a.m.
Bell Mansion Tea House
Transportation Committee
Thursday, March 28th, 8:15 a.m.
Devorris Center
Attractions Roundtable
Thursday, March 28th, 3:00 p.m.
Comfort Suites
Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
Click here
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