Chamber Board Approves 10 New Members, Reinstates One
Informational Meeting is Tuesday for Canyons and Casinos Trip
Young Entrepreneurs to Learn From Area CEO’s
ALSM to Host February’s “Business After Hours”
Chamber, Operation Our Town to Partner on “Breakfast Club”
Sponsorships Available for BASICS/Rotary Career Fair
2017 Home & Garden Show Expected to Draw Large Crowds
Deadline Approaching for Business Excellence Nominations
Small Business Workshop to Focus on Business Valuation
Congratulations . . .
Chamber Board Approves 10 New Members, Reinstates One
At its Thursday meeting, the Chamber’s Board of Directors welcomed ten new members to the organization and reinstated a member that had previously dropped. The new members are: Beck Financial and Wealth Management of Altoona, Bickel’s Surplus Too of Duncansville, Blair County Farm Bureau of Martinsburg, Chick-fil-A of Altoona, EMG Brands of Tyrone, iQor of Altoona, LAMB Solutions Advertising Agency of Altoona, W.B. Mason Company of Altoona, viLogics of Ebensburg, and Wingate by Wyndham of Altoona. The reinstatement was Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa.
Informational Meeting is Tuesday for Canyons and Casinos Trip
An informational meeting will be held this Tuesday, February 21st at 6:00 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development for the Blair County Chamber’s next exciting trip – Canyons and Casinos! The trip is scheduled for June 16 – 24, 2017. The itinerary includes breathtaking views in the southwest including the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, Scottsdale and a two-night stay in Las Vegas. Globus Family of Brands representative, Doug Brown, will offer a presentation on the trip and conduct a question and answer session. Travelers will receive a $107 discount if their deposit is paid by April 15. There is no cost or obligation to attend the informational meeting. Call the Blair County Chamber of Commerce at 814-943-8151 for more information and to register.
Young Entrepreneurs to Learn From Area CEO’s
As the inaugural class of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) finalizes business plans and winds-down meetings with their mentors, class members are eager to gain additional perspectives from local business leaders at an important event later this month. This Wednesday, February 22nd, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Devorris Downtown Center in Altoona, the class will attend a CEO Roundtable which will feature a Q&A session moderated by YEA! Program Manager Jim Kilmartin. A panel of CEO’s will answer questions prepared by the class to provide insight on the challenges and opportunities that surround business creation and ultimately business growth. The CEO panel consists of Don Beaver of HalenHardy, who started a number of successful Blair County businesses; Deb Dellaposta of Doing Better Business; Philip Devorris of Blair Companies; Jerry Murray of UPMC Altoona; and Patricia Savage of Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries. The CEO Roundtable event is open to the public. There is no cost to attend. A dessert reception will follow the CEO Roundtable. Anyone interested in attending should just show up. For further information, contact the Blair County Chamber at (814) 943-8151. YEA! teaches kids from eleven to eighteen how to identify their passions, develop a business idea, write a business plan, pitch investors for funding and obtain all the necessary components to create a fully-formed and functioning business or social movement by the end of the 30-week class. (Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a program of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.)
ALSM to Host February’s “Business After Hours”
The next Blair County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours will be held Thursday, February 23rd, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the administrative office of Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries (ALSM) located at 998 Logan Blvd., Altoona. ALSM is a not-for-profit organization that employs more than 500 team members and serves an eight-county area. It is the only organization in this region that provides human services that span the generations from children through seniors. Business After Hours is a networking event featuring food and door prizes. Cost to attend the After Hours is $10 per Chamber Member and $20 per non-member, pre-registered. For more call the Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Chamber, Operation Our Town to Partner on “Breakfast Club”
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce and Operation Our Town will partner on the next Breakfast Club program set for March 9th, at The Casino at Lakemont Park, beginning at 7:45 a.m. The program will highlight the accomplishments OOT has made throughout the past year. A special recognition is also planned in honor of Trooper Landon Weaver who was killed in the line of duty on December 30th. OOT will also present its Community Partnership Award which is given to a community partner who supports and furthers the mission of OOT. This year’s recipient is Blair Drug & Alcohol Partnerships. The cost to attend Breakfast Club is $20 for Chamber Members and $40 for non-members and includes a full breakfast buffet. To register, contact the Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Sponsorships Available for BASICS/Rotary Career Fair
The 2017 BASICS/Rotary Career Fair will be held on April 26th at the Blair County Convention Center. More than 1,200 high school sophomores from throughout the county will hear presentations from nearly 100 business people about exciting career opportunities. To help offset the cost of the event, businesses and individuals can take advantage of sponsorships that provide information about the sponsor to the students. The various sponsorship levels are $500, $350, $200 and $100. For more information, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 or email him at jhurd@blairchamber.com.
2017 Home & Garden Show Expected to Draw Large Crowds
The 47th annual Blair County Home & Garden Show will be held March 3, 4, & 5, 2017 at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona. Admission is only $3.00 for adults and children 12 & under are Free. Show sponsors are Boyer Refrigeration, Dibert Supply, LLC, Home Depot, RE-Bath, Superior Walls by Advanced Concrete and Window World. The Blair County Home & Garden Show is brought to you by the Blair County Chamber of Commerce and the Blair-Bedford Builders Association.
Deadline Approaching for Business Excellence Nominations
The nomination period for one of the Blair County Chamber’s most prestigious awards comes to a close on February 28th. The Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence will be presented at the Annual Business Excellence Dinner on June 12th at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The award recognizes a Blair County businessperson who enjoyed an outstanding business career and who made a positive impact on the community. Previous recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award are: Ernie Wissinger (2002), G. William Ward (2003), Stephen Sheetz (2004), Donald Devorris (2005), Willard Campbell (2006), John Wolf (2007), Lee Hite (2008), Donald Detwiler (2009), Michael McLanahan (2010), Barry Smith (2011), Fred Imler (2012), Ben Stapelfeld (2013), William Thompson, Jr. (2014), Timothy Sissler (2015) and Martin Marasco (2016). Reservations are being accepted for the Business Excellence Dinner. Call The Chamber at 943-8151 to make those reservations or register online. Dinner sponsorships can also be secured by calling Jessie Covert at the Chamber Office or by emailing her at jcovert@blairchamber.com. To nominate someone for the Lifetime Achievement Award, click here.
Small Business Workshop to Focus on Business Valuation
The Blair County Chamber’s Small Business Partners will hold a workshop on March 22nd from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. The workshop, to be presented by Doug Christy of Pro/Vision Coaching, Inc., is entitled “What is Your Business Worth? – Why Your Business Performance and Personal Net Worth Depend Upon It.” Christy will identify areas of concern that businesses should address to stay financially viable and he will explain how to calculate business value and increase it dramatically. The cost to attend the workshop is $10 for Chamber Members and $20 for non-members. Light refreshments will be served. To register, contact the Chamber at (814) 943-8151 or register online.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to F.N.B. Corporation which has been named the winner of ten 2016 Greenwich Associates Excellence in Banking Awards. Those awards include both national ones as well as ones within the Northeast Region.
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February 20, 2017
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Upcoming Events
Register online
Business After Hours
Thursday, February 23
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries
Register Here
Blair County Home & Garden Show
March 3 - 1:00 - 8:00 p.m.
March 4 - 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
March 5 - Noon - 4:00 p.m.
Jaffa Shrine
www.blairhomeshow.com
Breakfast Club
Thursday, March 9
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont
Register Here
Non-Profit Best Practices
Friday, March 10
8:15 - 9:30
Devorris Center for Business Development
Register Here
Small Business Partners Workshop
Wednesday, March 22
3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
The Chamber
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, March 23
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
McQuaide, Blasko, Inc.
Register Here
Upcoming Committee Meetings
Week of 2/20/2017
No Committee Meetings Scheduled
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